Live-stream recording from the conference Nordic Libraries Annual 2026. This live-streamed video features the closing words of the conference “Libraries and preparedness”.
Mika Mustikkamäki, Head of Group for Libraries and Senior Officer, Library Affairs, Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV), thanks everyone who made the event possible and offers three “baby steps” for libraries in preparedness in the light of the Finnish comprehensive security strategy: set the library as a key actor in building trust, community and social inclusion; make the library seen and heard in the municipality and build cooperation; and help collaborators understand what resilience is about. He also shares observations from the Agency’s preparedness exercise in autumn 2026, which showed that libraries are not yet fully recognized for their potential in crises. Asked what he hopes will have changed in five years, he hopes libraries will be a cornerstone of municipal preparedness work.
Päivi Jokitalo, the host of the day, then reflects on this year’s presentations and on the themes of previous conferences. She concludes that preparedness is built long before a crisis through literacy, reliable information, community partnerships, inclusion and trust, and that libraries are not only in need of protection but part of the solution. She thanks the speakers and participants and reminds viewers that the recordings are available on the Library Channel.
Nordic Libraries Annual is an annual conference that addresses topical issues in public libraries and library development. NLA 2026 was organized as a webinar on October 27, 2026 by the Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) in collaboration with Library Channel (Kirjastokaista).
The theme of the 2026 conference was “Libraries and preparedness”. The conference examined preparedness from different perspectives and from across Europe: what it means for the public and for public libraries, and what examples and experiences already exist within the library sector.
Read more:
All videos from the conference
Live-stream: Mikko Helander and Joonas Nevalainen
Producer: Riitta Taarasti
Produced by Library Channel (Kirjastokaista), 2026
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