New Year’s event: Access to knowledge cannot be taken for granted
Making and keeping knowledge accessible requires expertise. The University of Groningen Library (UB) develops and manages collections, preserves cultural heritage, fosters a critical approach to information, and makes research conducted at the University of Groningen (UG) open and visible. The UB also creates physical and digital public spaces for people to meet, exchange knowledge, form opinions and engage in dialogue.
In doing so, the UB contributes to an important foundation for a strong democracy: reliable information and the free development of knowledge. But what if precisely these conditions are under pressure?
During our New Year’s event on 25 January 2027, we will explore this question with Professor Lisa Herzog, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy.
New Year's lecture by Lisa Herzog
In her lecture "Democracy's infrastructure", Lisa Herzog examines the role of universities and university libraries in strengthening the knowledge resources that a democracy requires.
Lecture: "Democracy’s infrastructure" (Lisa Herzog)
Democracy, as a political system and a “way of life”, as coined by John Dewey, needs infrastructures, both physical and knowledge-based. Citizens need to be able to access unbiased information and to contribute their perspectives to various processes of knowledge creation. In recent years, the threat to open knowledge infrastructures from vested interests and big tech has become apparent.
In this talk, Lisa Herzog discusses how to understand universities, and university libraries, as part of democratic knowledge infrastructures, and reflects on some implications for the University of Groningen.
Exhibition: What does the University Library mean to students?
The University Library’s role is also reflected in students’ day-to-day experiences. In an exhibition, they show what the library means to them.
Exhibition: What does the University Library mean to students?
Through drawings, photographs, letters, poems and other creative contributions, students answer the question: ‘What does the University Library mean to me?’
Take part in the exhibition! Share what the University Library means to you by submitting a creative contribution to community-ub rug.nl.