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Erfaringer og læringspunkter fra VIRAK-konferansen 2025

Abstract

The VIRAK Conference 2025 was organized through a collaboration between the University of South-Eastern Norway, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Østfold University College and the County Library of Akershus, Buskerud and Østfold. Initiated by the county library, the cross-sector partnership aimed to strengthen regional and national library cooperation and support the objectives of the Utsyn White Paper. This initiative led to a formal cooperation agreement between public, school, and academic libraries, with the conference as a concrete outcome. The main purpose of the conference was to examine the role of academic libraries in higher education and society, particularly in interaction with other types of libraries. At the same time, the organizers sought to build competence and strengthen collaboration among themselves. Cross‑sector cooperation shaped both the planning process and several program elements. The program included the topics “Academic and Public Libraries” and “From Secondary School to First-Year Student”, featuring presentations that showcased diverse forms of cross-sector collaborations. In this article, we highlight key perspectives from both the development and execution of the conference, outline lessons learned, and point to opportunities for further collaboration. We describe how the organizers worked toward the stated goals and present findings from surveys completed by participants and organizers. Survey responses indicate that the goals are viewed as both relevant and important, and the collaborating institutions plan to continue several initiatives that emerged from the conference.