Mirjam Wijers

Mirjam Wijers has been working in the library sector since 2005 in various roles, as managing director, as strategic advisor, and currently as innovation director at Bibliotheek Berkel & IJssel. In her current role, she works — together with colleagues — on the future of the library as a public space, including online. Drawing on public values such as accessibility, autonomy and reliability, she explores how the library can and should relate to a digital landscape that is largely dominated by commercial platforms. Her library participates in the development programme 'Public Spaces in De Bieb'. Within this framework, the library is launching an experiment in which it temporarily steps away from social media as a communication channel, and explores alternatives for digital visibility, connection and community building. Mirjam is also seconded for a number of hours from her library to participate in the trajectory of the National Library KB and the national library network, within the National Programme Werken aan Uitvoering. This programme aims to improve digital services, and here too Mirjam focuses on working from public values.