Author: Lyudmyla Yefremova, director of the Trostyanets municipal library
Trostyanets city hromada with a population of about 30 thousand inhabitants. A small public library. And at the same time — big dreams, hard work and faith in one’s own strength.
Curiosity, generosity and joy describe the gathering. There was plenty of serious discussion, but also laughter. There was dancing. There was singing. There were moments of reflection, moments of discovery and conversations between people who might never otherwise have met. At the centre of it all were the participants of The Europe Challenge and the BUDDIES project.
The Europe Challenge brings together libraries and communities from more than 20 countries to tackle issues that matter locally while connecting them to wider European challenges. BUDDIES, meanwhile, supports library and community workers to develop the skills, confidence and networks needed to work more closely together.
From 3 to 5 June 2026, libraries and communities from across Europe gather at OBA Oosterdok in Amsterdam for the final summit of The Europe Challenge 2025/26. Held under the symbolic title “Libraries at the Heart of Europe”, the summit calls for libraries to be fully recognised as vital infrastructure at the core of Europe’s democratic, cultural, and civic life. Bringing together 60 libraries from over 20 countries, selected from more than 300 applications, the summit focuses on how local initiatives are responding to shared social, digital and environmental challenges across the continent.
Over three days, participants, including library professionals, community organisers, policymakers and funders, will exchange practices, test ideas and present their work in a marketplace that connects local action to a wider European context. The programme combines conversations on the evolving role of libraries with study visits across Amsterdam, offering a closer look at how community-led approaches are taking shape on the ground.
Alongside the summit, a dedicated Libraries for Europe Funders Forum will bring foundations and public funders into the conversation, including contributions from André Wilkens, Director of the European Cultural Foundation, and Vivian Paulissen, Programme Director of The Europe Challenge. The session creates space to align priorities, share insights and explore how sustained investment can strengthen libraries as part of Europe’s democratic future.
A Marketplace Filled with Ideas
Imagine walking through a room where every table offers a different glimpse into the future of libraries. That was the spirit of The Europe Challenge initiatives marketplace.
Participants in the 2025/26 edition shared initiatives large and small, presenting practical ideas developed in cities, towns and rural communities in Europe, across the continent’s three key transitions: social, digital and green.
People stopped, listened, exchanged advice and borrowed ideas from one another. What worked in a village in Ireland might inspire a project in Italy, just as a challenge faced in Poland might sound remarkably familiar to someone from Portugal. Though every community is different, many of the questions libraries are tackling are shared beyond borders.
Looking at Libraries Through Different Lenses
One of the event’s key conversations explored how libraries contribute to stronger communities at every level, from neighbourhoods to national policy and European cooperation.
Drawing on the forthcoming report of the OMC Expert Group Strengthening Europe Through Public Libraries, speakers Martin Berendse, Linda Sheridan and Bruno Duarte Eiras reflected on the growing recognition of libraries as essential social and civic infrastructure. Representing local Amsterdam, national and European perspectives on the key role of libraries for urban and rural development, the conversation always returned to the same idea: libraries matter because they belong to everyone.
Libraries Are Often Described as the Heart of a Community. But What Does That Look Like in Practice?
The upcoming report Strengthening Europe Through Public Libraries identifies seven distinct roles that libraries can play: Motivator, Storyteller, Guide, Protector, Facilitator, Community Builder and Catalyst. Together, they paint a picture of libraries not as static institutions, but as dynamic spaces that respond to the needs and ambitions of the people around them.
To bring these roles to life, we gathered for a special watch party featuring seven short films from libraries taking part in the 2025/26 edition of The Europe Challenge. Each video offered a glimpse into a different library, a different community and a different role in action—from creating spaces for belonging and dialogue to driving local change and inspiring collective action.
BUDDIES: Empowering frontline library and community workers
At the Libraries at the Heart of Europe summit, the BUDDIES project came to life through a stand designed not only to share what we have been working on, but also to listen.
Throughout the event, library professionals, community workers, partners, and curious visitors stopped by to discover how BUDDIES is supporting libraries in becoming even stronger community spaces. The stand brought together several strands of the project: a Europe-wide survey on the skills library professionals need to engage with their communities, a collection of 40 best practice examples, and the first steps towards a new European competency framework for library professionals.
The stand was also a place for conversation. As we develop a peer learning platform for library professionals, we wanted to hear directly from the people it is meant to serve. What kind of support do they need? What helps them feel connected? What would make a platform truly useful in their daily work?
These conversations reminded us why the project is called BUDDIES in the first place: at its heart, the project is about making sure library professionals do not have to navigate change, challenges, or community work alone. Through our mentoring programme, we support the personal and professional development of people working in libraries across Europe. Through Know How Labs and Masterclasses, we bring together library professionals and community representatives to exchange experiences, learn from one another, and find inspiration.
You can explore the recordings and graphic notes from the Know How Labs and Masterclasses with following link.
Representatives of Trostyanets city hromada joined the summit from Ukraine – Lyudmyla Yefremova, director of the Trostyanets municipal library, and Natalia Lisafina, head of the NGO “Organization of Persons with Disabilities “TROI”.
