Diversity and integration

Public libraries, municipalities and NGOs in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden have been cooperating since October 2008 in the framework of the EU project 'Libraries for All" to make local libraries aware of their potential for promoting the social integration of immigrants.

Libraries for All aims at having libraries meet the specific learning and educational needs of immigrants while providing the general population with the opportunity to experience and participate in the linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity of their community.

Some of the different activities developed include supporting the bilingual development of children, supporting the learning of a second language, bridging the digital gap, and encouraging intercultural dialogue.

A manual on how to create socially inclusive libraries has been developed based on learning experiences and best practice examples.

The project, formally entitled European Strategy for Multicultural Education (ESME), is supported by the European Lifelong Learning Programme.

For more information on the project, check out the official website at www.librariesforall.eu.