We are very excited to announce the first ever Next Library Pilot Projects: a funded opportunity for library changemakers to advance initiatives related to Next Library’s themes of sustainability, democracy, and play. The call is open now – and the deadline is March 1st!
Two winners will be selected and each will receive:
- One free ticket to Next Library 2025
- A dedicated session at Next Library to get feedback on your idea
- 2,500 Euro to bring your idea to life
- Ongoing support and mentorship from the Next Library community
What kinds of projects are we looking for?
We’re seeking projects that ignite innovation and bring the Next Library concept to life between events. Whether it’s a brand-new idea or something you’ve already been experimenting with, it should have the potential to scale and inspire change in other libraries. Your idea should focus on practical, actionable change with a meaningful impact on your library’s community—something that can also be scaled or replicated across countries.
We’re open to many different ideas, though successful projects will:
- Tap into the Next Library spirit of co-creation: Next Library is about exploring and learning together. We encourage you to think about how to bring this into your idea – and how to make sure that you engage the Next Library community!
- Have a plan for implementation: There should be an implementation plan in place, and it should be clear how this award will help you achieve your near-term goals.
- Connect to the themes: You need not relate to all three, but there should be a clear connection to sustainability, democracy, and/or play. Read more about these themes and why they are important to us.
- Invite replication: Next Library is first and foremost a community to share ideas. It should be easy to imagine how a library on the other side of the world might adopt your practice for themselves.
Timeline
- Call opens: February 1
- Call closes: March 1
- Winners announced: early April
- Onboarding session with Next Library team: late April
- Next Library 2025: May 24-27 in Aarhus, Denmark
- Continue working on your project until online presentation in April 2026
Submit Your Proposal
In your proposal, tell us more about yourself, your idea, and how it connects to Next Library. Share how you plan to use the award to bring your idea to life—and what success could look like in five years. Ready to get started? Fill out the submission form here: https://forms.office.com/e/F8cU5zW4uM
Jury
We are happy to announce the jury, who will be responsible for selecting the 2 winners that will get to do the Next Librar Pilot Projects.
The jury panel brings together years of experience and passion in library innovation.
The four jury members are:
- Grif Peterson – Froghouse (Chair for the jury), USA
- Marie Østergård – Director for Aarhus Public Libraries, Denmark
- Ramune Petuchovaite, Manager for EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme, Lithuania
- Eom Yoonmi, Chief Strategy Officer, SeeArt Foundation, South Korea
- Lasse Nyrup, CEO WeDoBooks, Denmark
FAQ
- What if I’ve already registered for Next Library? We will reimburse you if you are one of the winners
- What if my colleague wants to join? We will hold a spot for 1 collaborator, but they will have to pay the full price
- Can we/I nominate my own/our own idea for this award? Yes, please go ahead! You can nominate yourself. Or: if you know of someone else doing something awesome that could fit into this please encourage them!
- The call is open to libraries, organizations, and individuals engaged in library activities who are eager to strengthen international networks and share ideas. Projects that focus solely on your own community are not eligible.
The Next Library Pilot Projects are sponsored by WeDoBooks
