(In alphabetical order)
Kirsten Boelt
IFLA Governing Board member, Denmark
Kirsten Boelt has been an IFLA Governing Board member since 2021. She has worked in the Danish public library sector for many years and was last library director in Aalborg. Kirsten has been active in The Danish Library Association for many years.
Svein Arne Brygfjeld
Special Advisor on AI, National Library of Norway, Norway
Svein Arne Brygfjeld has a long history at the National Library of Norway. He has been deeply involved in digital strategies and did previously lead the development of the NLN digital library for some years. During the last years at NLN he has build up an AI-lab within the library. His work experience also includes health care, telecommunications and various startups.
Brygfjeld is currently a special advisor on AI for the National Library of Norway, and he is deeply engaged in several international AI communites, and has played a key role in ai4lam.org with focus on AI in libraries, archives and museums.
Oksana Bruy
President of Ukrainian Library Association, Ukraine
Márcia Castro
Biblioteca Municipal de Vizela, Portugal
Andrew Cranfield
EBLIDA Interim Director, Netherlands
Andrew Cranfield holds a BA in Library and Information Science and an MA in Cultural Studies and has spent most of his professional career working in the Danish library sector, both public and academic.
Francis De Bonnaire
Senior Researcher, Sentobib
Francis De Bonnaire is a Senior Researcher and co-coordinator of the European library study Sentobib. With extensive experience in audience research, he has developed a strong expertise in the cultural sector, leading numerous research initiatives across Europe. His work in the cultural sector spans libraries, museums and theatres, where he has played a role in understanding and engaging diverse audiences. Through a collaborative and pragmatic approach, Francis focusses on making audience research accessible for all cultural institutions, regardless of their size and means.
Judit Gerencsér
President, Association of Hungarian Librarians, Hungary
Anneli Haapaharju
Vice-President, Finland's Swedish Library Association, Finland
Andrew Harbison
Director, OCLC, WebJunction, Washington DC USA
Andrew joined OCLC in 2023 to lead the strategy and team that designs, builds, and maintains the WebJunction online learning network for public library staff. In this role, he also serves on the leadership team for the Research and Programming team, supports and leads cross-division activities, and ensures WebJunction's alignment with OCLC strategic priorities. Andrew was most recently a division director at The Seattle Public Library where he oversaw system-wide public services, programming and outreach, collections and access, library operations, and information technology. Andrew has been in library leadership for over fifteen years and is dedicated to improving and advancing the work of public libraries.
Claire Helluin
Project Manager, LiBri - Library Bridges / Bibliothèques sans frontière, France
Jessica Jacobs
EBLIDA Executive Committee Member, Director, Flemish Association for Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres, VVBAD, Belgium
Jessica Jacobs has a strong commitment to the library and information sector, she works to strengthen the position of libraries and archives in Flanders and beyond.
She is a member of the Executive Committee of EBLIDA and has extensive experience in advocacy, policy development, and strategic planning for the library and archive sector.
Passionate about collaboration, she engages with professionals, policymakers, and international networks to promote the vital role of libraries and archives in knowledge sharing, lifelong learning, and community engagement.
Katarzyna Jarzyńska
University of Warsaw, Poland
Panagiotis Kapos
Vice President, Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (H.F.B.C.) Greece
Panagiotis Kapos is a Doctor of Philosophy (Panteion University, Department of Communication, Media and Culture). His doctoral thesis is entitled: The digital transition of the book publishing industry in the new value and networking ecosystem: the Greek case. He studied classical philology and holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Institutions Management.
He has taught at Panteion University and the Ionian University, in Greece, and Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, in Germany, courses on books and written culture in the digital age, the digital transition of Cultural and Creative Industries, publishing entrepreneurship, information behavior, creativity and innovative media.
Combining research and professional experience, he has been active since 2005 in the book market, publishing and culture. He has worked with public and private sector organizations as a scientific and research associate. His research and articles have been published in conference proceedings, journals and books.
Mia Karvonen
President, Finland's Swedish Library Association, Finland
Kaspars Kauliņš
Director, Tilde, Latvia
Kaspars Kauliņš is an AI Language Technology Evangelist and the International Business Development Director at Tilde. He also chairs the Supervisory Board of the Latvian IT Cluster. With over 25 years of extensive experience in business development, AI language technology, HR management, and strategic consulting, Kaspars has built an impressive career across various industries, including FMCG, financial services, professional advisory, and IT & telecommunications. In his professional journey, he has held several senior leadership roles, specialising in business development and talent management. Notably, he has served in senior HR positions at Swedbank Group and as the global Group HR Director for SPI Group. Kaspars is a sought-after speaker at regional and international conferences and has contributed numerous articles on topics within his areas of expertise.
