ALIA Public Libraries Reference Group

Library stars: best of the best

Keynote speaker: Rolf Hapel

Rolf Hapel has worked in four Danish cities as librarian, deputy manager and director; becoming director of Aarhus Public Libraries in 1994. He is since 2006 director of Citizens Services and Libraries at Aarhus Kommune. Mr Hapel was a member of the Danish Ministry of Culture Committee, which formed the Danish act on public libraries, from 1996 to 2000. He is also the head of several steering groups, committees and boards including projects investigating the future public library, outlining a National Catalogue System, and formulating computing strategies for the Danish National Library Authority. He has served as chairman for various cross-sector initiatives both locally and regionally, including a think tank on Interactive Cityscapes and Intelligent Buildings, as well as workgroups developing strategies for targeting information technology towards different user groups, eg refugees and immigrants. Aarhus Public Libraries has been active in several European projects, such as PubliCA (EU's concerted action for Public Libraries), Pulman (Public Libraries Mobilising Advanced Networks) and CALIMERA (Cultural Applications: Local Institutions Mediating Electronic Resource Access).

Mr Hapel is the author of a great number of articles published in the library press and frequently speaks on library related issues both nationally and internationally. Rolf Hapel was rewarded by the Danish Queen with a royal knighthood in 2000. Aarhus Public Libraries received the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation "Access to Learning Award" 2004. The award was given to commend Aarhus Public Libraries for "exemplary efforts to expand public access to information and technology".