READING FORWARD. DIALOGHI SULLA BIBLIOTECA

» Wednesday, February 4, 6:00 PM
Cuneo, Spazio Incontri Fondazione CRC
Palazzo Vitale | via Roma 15

ILONA KISH
Director Public Libraries 2030 – European Platform

In conversation with

Cristina Clerico, Councillor for Culture, Municipality of Cuneo
Stefania Chiavero, Director, Cuneo Civic Library
Davide De Luca, Director, Fondazione Artea
Krist Biebauw, Strategic Development, Reading Forward 2026

Live streaming on Fondazione Artea’s YouTube channel

Contemporary libraries today are an essential civic infrastructure for democracy and digitalization. In an age of information overload, uncertainty, and rapid technological change, they provide safe public spaces where citizens can access diverse perspectives and engage in critical discussion.

Increasingly, libraries operate as democratic arenas: places of participation, dialogue, and co-creation, where citizens, institutions, and civil society organizations collaborate to address local and regional challenges. By fostering civic engagement and offering space for activism, they strengthen democratic trust and active citizenship, contributing concretely to more cohesive, resilient, and democratically robust cities and regions.

In view of the opening of the new Cuneo Civic Library planned for next autumn, the 2026 program of READING FORWARD will naturally evolve with the support and involvement of Krist Biebauw, former director of the “De Krook” library in Ghent (Belgium) and one of the key figures of the previous edition.

The first international guest of 2026 is Ilona Kish, Director of Public Libraries 2030, who actively advocates for strengthening the European library sector through EU-level advocacy and network building. Former Secretary General of Culture Action Europe, Ilona brings extensive experience in European advocacy and campaigns, along with deep operational and political knowledge of how European Union institutions function.

Public Libraries 2030 is a European platform led by a team of professionals and consultants committed to strengthening the role of libraries across Europe. With diverse expertise in policy, innovation, and engagement, they work together to support libraries in empowering citizens and promoting inclusive societies. Drawing on experience from different sectors, the team collaborates on project development, strategic partnerships, and advancing the future of public libraries. Their expertise and passion help shape initiatives that connect, inspire, and create lasting impact.

READING FORWARD. Dialoghi sulla Biblioteca is a journey accompanying the creation of Cuneo’s new library hub, which in 2026 will find its home in the historic Palazzo Santa Croce. Through a series of talks, it aims to explore and examine the role and identity of libraries, future challenges, and management, enhancement and development processes that can foster cultural growth and social well-being. It is an important opportunity to find inspiration and good practices to draw on, and to rethink how a civic library can be conceived so that it is ever more a space at the service of the city, a welcoming place for books but above all for people, and a cultural and community centre in all its many forms.
READING FORWARD is a project by the Municipality of Cuneo and Fondazione Artea, with the support of Banca di Caraglio, in collaboration with Confindustria Cuneo. Media partner La Stampa