The International Conference “Designing Belonging: Libraries as Inclusive and Open Public Spaces” concluded successfully. Organised by the Committee for the Support of Libraries (CSL), the event took place on 1-2 December 2025, and was hosted by the National Library of Greece (NLG) at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC).

Expert directors of libraries and library-related organisations from Scotland, Germany, Finland, Spain, and Italy shared international best practices regarding openness, inclusion, and collaboration with Greek delegates. They presented services tailored to diverse user groups – including children, teenagers, adults, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and businesses – by actively listening to their specific needs. The NLG and other Greek libraries belonging to the CSL shared their own best practices for the human-centred design of their services. The common thread and central theme of the conference were synergy, cooperation, inclusion, accessibility, direct communication with the public, and an open approach that emphasises co-creating services with users in mind, as well as the need to strengthen partnerships at both national and international levels.

In this context, the Director General of the NLG, Dr Chrysa Nikolaou, emphasised that the National Library’s primary goal for the next five years is universal access, inclusion, and the enhancement of the user experience through modern technological tools and educational initiatives.

The Committee for the Support of Libraries (CSL) was founded in 2003 by representatives of Greek and international organisations to contribute to the development of libraries in Greece. Committed to the free and open exchange of information, and to fair and equal representation and cooperation, the Committee’s main goal is to contribute to the modernisation and development of Greek libraries and information centres in their efforts to provide quality services to their users/clients.

The members of the CSL are: National Library of Greece, Goethe-Institut Athen, Instituto Cervantes de Atenas, US Embassy in Athens, Athens American Center, Nordic Library at Athens, British School at Athens Library, Italian Cultural Institute of Athens, Library of the Hellenic Parliament, National Documentation Centre, Hellenic General Council for Libraries, Association of Greek Librarians and Information Scientists, Eugenides Foundation, Music Library of Greece “Lilian Voudouri” of The Friends of Music Society, Nea Filadelfeia – Nea Chalkidona Municipal Library, Diavazontas Megalono