Jan Holmquist
Guldborgsund Public Library

Libraries are more important than ever. This is not the headline you see in news media these days. If there happens to be a library-related headline it often says that libraries are obsolete because of the technological development.

In a world where there is more information than ever before and where modern societies compete to get the attractive knowledge jobs librarians and libraries guide people towards digital literacy thereby empowering them as digital citizens and lifelong learners. Therefore libraries are strategically important for modern knowledge societies.

Aligning to the conference theme Different Perspectives, New Horizons Jan shares how a library strategy with a focus on learning lead to opening a library FabLab and what implications it has for supporting learning about new technology and creating new knowledge communities.

A library FabLab must have the focus on digital literacy, searching and evaluating information and actively supporting the creation of new knowledge just like the library does with more traditional media.

Jan also shares insights on European library advocacy from Public Libraries 2020 and the Library Advocacy Lab on how libraries change lives and he reveals the secret on how Public Libraries 2020 will be a driving force in creating a global knowledge school for forward-thinking librarians and why that is important.

Paper presentaion see here .

Jan Holmquist is assistant library director at Guldborgsund Public Library in Denmark. He is a member of the Library Advocacy Lab that aims to raise awareness about public libraries within the European Union. He is also an international speaker and consultant and has been involved in several global projects e.g. the learning project 23 Mobile Things and crowdfunding projects e.g. Buy India a Library.

The library as a learning hub in the community is one of Jan's core beliefs. The modern library supports learning on all levels. Jan believes, that the best library is created by being globally inspired and by transforming the inspiration into acting locally in the community.

Recently Jan has been working with development and research of library strategy both at Guldborgsund Public Library and as part of his Master studies at Copenhagen Business School. He is a co-chair of the Internet Librarian International conference. Jan was named one of the Library Journal Movers and Shakers 2014.