For the position of Governing Board Member 2017-2019

Knud Schulz

Strong libraries support citizens in transforming their lives

Strong libraries need support from strong organizations like IFLA. The support must be strategic to meet future societal and individual expectations to the libraries and need to include local community conditions as a key factor. The work in IFLA on a new global vision is an important and challenging project. Involving the library community and all IFLA groups is decisive both in developing the vision and in implementing it on a regional level in accordance with IFLAs goal about being more supportive regionally.
More than ever libraries are needed to provide access to valid knowledge and to assist and train people in being active citizens in their community and take part in the society. Citizens need competencies to master the digital society and transform their own lives.

Since 1987 I am the manager of the Main Library in Aarhus. Thirty years of management and around 100 projects, building on staff motivation and commitment, ensured our organization with the experience needed for the design and realization of Dokk1 – the new public library in Aarhus.

Colleagues from everywhere in the world have during all that time generously shared their experiences and ideas by participating in our meetings, masterclasses, study groups and by engaging in the Next Library Conferences and thereby contributing to today’s successful Dokk1.

I firmly believe in international cooperation and will as GB-member also build on personal experiences as a mentor and sponsor for INELI and cooperation with Chicago Public Libraries in developing “Design Thinking Toolkit” to support libraries globally to a faster change.

Working for IFLA Governing Board is one of my ways to give a little back to the international library community.

My candidacy is supported by the Danish Library Association.

Knud Schulz
Manager
Public Libraries in Aarhus (DOKK1)
Aarhus, Denmark