Young people in focus when the Libraries of Norrbotten met in Jokkmokk

How can libraries become even better at reaching young people? That was one of the central questions when libraries from all over Norrbotten met in Jokkmokk for a county conference with lectures, workshops and exchange of experiences.

The program addressed youth participation from several perspectives. The Jokkmokk Youth Reading Council presented its work on reading promotion, multilingualism and Sami storytelling traditions. The group consists of high school students who together explore youth participation in reading promotion efforts.

The issue of influence also recurred in the session with Youth Up North, which held both a lecture and a workshop. The organization works to strengthen young people's influence in social development and create meeting places where young people and decision-makers can meet. After the workshop, participants highlighted the value of working together practically and developing ideas on how libraries can become better at including young people.

The practical perspective also followed into the program point with the author, craftsman and educator Anna Nutti Wiandt. She said that the inspiration is drawn from everyday life and emphasized the importance of recognition in the stories. By combining reading aloud with creative activities, she believed, libraries can both open up for conversation and give children something concrete to take home as a memory of the experience.

In addition to lectures and workshops, the conference also included study visits and experience exchange passports. Participants were able to delve into topics such as democracy and free opinion formation, child rights convention analysis, event development, and BookTok and reading for young people.

Linnea Olofsson, Kristina Sandström and Sofia Lundmark working in a group. Photo: Norrbotten Regional Library.

A conference that lives on

The county conference is arranged every two years by the Norrbotten Regional Library together with a new host municipality and brings together participants from public libraries throughout the county. This creates breadth in the conversations and provides space for many different perspectives.

But the conference is not just about the program content. Meetings between colleagues are also an important part of the days. Conversations during breaks, during study visits and at shared meals generate new ideas, strengthen relationships and lay the foundation for continued collaboration.

This year's conference demonstrated a strong commitment to young people, democracy and the role of libraries in society. At the same time, it became clear that there is a great desire to develop together.

That feeling was well captured in the opening speech by Henrik Blind, Jokkmokk municipal councilor and chairman of the culture and leisure committee. He highlighted the importance of libraries in our time and put into words something that many in the room likely recognized:

- We need places where there is room to think things through. Where curiosity is allowed to be greater than certainty. Where people are allowed to change.

Text: Linda Kvenås