Libraries Advancing Community Engagement in Africa and Europe

Where do you go when you need internet access, clear information about your rights, practical money skills, or a place to talk about mental health, climate concerns or the issues affecting your community? For many communities, the answer is the library.

Through The Europe Challenge, libraries are helping people access essential resources, build everyday skills and create space for conversation and mutual support. To show how this work is happening in practice, the European Cultural Foundation and Library Aid Africa hosted the webinar Libraries Advancing Community Engagement in Africa and Europe.

Library professionals and community leaders from Denmark, Greece, South Africa and Zambia share how they are working with partners beyond their usual networks, responding to local needs and developing practical solutions with their communities. While their contexts differ, many of the challenges they face are similar.

The webinar features The Europe Challenge alumni Asmund Bertelsen from Aarhus Public Library and Dina Ntziora from Comicdom and Athens Comics Library, alongside speakers working in different community settings. Their experiences show how libraries are adapting their work to support participation, connection and access where it is needed most.