We presented the social project “Trostyanets Life-Lover”, within the framework of which a Center for Resilience was created on the basis of the library for vulnerable categories of the population, in particular the elderly, people who feel lonely, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities and people with special needs. In addition, they presented authentic souvenirs made by the users of the library and the center “Trostyanets Life-Lover”, talked about the war in Ukraine and the values of library work in conditions of military aggression. The social project “Trostyanets Life-Lover” aroused considerable interest, concern and support among our European colleagues.
Trostyanets Public Library became the only one among the three teams from Ukraine this year that independently submitted an application for participation in the project to the ECF. And it was we who were entrusted with the responsibility of representing the community in the very heart of Europe.
And it all started with a complete modernization of libraries in the distant, pre-war, year of 2018.
We thank the Mayor of Trostyanets, Yuriy Bova, for his great contribution to the development of local libraries and faith in our potential — we did not let you down.
Sincere gratitude to Ukrainian Library Association for its continued support and recognition:
- status “Library of the Year — 2020”
- joint project “RESTART”
- numerous trainings, education and opportunities for development
Thank you to the entire library staff who persevered in difficult times and carried all these changes and achievements on their shoulders.
The Europe Challenge is a programme initiated by the European Cultural Foundation. (http://culturalfoundation.eu/) It brings together libraries ad communities to address Europe’s key transitions—social, digital, and green—by implementing creative solutions in their local areas. The 2025/26 edition is kindly supported by public funding through Arts Council England, (http://artscouncil.co.uk/) Fondazione Cariplo, (http://fondazionecariplo.it/) and The Scottish Library & Information Council. (http://scottishlibraries.org/)
Trostyanets Life-Lover: Place where faith in life is born
Alarms, sirens, power outages, sleepless nights due to attacks by enemy drones. For several years now, Ukrainians have been living in conditions of constant stress and uncertainty. And if an adult can still find internal resources to cope with their experiences, then it is much more difficult for children, the elderly, people with disabilities or those who have experienced loss to do this.
That is why places where you can not only receive support, but also feel needed, heard, not alone, are of particular importance. In Trostyanets, the Trostyanets Public Library has become such a space, where the “Trostianets Life-Lover” Center was created in 2025.
Those who have already become part of this community admit: here faith in one’s own strength returns, here they find friends, new hobbies and inspiration to live on. Here people learn to overcome difficulties and discover new opportunities for themselves. Someone is mastering digital services and learning to pay for utilities via smartphone, someone is improving their health in physiotherapy classes, and someone is starting to learn a foreign language for the first time in their life. And each such small victory becomes a big step towards self-confidence.
The implementation of this important initiative was made possible thanks to the victory of the Trostyanets Public Library in the international competition “European Challenge 2025/2026”, launched by the European Cultural Foundation.
This is a unique project for the community, aimed at supporting people who need attention and care the most: the elderly, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, those experiencing loneliness, as well as families whose lives have been changed by war. The project budget is 10 thousand euros, and its implementation will last until September 2026.
Today, seven areas are successfully operating at the Center:
- therapeutic physical education classes
- foreign language study group
- art therapy studio
- plant growing enthusiasts club
- computer and digital literacy courses
- individual and group psychological consultations
- learning modules on civic education
Each of these associations has become a place of meetings, support and mutual understanding. Whole families come here. Internally displaced persons, large families, people with limited mobility, families of fallen Defenders of Ukraine and those who are considered missing are engaged here.
And if you ask visitors what “Trostianets Life-Lover” means to them, most will answer simply – it is a family. A family where they rejoice in each other’s successes, support each other in difficult moments and help not to lose hope.
Today, the European Challenge network unites 60 libraries from over 20 countries, which are jointly seeking answers to the social, digital and environmental challenges of our time.
During the summit, Ukrainian participants presented the project “Trostyanets Life Lover”, which aroused sincere interest and admiration of European colleagues. They spoke about the life of Ukrainians in wartime, about the power of the community, about the role of libraries as centers of support and unity. The guests were especially warmly received by souvenirs created by the hands of visitors to the library and the Center for Sustainability – things that have a piece of soul, hope and gratitude invested in them.
But the path to international recognition began much earlier.
It all started with the large-scale modernization of the libraries of Trostyanets city hromada in 2018. Back then, it was a bold dream and belief that a modern library could be much more than just a book collection.
Only a few years have passed — and this dream has turned into successful international projects, new partnerships and the opportunity to worthily represent the Trostyanets community at the European level.
“Trostyanets Life Lover” is not just a project. It is a story about people who, despite the war, did not lose the ability to enjoy life, support each other and move forward together. It is a story about the strength of the community, which proves: even in the most difficult times, there should always be a place nearby where you will be understood, supported and helped to believe in the future.
Leaving with More Than We Arrived With
As the event came to a close, participants packed their bags carrying more than conference notes. They left with new ideas, connections, and questions to engage with.
Most importantly, we’re hoping they left with a renewed sense of what is possible when libraries and communities come together.
For three days in Amsterdam, libraries truly were at the heart of Europe. The conversations that started there are only just beginning.
The Europe Challenge is a Libraries for Europe initiative, powered by the European Cultural Foundation. The 2025/26 edition of The Europe Challenge is kindly supported by public funding through Arts Council England, Fondazione Cariplo, the Scottish Library and Information Council, and is co-funded by the European Union.
