From October 13 to 17 2025, the partners of the European project LibCommon: Universities and Libraries as Commons-Based Innovative Environments for Learning, Civic Engagement and Democracy, gathered in Athens for the second Familiarization Trip, full of inspiration, ideas exchange, libraries and collaborative spaces visits, and experiential learning around the concept of “commons.”
The program of activities began with two days at the Goethe Institute Athens Library, which offered a welcoming environment where the coordinator of LibCommons Yannis Pechtelidis delivered an overview and the vision of the project, and the library director Nikoletta Stathopoulou presented the library’s rich work around the commons. This library has become a lively hub of learning and culture, focused on the principles of the commons, where spaces, collections, and activities create an ideal environment for shared learning, knowledge exchange, and social participation. This was followed by an engaging presentation by Nikoletta Stathopoulou and Alekos Pantazis on the open access and collaboratively translated book "Free, Fair and Alive", a living example of knowledge sharing and collaboration. The first day concluded with the experiential training workshop “Library’s Educational Commons,” coordinated by Katerina Sarantidou, where participants experienced the concept of “commons” in practice through games, interaction, and group creation.
The second day focused on the role of libraries as spaces of innovation and social empowerment. Aspasia Tasiopoulou, from the Veria Public Central Library, presented the unique journey and practices that make this library a reference point at a European level. Giannis Farsaris, spoke about the case of the open library “openbook.gr”, highlighting the value of free access to knowledge and digital sharing. Damiana Koutsomiha, head of the “Dimitris & Aliki Perroti” Library of the American Farm School, presented the transformation of the library into a Learning Commons, with programs that enhance participation and academic networking. Giorgos Papanikolaou, member of Kallipos, the initiative of Open Academic Textbooks in Greece, discussed about open knowledge and accessibility to academic content, while Giorgos Glossiotis, national coordinator of Knowledge Rights 21 (KR21), presented the challenges and opportunities surrounding access rights and the role of libraries in the “information democracy.” Anastasia Christaki, from Commonspace, a collaborative - interdisciplinary planning and design group, highlighted the importance of participatory design in public spaces, showing how collectivity can transform cities, libraries, and empower communities.
The following days were dedicated to visiting libraries noted for their contribution to the community, that stand out for engaging children, as well as collaborative spaces. At the National Library of Greece, participants learned firsthand about its role in knowledge dissemination and how it combines tradition with modern technology. At the Kifisia Children’s Library, Katerina Frouzaki spoke about the challenges and initiatives that bring children closer to books and creative learning in the neighborhood, intimate space, while at the Children’s Library of the Network for Children’s Rights, Thanasis Kotsovos and the rest of the team presented library’s activities in promoting children’s rights and the Mobile Library, an initiative that promotes equality and participation of all children in accessing knowledge.
The trip continued at Ludd Makerspace, a collaborative interdisciplinary team acting as an architecture lab dedicated to creativity and experimentation. There, participants had the opportunity to see and discuss how makerspaces, via experimental design and innovation can bring to life commons-based projects in the world of libraries. The meeting concluded with a reflective discussion among the partners on their observations and experiences during the trip, followed by coordination and planning of the project’s next steps.
