"If misinformation can travel across the Atlantic, perhaps knowledge should too?"
That was the question I posed to the audience as I opened my presentation at the European Conference in Dublin. A question with a touch of humour, perhaps, but also a serious message
Democracy is under pressure. Across Europe and beyond, we are witnessing growing political polarisation, declining trust in institutions and an information landscape increasingly shaped by global technology companies, algorithms and artificial intelligence.
At the same time, the digital transformation is changing almost every aspect of our lives. How we communicate, access public services, find information, participate in society and understand the world around us.
This raises a fundamental democratic question. How do we ensure that technological development strengthens democracy rather than deepening inequality, exclusion and mistrust?
This was also a central question at the European Libraries Conference in Dublin on 28–29 October 2026, held during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The conference marked the presentation of the European report Strengthening Europe through Public Libraries, developed through more than a year of European cooperation in which I have had the privilege of participating.
The report highlights the enormous potential of Europe's public libraries as social, cultural and democratic infrastructure – and the importance of sustained political investment in this network.
"Read the European report: Strengthening Europe through Public Libraries" ()
As part of the conference, I was invited to share some of Denmark's experiences with public libraries as active partners in the digital transformation.
My central message was simple.
Public libraries are not merely places where citizens can access technology. They are democratic institutions that help people understand, navigate and participate in an increasingly digital society.
From the internet to artificial intelligence – one public mission, new technologies
In Denmark, public libraries have played an important role in digital development for more than three decades.
In the 1990s, the challenge was to provide citizens with access to the internet. Libraries offered computers, connections and guidance at a time when digital access was far from universal.
During the following decades, as public services increasingly moved online, libraries became essential places for citizens seeking help with digital identification, communication with public authorities and everyday digital tasks.
Today, artificial intelligence presents a new challenge. It is no longer sufficient simply to know how to use digital technologies. Citizens must also understand how these technologies influence the information they receive, the choices they make and the society in which they participate.
The technologies have changed dramatically, but the public mission remains remarkably consistent: To ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in society, regardless of their digital skills, educational background or economic circumstances.
This is why Denmark's experience with libraries in the digital transformation is not primarily a story about technology. It is a story about democracy, equal opportunities and public institutions adapting to new societal challenges.
No child is born digital
We often describe younger generations as digital natives. But this expression can be misleading.
As I put it in Dublin
"No child is born digital. We are all born human – and we all need to learn how to be digital."
Being able to use a smartphone or navigate social media does not automatically mean understanding algorithms, recognising misinformation, protecting personal data or critically evaluating information.
Digital literacy is something we must learn, develop and continually renew throughout our lives.
And this applies to all generations.
The digital transformation creates enormous opportunities, but it also risks creating new divisions between those who can confidently navigate digital society and those who cannot.
Public libraries have a particular strength here. They are open, accessible and trusted institutions, where citizens can seek guidance without having to demonstrate particular qualifications or skills.
Libraries do more than provide technical assistance. They help build confidence, independence and the ability to participate.
That is a democratic responsibility.
Artificial intelligence is also a democratic question
The rapid development of artificial intelligence makes this responsibility even more important.
AI is already transforming the ways in which information is produced, distributed and interpreted. It is changing education, employment, public administration and our understanding of knowledge itself.
For libraries, the question is therefore not simply whether to adopt AI tools, but how to contribute to a society in which citizens can use and understand these technologies critically and responsibly.
In Denmark, the public library sector has developed a common vision for artificial intelligence based on four shared ambitions.
The first is citizens' digital literacy: empowering individuals to understand, navigate and critically engage with digital technologies.
The second concerns understanding technology within libraries themselves. Library professionals and institutions must develop the knowledge and competencies necessary to evaluate and use emerging technologies responsibly.
The third ambition is to establish strong digital foundations, ensuring that libraries have robust and future-ready digital infrastructure.
Finally, libraries must contribute to a national conversation about AI and society, bringing their knowledge of information, education, access and citizens' everyday experiences into the public debate.
