The PROLIB team’s library conferences in June

June was a very busy month for the PROLIB team, filled with meetings, discussions and the exchange of experiences. We took part in two important events: the 10th National Forum of Pedagogical Libraries in Kraków and the 3rd Congress of University Libraries.

Both events highlighted just how much the role of libraries is changing. It is becoming increasingly clear that a library is not just a place to access knowledge, but also a space for relationships, collaboration, education and modern digital services.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

On 11–12 June 2026, we took part in the 10th anniversary edition of the New National Forum of Educational Libraries in Kraków, held under the theme ‘Building relationships. The library as a community space’.

The event was filled with discussions on the vital role that educational and school libraries play in building bonds with their users. The library took centre stage as a place for meeting, dialogue, support and collaboration. There was also much talk about librarians’ soft skills and the importance of sharing experiences between institutions.

During the forum, Krzysztof Henne and Patryk Wesołowski presented a paper entitled ‘A catalogue that engages – on the social functions of INTEGRO in building relationships with users’.

During the presentation, we demonstrated that a modern library catalogue can fulfil much more advanced functions than simply serving as a tool for searching the collection. Using the INTEGRO system as an example, we discussed the catalogue as a space for communication, participation and services, which supports the library’s day-to-day interaction with users.

Particular interest was aroused by the features that allow readers to participate more actively in library life. These included requests, reviews and ratings, personalised services, editorial content published in the catalogue, as well as solutions relating to the booking of library resources and spaces.

The future of library catalogues is not limited to providing information about collections. The natural direction is to create an environment in which users can explore, have a say, use services and build a lasting relationship with the library.
This is precisely the role that INTEGRO fulfils.

“INTEGRO does not merely provide access to resources – it enables libraries to build lasting relationships with users and engage them in creating a modern library community.”

A few days later, from 17 to 19 June 2026, we took part in the 3rd Congress of University Libraries. The event brought together around 400 people involved in academic libraries, making it an excellent opportunity to discuss the future direction of university libraries.

We discussed the role of technology in day-to-day work, the needs of users, and solutions that can support libraries in their next stages of development. It was an interesting gathering of people who fully understand that libraries are changing, and that the needs of their users are changing alongside them.

The congress programme placed particular emphasis on topics relating to the use of artificial intelligence and research data management. These issues are having an increasingly significant impact on the way information is organised, the development of library services and the day-to-day work of academic library teams.

From our perspective, a key takeaway was the confirmation of the growing need to build coherent IT ecosystems. Academic libraries require solutions that enable the integration of different types of resources, support open science processes and adapt flexibly to the specific characteristics of a given institution.

The conference also demonstrated that technological development should go hand in hand with the development of staff skills and organisational changes. The transformation of academic libraries involves not only the implementation of new tools, but also the way in which resources are managed, services for users are designed, and library spaces are organised.

The three main thematic areas of the congress – resources, people, and organisation and space – clearly reflected the directions in which modern university libraries are developing.

The conferences held in June reinforced our belief that libraries are currently developing in several complementary directions. On the one hand, relationships, communication and user engagement are becoming increasingly important. On the other hand, the role of technology, data integration, automation and tools supporting new working models is growing.

For the PROLIB team, taking part in these events was, above all, an opportunity to talk to librarians and library managers. It is precisely these kinds of meetings that help us to better understand the day-to-day needs of libraries and to develop solutions that genuinely support them in their work.