Tito Kliska
Zagreb City Libraries, Croatia
Holger Krimmer
Executive Director, German Library Association, Germany
Jeppe Mørch
Editor-in-chief, Saga Retro – Lindhardt og Ringhof, Denmark
Jeppe Mørch is the editor-in-chief for the retro program at the publishing house Saga Egmont, the largest digital publisher in Scandinavia. The main focus in Saga and the retro department is to republish literature that is no longer available in physical form to the digital book market – and to the Danish libraries. The strategy is to upgrade these digital titles for the AI-age and to develop publication policies with a special focus on the readers of today and tomorrow. A close cooperation with public libraries has been a cornerstone in Saga's approach to retrodigitization, thereby also helping the libraries to stand out from the more commercial players on the Scandinavian digital book market.
Zélia Parreira
EBLIDA Vice-President, Public Library of Évora / Interdisciplinary Centre for History, Culture and Societies, University of Evora, Portugal
Director of the Public Library of Évora since 2014. Vice president of EBLIDA - Executive Committee of the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations.
PhD Full Member of CIDEHUS-UE ( Interdisciplinary Centre for History, Culture and Societies, University of Evora). Trainer in the theme of Libraries since 2001, with a focus on issues of service organization, regulation of institutions and profession, and integration of the library in the community.
Member of the Portuguese Association of Librarians, Archivists, Information and Documentation Professionals (BAD). Frequently invited to conferences, colloquia, and professional meetings, either to report her professional experience in creating strategies for affirming the public library in the community, or to disseminate the results of her research in the area of policy / strategy for the development of a national public libraries service and the corresponding legal regulations. Jury Member of the Portuguese Public Libraries Best Practices Award.
Renata Rokicka
University of Warsaw, Poland
Claudia Serbanuta
President, Communities of the Future Association, Romania
Claudia Șerbănuță is a dedicated advocate for modern library services, open knowledge, and democratic community development. With a PhD in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she has championed the role of libraries as engines for social change. From 2014 to 2016, she served as interim director of the National Library of Romania, leading initiatives to enhance public access to information.
Currently, Claudia is the president of Communities of the Future Association, actively engaged in research with the EcoJust project at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu. She plays a key role in Wikimedians of Romania and Moldova User Group and coordinates efforts for EduCaB Romania. She is also a member of the IFLA Library History SIGpecial Interest Group, contributing to the global discourse on the evolution of library services. Recognized as a Library Journal Movers & Shakers Change Agent (2021) and a 2023 Marshall Memorial Fellow, she continues to shape the future of information access and community engagement.
Her research explores the effects of information control and censorship, highlighting the crucial role of public libraries in strengthening democratic resilience and ensuring public access to information.
Oleg Serbin
Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine, Ukraine
Valentina Stoeva
Founder and Chairperson of Reading Foundation (Bulgaria)
Valentina Stoeva holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Sofia University and a master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations from the New Bulgarian University. Since 2008, she has been actively promoting reading in Bulgaria. She is the founder and chairperson of the Children’s Books Foundation (Bulgaria) and the Reading Foundation (Bulgaria). Additionally, she serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the website detskiknigi.com.
Valentina has been appointed as the Libraries’ Ambassador by the Bulgarian Library and Information Association, and she has been honoured as a Knight of the Book by the Bulgarian Book Association. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in Theory of Reading at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Sofia University. Since June 2024 Valentina is appointed as a co-chair of EURead.
Maija Treile
Head, Research and Interpretation Centre, National Library of Latvia, Latvia
Gwenny Vlaemynck
Innovation Manager, Cultuurconnect, Belgium
Wendy Wauters
Collection Manager, Non-fiction collection for Antwerp’s Public Library Network, Belgium
Wendy Wauters holds a PhD in Art History (KU Leuven) with an award-winning dissertation on the sensory experience of late medieval churchgoers. Her research led to the popular book The Smells of the Cathedral and numerous academic papers. After a career as an art director in the advertising sector, she became the non-fiction collection manager for Antwerp’s public library network.
Marieke Willems
Senior Research Associate and Project Manager, The Lisbon Council, Belgium
Erna Winters
EBLIDA President
Erna Winters has a long-standing commitment to the public library sector, having worked in various positions in public libraries in the Netherlands for nearly 40 years. She served as a director for 24 years before transitioning to the role of network manager for public libraries at the KB National Library of the Netherlands in 2024.
She has extensive experience in advocacy, policy development, and strategic planning for public libraries at the local level. She is also one of the founders of Public Libraries 2030.
With a strong belief in sharing experiences and collaborating to strengthen the position of libraries and librarians, she aims to maintain and enhance EBLIDA’s influence within the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the broader European community.
Ilona Žilienė
Chief Bibliographer of the Information Supply Division, National Library of Lithuania, Lithuania
