Šarūnė Leikienė

Senior Librarian-Methodologist at Panevėžys County Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library

I have been working at the library since 2011. I specialize in reading promotion, creative education, and bibliotherapy-based activities. I am a member of IBBY Lithuania. I conduct training for librarians, teachers, and parents on reading promotion and early reading. As a project leader and educator, I develop initiatives that foster reading, emotional development, and meaningful family engagement. I hold a BA in Lithuanian Philology and an MA in Educational Management.

The Beginning of Reading promotion program. From „Summer Challenges“ to Year-Round Engagement: The Role of Libraries in Fostering Reading in Lithuania

Institutionalization of the Reading Promotion Program. First initiatives, financial figures, and the pursuit of continuity. The second part of the presentation introduces several national initiatives that help Lithuanian libraries strengthen a culture of reading: the summer challenge “Summer with a Book,” the year-round campaign “A Year with a Book,” the family-focused initiative “Fathers Read to Children,” and the creativity-enhancing “Book Presentation Contest”. These programs demonstrate how libraries are evolving into active community spaces that foster engagement, creativity, and social inclusion. The presentation will discuss the strategies applied, the results achieved, and insights that may support the development of similar initiatives elsewhere.

Date and time: 2025-12-02, 17:20-17:40 (20 min)

Hall: ALFA