Hand in hand – libraries and adult education centres for lifelong learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

Hand in hand – libraries and adult education centres for lifelong learning

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Access for disadvantaged; Regional dimension and cooperation

Project Summary

In an increasingly fast-changing and digital world, both adult education organizations and libraries are exploring new roles, methods and services in lifelong learning. We are constantly looking for ways to better reach our customers and make our services more easily accessible to learners. Since the promotion of lifelong learning is at the core of both educational organizations and libraries, crossing organizational boundaries and increasing cooperation to enhance borderless service and guidance seems a natural direction to take.

The Erasmus+ KA2 partnership Hand in Hand consisted of five European lifelong learning organisations (libraries and adult education centres) who wanted to exchange practices and learn to offer better and more easily accessible services to customers. The idea of the partnership was to study and analyse the steps libraries and adult education organisations can take to become multi-purpose learning centres. The objective was to find ways to complement each other’s expertise in order to create synergies in providing services to the public.

Planning, organizing and providing a wide spectrum of activities requires the cooperation of several actors such as libraries, youth centres, adult education centres and cultural services. Our study visits and workshops in Italy, Finland, Denmark and Poland provided us with a good understanding of the changing world of lifelong learning provided by libraries and adult education centres both in cities and smaller rural communities. We also asked our customers through surveys and focus interviews for their input, and designed activities based on those ideas, our study visits and sharing our own ideas and experiences. The results of the surveys are surprisingly well in line with what we learned during our study visits:

– As far as the premises are concerned, our customers want both: some space for relaxing and “slow life” and spaces for various activities, workshops, do-it-yourself activities, working.
– A recurring theme in our surveys and the study visits is peer-to-peer learning – our customers mentioned getting help with mobile devices and computers, starting reading circles and film clubs, and sharing information about various topics in informal ways.
– Another important finding was the desire for inter-generational events, events for children and parents together, spaces where families can do things together.
– People are increasingly interested in themes related to health and wellbeing.

Gaining an understanding of our own customers/learners was crucial for planning services based on user needs. Once we had conducted our customer surveys, we made plans for some small steps to develop our activities in line with our learners’ and customers’ expectations. After experimenting with ideas gathered from customers and learners, each partner identified good practices that should be continued and that could be shared with others, as well as challenges that we face when implementing our visions.

The library and lifelong learning centre of the 21st century, whether large or small, is an open, public space where people not only get and share information and develop their skills but also come together to meet, work and create. It provides a platform for both non-formal and informal education, courses, lectures, events and self-directed learning. Residents are no longer passive users of services but active planners and producers of activities who benefit from self-service spaces and the possibility to use the premises independently. Peer-to-peer learning, openness, transparency, confidence and equality are key concepts, and listening to residents and asking for their input every step of the way from planning to implementing services increases the feeling of belonging and encourages active citizenship.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 83065 Eur

Project Coordinator

Valkeakosken kaupunki & Country: FI

Project Partners

• Training 2000 psc
• Comune di Fano
• FUNDACJA “AKTYWNI XXI”
• RANDERS KOMMUNE