The ideal library is a cooperation network rich in electronic resources. It enables everyone’s active participation in cultural and life-long learning processes and brings to fruition personal and community aspirations.

The network should be generously funded and promote cultural variations by region. In Latvia, I work on reading promotion programs which involve thousands of children as active readers and critics of the latest books. With that in mind, I see the ideal children’s library as hospitable place, both a virtual and a physical, with books and other media and information platforms. It should provide everyone with media creation opportunities regardless of whether the resulting product is a newly composed musical recording, a theatre show, writing, visual arts, an animation or a documentary. In this environment, every child would be knowledgeable and would feel confident of personal ability. The librarian would feel the same. The questions to ponder while I cycle:

1. How to accelerate the development of child and teenager user services in the libraries?
2. How to extend the day to 28 hours?
3. How to successfully participate in social networking, without using too much time on them?

Silvija Tretkova
National Library of Latvia, Library Association of Latvia