Blog post by Mariana Harjevschi
On 25 March 2026, Mariana Harjevschi, KR21 national coordinator for Moldova, presented the KR21 roadmap “Safeguard Access, Empower Europe: An Action Plan to Let Libraries be Libraries” at the 35th National Symposium “The Library Year 2025”, held in Chișinău. See the recording of Mariana’s intervention.
The symposium was organised by the National Library of the Republic of Moldova under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The theme of this year’s edition, “The Involvement of Libraries in Digital Transformation: Opportunities and Challenges”, reflects the strategic direction of 2025 and highlights the essential role of libraries in supporting the digital transformation of society.
KR21’s Library Action Plan
Addressing fellow library professionals, Mariana emphasised that the mission of libraries is increasingly under threat, not only from budget constraints or censorship, but also from a “silent crisis” driven by legal and market frameworks that risk excluding libraries from the digital age. The KR21 library Action Plan sets out nine key actions to ensure that libraries across Europe can continue to support research, education, preservation, and cultural participation.
A Platform for Exchange and Collaboration
The symposium served as a platform for evaluating and promoting the results achieved by libraries in implementing the 2025 priorities and initiatives. It brought together library managers from national, departmental, and territorial centres, representatives of the National Book Chamber, academic staff, local public administration specialists, and other professionals from related fields. The event also facilitated the exchange of best practices and innovative experiences, as well as discussions on challenges and future directions for strengthening the library sector.
Unlocking Moldovan Libraries’ Digital Future
KR21, together with Mariana, will continue to champion the ‘Let Libraries be Libraries’ agenda in Moldova, advocating for a legal framework that enables libraries to fulfil their mission in the digital environment.
Safeguard Access, Empower Europe
An Action Plan to Let Libraries be Libraries
Nine actions to ensure Europe’s libraries can continue to support research, education, preservation, and cultural participation in the digital age.