These ambitions are being pursued through cooperation across the Danish library sector, involving central libraries, library directors, the Danish Library Association, the Royal Danish Library and Local Government Denmark, with the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies contributing to the process.
The approach is holistic and bottom-up. Rather than treating AI as an isolated technological project, the ambition is to build shared capacity across the library system and connect technological development with the needs of citizens.
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Perhaps it takes an entire nation to develop the digital competencies needed for the future.
The Danish Library Association also participates in the national AI Competency Pact, a broad coalition working towards strengthening AI competencies among one-third of the Danish workforce over three years.
But libraries bring something particularly important to this effort: a direct connection to citizens in their everyday lives, including those who might otherwise be left behind.
Free access is not enough
One of the lessons from Denmark's digital development is that access alone does not create equal opportunities.
Making digital resources available is important, but availability does not necessarily mean that people will discover, understand or use them.
This is particularly evident when it comes to reading.
Digital libraries can make literature available to millions of people, regardless of where they live. But if we want to strengthen reading culture, we must do more than provide access to books.
We must also inspire people to read, help them discover literature and develop their ability and motivation to engage with it.
This principle extends far beyond reading.
A digital public service only fulfils its democratic potential when citizens are able and willing to use it. And public institutions must also reach people who do not actively seek out their services.
That requires guidance, communication, relationships and a deep understanding of the communities we serve.
When children inspire other children to read
One example is the Danish digital children's library service eReolen GO!
The service provides access to digital books, but its ambitions extend beyond lending.
Through videos, reviews and recommendations, children help inspire other children to discover literature and develop an interest in reading.
The underlying idea is that reading should not simply be presented as an educational obligation or something adults tell children to do.
Reading should become part of children's own lives, interests and communities.
This is an important distinction.
Libraries have traditionally been very good at providing access to knowledge and culture. But in a world of endless digital distractions, we must become equally good at creating curiosity, motivation and engagement.
Technology can support this ambition, but the purpose remains profoundly human: to connect people with stories, knowledge and one another.
Digital independence in everyday life
Digital technology can make public administration more efficient and services more accessible. But without support, the same technologies can also exclude people.
Libraries help bridge that gap.
They offer a place where citizens can acquire skills, ask questions and become more independent in their digital lives.
Digital technology can make society more efficient. Libraries can help make it more democratic.
Libraries as democratic infrastructure
The Danish examples illustrate a broader point.
The role of public libraries in the digital transformation cannot be reduced to providing computers, digital books or training courses.
Libraries are part of the infrastructure that enables democracy to function.
They provide access to knowledge and information, support critical thinking, strengthen digital literacy and offer public spaces where people can meet across social, cultural and political differences.
In an era of increasing misinformation, political polarisation and declining trust, these functions are becoming more important, not less.
And while technology continues to transform society, the need for institutions that put citizens, knowledge and democratic participation at the centre remains constant.
This is also why European cooperation matters.
Across Europe, we have an extensive network of more than 65,000 public libraries deeply rooted in local communities. It represents an extraordinary opportunity to connect European ambitions for digital inclusion, education and democracy with the everyday lives of citizens.
The challenge is to recognise and strengthen this infrastructure through sustained investment, political commitment and cooperation across national borders.
Perhaps knowledge should travel across the Atlantic too.
In a world where misinformation spreads instantly and democratic institutions face growing pressure, we need to become much better at sharing knowledge, experiences and solutions.
Public libraries have a long tradition of doing exactly that.
They are not the answer to every challenge facing democracy. But they are an essential part of our collective response.
Because the digital transformation should not simply be about creating smarter technologies or more efficient societies.
It should be about empowering people, strengthening communities and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate.
That is why the future of public libraries is not only a cultural or technological question. It is a democratic one.
And that is why libraries must continue to develop – in the service of democracy.
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This article is based on my presentation "In the Service of Democracy – Public Libraries in the Digital Transformation", delivered at the European Libraries Conference in Dublin on 29 October 2026, during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Michel Steen-Hansen is Director of the Danish Library Association (Danmarks Biblioteksforening).
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