Under Biblioteksdagarna 2025 kommer Claudia Serbanuta, ordförande för Communities of the Future Association, att prata om demokratifrågor under bibliotekens dåtid, nutid och framtid.
Claudie Serbanuta har länge jobbat för att stärka biblioteken och demokratin. Hon har ett digert CV inom bibliotekssektorn: Serabunta har doktorerat i informations- och biblioteksvetenskap vid University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign och forskar idag inom projektet EcoJust på Lucian Blaga University i Sibiu, Rumänien. I sin forskning fokuserar hon bland annat på effekterna av censur och bibliotekens roll för att trygga tillförlitlig information och demokratisk motståndskraft. Under Biblioteksdagarna håller hon i programpunkten ”From Silence to Solidarity: Libraries, Memory, and the Future of Democracy”.
Serabunta ersätter Shannon Mattern som huvudtalare på konferensen. Programpunkten hålls på engelska.
– Attending Biblioteksdagarna is a truly exciting opportunity for me. Swedish librarians have long been an inspiration—not only for their commitment to professional excellence, but also for their active role in building inclusive, democratic communities. In Romania, Sweden is widely respected for its support of civil society, and the Swedish Embassy is seen as one of our most trusted partners in this work. So being here feels both personally and professionally meaningful. It is an honor to be part of the Swedish Library Association’s 25th anniversary celebration, says Serbanuta.
The past 15 years Serbanuta has worked to advance libraries as engines for social change. She is active in the Wikimedians of Romania and Moldova User Group and coordinate EduCaB Romania, a national program that supports libraries in underserved communities. Serbanuta is also part of the IFLA Library History Special Interest Group and contribute to international discussions about the past, present, and future of library services.
Libraries for a democratic and inclusive future
Serbanuta grew up in communist Romania and felt a personal and urgent need to help people access the information they needed to grow – both personally and as active members of their communities.
– I decided to pursue a PhD to better understand how public libraries operated during the final decades of the regime—a period defined by political pressure, ideological control, and unquestionable leadership. In such an environment, stories were silenced and people rendered invisible. By studying these mechanisms, I hoped to gain the insight needed to help transform library services in Romania, she says.
For over 15 years she has worked toward this goal – both as interim director of the National Library of Romania and through civic society projects—collaborating with librarians across the Black Sea region.
– Balancing long-term vision with the daily realities faced by underfunded and undervalued libraries, I’ve had the privilege of working with dedicated teams to bring innovation and resilience to public libraries of all sizes. My keynote will reflect on these experiences—on what we’ve learned, what we’ve endured, and how libraries can continue to shape a more democratic and inclusive future, even in the face of adversity and rising extremist pressures.
”Future-oriented thinking is essential”
The theme of Biblioteksdagarna 2025 is ”Back to the future”. For Serbanuta it entails learning from the past in order to shape the future.
– I appreciate that this event encourages professionals to reflect deeply on where our field is headed—on our impact and our role within communities. Future-oriented thinking is essential—it helps us stay grounded in our values while remaining flexible in how we navigate the challenges ahead. I’m glad that our association’s motto, “Be present in your future,” aligns so well with the spirit of this conference. I truly believe this event will support librarians and library managers in doing exactly that.
Biblioteksdagarna will be a moment for Sebanuta to deliver her first keynote speech but also an occasion to celebrate Swedish Library Association’s 25th anniversary.
– I invite you to join me in celebrating both milestones. My presentation will explore the lessons we can draw from a past that, unfortunately, feels increasingly relevant today. I hope to spark a meaningful conversation around these lessons and how our diverse experiences of being European can help us shape a more democratic, inclusive, and sustainable future – both in Europe and globally. In my vision, libraries have a central role to play in development and resilience and I am excited to talk with you about this!
