The CENL secretariat at the German National Library has now been in place for three years. Since then, at the end of each year we have been presenting a small series of videos in which our members look back on the past year and look forward to the next. We are convinced that this will give you a vivid impression of the similarities but also the diversity of the European national library landscape. We are therefore delighted to once again present a selection of video messages from national library directors.
All members of the Secretariat have been happy to support CENL members throughout the year – either by helping them with various issues or by supporting their staff through our Funds and Grants programme. A real highlight of 2024 was our wonderful Annual General Meeting, hosted by the National Library of Poland in Warsaw. And we are already looking forward to our next big event: the next AGM, 15-17 June 2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The members of the CENL Secretariat would like to express our sincere thanks for the pleasant and trusting cooperation during the past year. We look forward to continuing this collaboration in 2025.
Season’s greetings and a very Happy New Year!
Frank Scholze – CENL Chair and Director General of the German National Library
Johanna Rachinger, National Library of Austria – Director General
Ivanka Stričević, National and University Library in Zagreb – Director General
Tomas Foltyn, National Library of the Czech Republic – Director General
Martin Öövel, National Library of Estonia – Director General
Dávid Rózsa, National Széchényi Library – Director
Dear CENL members,
Dear fellow librarians,
It is my pleasure to welcome you here today and to report very briefly on the challenges and successes of the 222 years old national library in 2024.
One of the most important pieces of news is that on 1 July the Hungarian National Museum Public Collection Centre was established, bringing under its auspices our institution, the National Széchényi Library, the Hungarian National Museum, the Petőfi Literary Museum, the Hungarian Natural History Museum, the Museum of Applied Arts and the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism. The institutions of the Public Collection Centre are the keepers of the Hungarian identity, fostering our shared cultural heritage.
All member institutions added together, the 6 key member institutions and their subsidiaries make up a total network of 40 institutions. In these 40 institutions, we have a heritage of over 24,5 million items. The annual growth of this collection is around 150,000. Currently, there are 100 permanent exhibitions, and in addition to it around 130 temporary exhibitions each year, and more than 110 publications are issued annually.
The aim of the Public Collection Centre is to make Hungarian cultural heritage accessible to a constantly expanding domestic and international audience and to improve the efficiency of its operations by exploiting synergies.
In the middle of July, we launched the new MEK+ platform, which now offers librarians access to 12,000 copyrighted books on a closed cloud-based network. MEK+ allows libraries to grant their readers access to copyrighted works in digital format, on a closed network of computers on their premises, for research or individual study. We are proud of this development, which will make the library of the future a reality today, as libraries all over the country will be able to make Hungary’s written cultural heritage available.
On 30 July, we inaugurated our archival repository in Piliscsaba in order to preserve the values of the past in the most efficient way. It is a building that uses state-of-the-art methods to preserve the treasures of Hungarian written culture. The temperature and humidity of the rooms can be adjusted to within tenths of a degree according to the nature and needs of the documents preserved, thus ensuring that they are destined to last forever. This breathtaking and modern building will be a reliable repository for our collection, which is difficult to monetise, and will house the library’s legal deposit to ensure that it is kept safe from any damaging conditions.
Dear CENL librarians,
At the end of this short summary, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and, of course, many content readers.
Elisabetta Sciarra, Central National Library of Florence – Director
2024 was my first year as Director of the Central National Library of Florence. A year full of challenges and achievements that saw us engaged in the protection, conservation and enhancement of our cultural heritage. An important digitization project promoted by the Digital Library, as part of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), began with the aim of making 12 million pages of post-unification newspapers available. Legal deposit and cataloguing activities continued effectively, and important antique purchases were also made. Three exhibitions (Women of the sky. From muses to scientists; When the world was radio. A century of history in books and magazines; Compulsory acquisitions 2016-2024. Exhibition of manuscripts, books, papers) – that once again drew on the great wealth of our collections – were accompanied by conferences, editorial presentations, extraordinary openings, guided tours and initiatives consistent with ongoing activities such as shows and readings. Significant interventions to the architectural structure and lighting systems of the Library have been completed, giving the reading public large spaces made safer and more functional.
For 2025 we hope to undertake even more challenges: developing new projects, further increasing services and making the Library increasingly accessible to the community. We wish everyone a happy new year!
