How Can I Help? Was the slogan of this year’s 14th National Library Congress, that took place in a hybrid form and at the Public Library in Piaseczno on November 22, 2023.
Welcoming the guests Polish-American Freedom Foundation Program Director Joanna Lempart and Jacek Królikowski, the President of Information Society Development Foundation (ISDF) which organized the Congress, spoke about libraries which have recently specialized in various assistance activities and initiated them by themselves. They were interviewed by Filip Jędruch of ISDF, who is involved in Sector 3.0 program. The Congress participants were also welcomed by Vice Mayor of Piaseczno Municipality and Commune Robert Widz and Vice Director of the Library Sylwia Chojnacka-Tuzimek.
The participants of How To Help Wisely And Well debate held at the studio and conducted by Aga Kozak, a journalist, were Prof. Paweł Łukow of University of Warsaw, and expert in culture Oksana Liubenko, a participant of ‘University of Warsaw for Ukraine’ project. The debate was on various assistance activities, also those taken up by people and institutions that offer support. Discussed were such issues as: how to help following good practices and showing respect, or if there is a good assistance code, and also – how to accept the assistance offered.
The next item on the agenda was the conversation of Anna Rok, Olga Rok’s granddaughter and the patron of the Competition for Librarians with this year’s winners – the initiators of unconventional activities held in libraries.
In Larger Library category the main prize went to Magdalena Boczkowska of Gustaw Daniłowski Municipal Public Library – Coalfield Media Library in Sosnowiec for launching the author’s Media Library Is A Woman project, organization of the 12 Portraits For 12 Decades exhibition showing Sosnowiec female residents aged from 0 to 90 years, as well as for actions benefitting Ukrainian community residing in the area of Coalfield.
The main prize in Smaller Library category was won by Beata Rogalska of Commune Public Library at Krypno Kościelne. The winner was awarded for numerous activities addressed to and participated by young people, including a performance of the type of Fire Show on the difficult issue of situation of women in the world, the Youth’s Library Rap patriotic song festival, and the film project implemented by young people (FAMA poszła! – Filmowa Akcja Młodzieży Aktywnej) that led to making a music video.
Olga Rok scholarships are financed from the endowment fund set up in 2012. They support personal development of librarians who know how to activate themselves and the others to searching for new solutions and who have the courage to transform their communities.
The partners in that Competition are Polish-American Freedom Foundation, Information Society Development Foundation and Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland.
The Congress participants also attended the workshops on assistance activities in libraries. How To Take Care Of Yourself When You Help The Others workshop, held in the in-person part of the Congress, was conducted by Katarzyna Dąbrowska, Young People In Library Media! How To Encourage Young People To Read Books From The Library? workshop was organized by Magdalena Żerek working for I read it! portal. Persuasive communication coach Radosław Czekan spoke about discussion and techniques of defending opinions, while Lena Rogowska-Lewandowska of Culture of Dialogue Foundation invited the Congress participants to a workshop titled Library at the Times of Insecurity. How To Consciously Build Secure Organization Culture.
At the same time, the online Congress participants had the opportunity to listen to interviews held by Filip Jędruch with the Congress guests, including Tomasz Kwaśniewski, a writer of Dwie Siostry Publishing House, while Marta Piechocka-Nowakowska’s of ISDF had an interview with Krzysztof Jodłowski, a researcher of Day Ray agency on Libraries for the Climate.
Summing up the Congress, Aga Kozak had a conversation on motivation and wise support with a special guest Monika Zuber, a pastor and theologian.
The Library Congress is a cyclical event organized by Information Society Development Foundation as part of the Library Development Program managed by of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation for 11 years. Over the years 2009-2015, the Library Development Program was implemented as part of Global Libraries initiative by Information Society Development Foundation. Under the program, which in the years 2008-2015 was implemented by Polish-American Freedom Foundation in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, support has been offered to over 4,000 public libraries in municipalities and communes with less than 20,000 residents.
The partners of the 14th Library Congress were: Public Library in Piaseczno and My Digital Life. Cooperating in organization of the event were also: Dwie Siostry Publishing House, Sector 3.0, as well as Stowarzyszenie Dyrektorek i Dyrektorów Bibliotek Inicjatywy (the Association of Libraries of the Initiative Directors).
