Los directores de las Bibliotecas nacionales europeas se reúnen en Madrid

Los directores de las Bibliotecas nacionales europeas se reúnen los próximos días 24 y 25 de septiembre en Madrid para analizar y debatir los problemas del sector. El organismo internacional que les agrupa, la CENL (The Conference of European National Librarians), celebra en Madrid su reunión anual, organizada por la Biblioteca Nacional de España.

Los directores de las Bibliotecas nacionales europeas se reúnen los próximos días 24 y 25 de septiembre en Madrid para analizar y debatir los problemas del sector. El organismo internacional que les agrupa, la CENL (The Conference of European National Librarians), celebra en Madrid su reunión anual, organizada por la Biblioteca Nacional de España. Tras la recepción de bienvenida el miércoles por la tarde, el acto de inauguración tendrá lugar el jueves a las 9:30 y será presidido por la subsecretaria del Ministerio de Cultura, Mercedes del Palacio,  y por el vicepresidente del Real Patronato de la Biblioteca Nacional de España, Francisco Luzón. Intervendrán: Elisabeth Niggermann, directora de la Biblioteca Nacional de Alemania, y Milagros del Corral, directora general de la Biblioteca Nacional de España.

Se presentarán durante las dos jornadas de trabajo los planes estratégicos y los datos de los asuntos comunes, especialmente lo relacionado con la biblioteca virtual europea (Europeana) y con la valoración de los partenariados público-privados en tareas de digitalización, así como la utilidad de indicadores de rendimiento, que la Biblioteca Nacional de España ha sido la primera en aplicar en Europa. Está prevista también la intervención de Lynn Brindley, directora de la British Library, de Bruno Racine,  presidente de la Biblioteca Nacional de Francia, y de Yvo Volman,  representante de la Comisaría de la Sociedad de la Información (Comisión Europea), entre otras personalidades. Componen la CENL 48 miembros de 46 países europeos. Las bibliotecas europeas se enfrentan a los retos que, en los últimos años, plantean las nuevas tecnologías, sobre todo la digitalización de los fondos y la puesta en marcha de plataformas comunes, tarea en la que han sido pioneras.

Los miembros del CENL serán recibidos por S.M. el Rey en el Palacio de Zarzuela el jueves día 24, y asistirán a una recepción ofrecida por el alcalde de Madrid el viernes 25 en los jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez del Parque del Retiro. La Biblioteca Nacional de España les ofrece también una cena en el Museo del Prado, que culminará con un concierto extraordinario interpretado con los instrumentos diseñados por Leonardo da Vinci y descritos en códices que conserva la BNE.

Elisabeth Niggeman
CENL Chair

THE Conference of European National Librarians (CENL) is a foundation under Dutch law with the aim of increasing and reinforcing the role of national libraries in Europe, in particular in respect of their responsibilities for maintaining the national cultural heritage and ensuring the accessibility of knowledge in that field. Members of CENL are the national librarians of all Member States of the Council of Europe. The conference currently consists of 48 members from 46 European countries.
The Board of Directors of CENL meets annually in one of the member countries to exchange experiences, report on projects and activities and to listen to invited speakers on topics of common interest.
In 2009 CENL has the pleasure to hold the annual meeting of the Board of Directors at the Biblioteca Nacional de España. This year’s main topics will be The European Library – the web service of CENL, digitisation and digital preservation activities in European national libraries as well as CENL’s engagement in Europeana. Thanks to the hospitality of the Biblioteca Nacional de España the Board members of CENL will have the wonderful opportunity to visit this CENL member library and to get a personal impression of the richness of the holdings and services the Biblioteca Nacional de España offers its users.
The Biblioteca Nacional de España is one of the very active European national libraries participating in various EU funded projects like EDLproject, TELplus, ARROW, ENRICH and Europeana. The European Library is a very successful web service of CENL, not at least thanks to the contributions from the competent Spanish colleagues actively working in the different working groups and joining their forces for the development and enhancement of The European Library.
All CENL members are looking forward to a fruitful and successful annual meeting.
DR. ELISABETH NIGGEMANN
CENL Chair

Milagros del Corral
Director General National Library of Spain

Dear colleagues,
A warm welcome to Madrid and to the National Library of Spain. It is for us a privilege and an honour to host the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Conference European National Librarians (CENL). When the CENL Board of Directors first met in Madrid (1989) the Organization was still in its infancy. Along those 20 years, the CENL has experienced a more than significant growth in its membership and became the major forum for high level professional exchanges. The prestigious Conference of European National Librarians is nowadays an influential body due to its proven capacity of moving the library agenda forward at the European level in preserving digital heritage and promoting the intensive use of new technologies for a large public access to the rich resources held by European National Libraries.
It therefore enjoys a privileged status of cooperation with the European Commission. The National Library of Spain has also known a significant progress along the same period of time: a substantive renovation of the its historical building that hosts you today, a second new site in Alcalá de Henares, equipped with storage technologies of last generation, over 26 million of pieces, receiving roughly 1 million new entries per year and, more recently, a determined adoption of digital technologies.
All our current efforts in digitization, engagement of new audiences and development of value-added services to users, converge towards the celebration of the Tercentenary of this prestigious Library, the oldest cultural institution at nation’s level that was established in 1711 by King Philip V, the first monarch of the Bourbon dynasty still reigning in Spain.
The increasing number of our users around the world, our commitment to the youth, our highly appreciated exhibitions, the diversity of cultural activities we organise, our R+D projects and continuous efforts to develop international cooperation at the European level and worldwide, acknowledge the new approach of openness and commitment to society, and to the generation of new knowledge adopted as goals in our current development strategy.
All those of us who believe in the dream of building a strong Europe in a better world, know well that culture is a first range player and are persuaded that objectives of that scope can best be met through dialogue, exchanges and cooperation with peers. CENL meetings are always a wonderful opportunity to do so. I sincerely hope that this conference will provide room for new ideas and experiences and wish you all a very fruitful and pleasant stay in Madrid.
MILAGROS DEL CORRAL
Director General
National Library of Spain