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Chicago Hosts International Library Conference  Libraries -- and their Communities -- as Learning Ecosystems The Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Public Library Foundation, Aarhus Public Libraries, and the Urban Libraries Council hosted the NEXT Library Conference here in Chicago June 20-25, at the Harold Washington Library Center. NEXT Library drew 350 library professionals representing 40 countries to Chicago. The NEXT Library Conference is an international gathering of library professionals, innovators and decision-makers who are pushing boundaries to support 21 century learning, focused around the development of core competencies such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving. The conference theme centered around libraries as learning ecosystems and how libraries contribute to lifelong learning, community resilience, and civic participation. This was the first time NEXT Library was held in the U.S. since its inception in 2009. It showcased Chicago and its many attributes that make the City itself a "learning ecosystem". Participants traveled to the UIC Innovation Center, 1871, University of Chicago Arts Incubator, Chicago Public Library's YOUmedia Lab and Maker Lab, and the Chicago Children’s Museum. A stellar line up of keynote speakers included Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Director of Research & Learning at the LEGO Foundation, who talked about the connections between learning and play. John G. Palfrey, Jr., Head of School for the prestigious Philips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, focused on the Digital Public Library of America and the cultural shifts we can expect as more and more content is created in digital-only formats. And Tina Sciabica, Executive Director of READ Global, spoke about how libraries are well positioned to partner with communities in developing nations to create sustainable change. Created by Denmark’s Aarhus Public Libraries and first presented in 2009, NEXT Library Conference is designed to look ahead and explore the continuously evolving nature of the public library in the 21st century. The NEXT Library community has grown to include over 500 library leaders and innovators from around the world. |
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