Dagnija Baltiņa, National Library of Latvia – Director
Aušrinė Žilinskienė, National Library of Lithuania – Director General
Daniel Quaderer, National Library of Liechtenstein – Director
Claude D. Conter (Director & Carlo Blum (Deputy Director), National Library of Luxembourg
2024 was an outstanding year for the BnL because, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, we were able to acquire a rare, thousand-year-old medieval manuscript, significantly enriching the country’s cultural and historical heritage: the Giant Bible of St Maximin. By bringing this thousand-year-old treasure back, we ensure its preservation for future generations and restore to Luxembourg one of the most brilliant witnesses to its past.
Another milestone this year was the signing of a historic pilot licence for the online publication of “out of commerce”-works between the BnL and luxorr (Luxembourg Organization For Reproduction Rights). This innovative scheme is part of the strategy for preserving and disseminating Luxembourg’s cultural heritage developed as part of the BnL’s Vision 2030, while guaranteeing fair remuneration for creators and respect for their rights.
For 2025, we intend to further develop the automation process, such as the mandatory e-legal deposit. E-legal deposit should transit directly to the library system Alma with AI-generated metadata. The AI technologies, which are both an opportunity and a challenge for our libraries, should also help us to develop an innovative solution to facilitate inventory work in the reading room.
Wilma van Wezenbeek, KB national library of the Netherlands – Director General
Dear Colleagues,
Season’s greetings to all of you! It’s a pleasure to connect as I settle into my role as Director General of the Dutch National Library, which I began on September 1st. While I haven’t had the chance to meet many of you yet, I’m inspired by the vital role libraries play in society, and I’m excited to contribute to this mission.
This year we’ve achieved several key milestones: we released a new collection strategy, which addresses the evolving landscape of publications. We also renewed the strategic partnership between the government and public libraries, with a focus on tackling societal challenges such as literacy, digital skills, and lifelong learning. Additionally, we’ve taken steps towards building a climate-neutral storage facility for our physical collections.
Looking ahead, the housing projects, including the development of our new public building, will be a priority for 2025. We aim to strengthen our digital security and build resilience within our organization and for our staff. We see developing our ability to work effectively in networks of value (that work toward goals larger than an organization can achieve alone) as a strategic competency we want to develop. And, last but not least, we are committed to advancing a greener KB.
Óscar Arroyo Ortega, National Library of Spain – Director General
Good morning to you all, colleagues of CENL, I greet you from the National Library of Spain to share a brief overview of what the year 2024 has represented for our institution.
This year has truly marked a period of transformation, including my appointment as the new Director of the National Library of Spain. I also want to extend a warm greeting to Ana Santos, who is now enjoying her retirement.
We have seen changes at many levels within the institution. One of the most notable milestones, particularly from a librarian’s perspective, has been the successful implementation of a new management system this past June. After years of preparation and dedicated effort, we are delighted to see this project come to fruition with great success. We are excited about all the changes that have taken place.
Moreover, we are actively working on various initiatives to modernize the infrastructure of the National Library of Spain, alongside adjustments in the organization of services provided to the public.
I look forward to sharing more of the upcoming projects with CENL in the following years and I sincerely hope that all of you are doing well.
Warm regards from Spain, and my best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2025!
Damian Elsig, National Library of Switzerland – Director
Mr. Taner Beyoğlu, National Library of Türkiye – Director
Lyubov Dubrovina, National Library of Ukraine – Director
In 2024, the V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine successfully tackled a number of challenges posed by ongoing circumstances.
Among the year’s key achievements were:
Despite these successes, the library faced the following challenges:
Looking ahead to 2025, the library has set ambitious priorities as follows:
As we reflect on 2024, we remain dedicated to addressing challenges and advancing the role of national libraries as essential cultural and informational hubs.
On behalf of VNLU, I am delighted to extend our heartfelt New Year and Christmas greetings to all CENL members. May the challenges and trials of 2024 give way to a brighter 2025 filled with peace, prosperity, and new opportunities for the growth and advancement of national libraries worldwide.
Let our libraries remain steadfast as beacons of knowledge and culture, inspiring unity and fostering collaboration within a strong and inclusive international library community. Together, we stand ready to face the future with resilience and optimism, welcoming both its challenges and opportunities.
May each of you embrace the festive spirit, filled with the joy, wonder, and magic of Christmas. May your homes be warmed by cozy evenings, cherished moments with loved ones, and the comfort of peace and togetherness, making this season truly special and memorable.
Thank you for your unwavering support and solidarity!
With warmest greetings and best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Lyubov Dubrovina
Roly Keating, British Library – Director
Amina Shah, National Library of Scotland – Director