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- The Head of the Library Service of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat, Josep Vives i Gràcia, underlined the essential role of libraries as a key public service to guarantee universal access to culture and knowledge, especially in a context of digital transformation that expands the possibilities of reaching new audiences.
- These statements were made within the framework of the III Conference on Challenges of Public Administrations in Innovation and Training organized by ODILO, where the situation in terms of innovation applied to training and employment was analyzed from a transversal perspective, covering continuous training and the adaptation of talent to the new challenges of the labor market and public services.
Cap del Servei de Biblioteques del Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Josep Vives i Gràcia
Madrid, 21 May 2026.- The Library Service of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya has highlighted the role of libraries as a tool for cultural inclusion and access to knowledge in the digital age, highlighting their evolution towards more open, accessible models adapted to the new needs of citizens.
This was made clear during the round table “Maximizing the social impact of Public Administrations”, held within the framework of the III Conference on Challenges of Public Administrations in Innovation and Training, organized by ODILO in collaboration with AWS.
In this context, the Head of the Library Service of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat, Josep Vives i Gràcia, shared the vision of Catalan public libraries on the role of technology as a lever for access to culture and reduction of barriers to inclusion. Vives pointed out that “the library has always played an essential role. It has been much more than making resources available to citizens”, underlining its historical function as a space for democratic access to knowledge.
He also highlighted the impact of digitalisation on expanding the scope of library services, explaining that “technology allows us to reach more people who, without this technology, we would not be able to reach”, especially in the case of groups that encounter physical or sensory barriers to access to reading.
Along these lines, he gave as an example the role of digital formats in improving cultural accessibility, pointing out that “people, for example, with visual problems, who stopped reading and with the ebook can continue”, in reference to the ability of technology to facilitate the continuity of access to culture. In the same way, he indicated that: “we are also witnessing an increase in the use of audiobooks that open the door to a new experience for literary creation”.
In addition, Vives highlighted initiatives such as Biblio Digital, a service that allows access to books, music and documentaries without ads, turning the library card into a complete digital access door. “Biblio Digital: we offer books, music, documentaries, without ads. With the library card you are already a premium user,” he said, referring to the evolution of the library model towards a digital ecosystem of cultural services.
Continuous learning, collaboration, and system transformation
“In a scenario where Artificial Intelligence and changes in the labor market advance at a dizzying pace, continuous learning is no longer a desirable complement. Today it is a structural necessity. We are obliged to constantly qualify citizens so that they are not left behind, of course, but also our teachers and the public employees themselves who design the future of these policies,” said Sarah Harmon, CEO of ODILO.
For her part, Ainhoa Marcos, VP of Public Sector and Education, ODILO, said that “if we have learned anything in these years, it is that the great challenges we face cannot be solved in isolation. We need collaboration. We need to share knowledge. And we need to build bridges between the public and private sectors to promote projects that really generate an impact on people’s lives,” he said.
Esther Monterrubio, Secretary General of Vocational Training of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, was in charge of the inauguration of the event and emphasized that VT is strengthened when centers and companies work together: since this will train competent people capable of joining real environments and capable of adapting.
An unmissable event in the calendar for administrations
The III Conference on Challenges of Public Administrations in Innovation and Training of ODILO has established itself as a meeting space for institutional leaders in the field of education, employment and social impact.
Representatives of different national and regional administrations have participated in this third edition, sharing experiences and lines of action around the transformation of public education, employment and social systems. The education table was attended by officials from the Junta de Extremadura, the Government of Cantabria and the Xunta de Galicia, focused on educational digitalisation and continuous learning; at the employment table, representatives of the Community of Madrid, the Regional Government of Andalusia and the Government of the Canary Islands addressed training, professional requalification and the adaptation of talent to the new demands of the labour market; while at the social table, the Region of Murcia, the Government of Andorra and the Generalitat de Catalunya have shared initiatives linked to inclusion, attention to diversity and innovation in public services.
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ODILO, the largest educational ecosystem in the world, has content agreements with +7300 providers of educational digital content in all formats (courses, interactive applications, videos, podcasts, press, magazines, audiobooks, e-books, etc.)
ODILO is a multi-vertical company, which promotes learning in Private Companies, Public and Private Schools, Public and Private Universities, Certified Vocational Training, Public Administration and Government.
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