„"Reading has only good sides" - the conference summarizing NPRCz 2.0 is a two-day event aimed at integrating communities involved in activities promoting reading in Poland and discussing current activities as part of the National Reading Development Program 2.0 and outlining the direction of further steps.
On September 23-24, 2025, the Ursynów Cultural Center "Alternatywy" will host the event "Reading Has Only Good Sides" – a conference summarizing the National Reading Development Program 2.0. This two-day meeting will be a creative summary of one of the most important public programs for culture and education in Poland, the National Reading Development Program 2.0, and an opportunity to discuss how to jointly support libraries and promote reading in the future.
The meeting will be attended by people and institutions that have been working for years to develop reading, including those who create the National Reading Development Programme 2.0 and are its beneficiaries, as well as representatives of local governments, non-governmental organisations and other groups that care about raising the level of reading in Poland.
The aim of the meeting is to integrate communities related to the book market, exchange experiences, discuss with reading circles and present current activities supporting interest in literature.
Maria Deskur, president of the Universal Reading Foundation, will take part in two discussions.
September 23, 3:30 p.m. – 4:40 p.m.
Why is reading important to local communities? How can we leverage the potential of libraries? The perspective and experiences of local governments.
- Małgorzata Giela, head of the Zabrze City Hall, signatory of the first municipal declaration for reading in Poland: the "Zabrze Agreement"„
- Stanisław Jastrzębski, chairman of the Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland, mayor of the Długosiodło Commune
- Magdalena Krupa, starosta of Strzelin County
- Adrianna Walendziak, director of the Provincial Public Library in Olsztyn.
moderator: Maria Deskur, president of the board of the Universal Reading Foundation
The local government panel will focus on the key role of local governments in developing reading at the local and regional levels, as well as the impact of reading and libraries on strengthening the bonds and identity of local communities and building social capital. We will also discuss local governments' participation in implementing the activities of the National Reading Development Program 2.0.
September 24, 10:20 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Pro-reading activities of the third sector. How can the state and various non-governmental organizations join forces to promote reading?
- Maria Deskur, president of the board of the Universal Reading Foundation
- Agnieszka Karp-Szymańska, president of the board of the Czas Dzieci Foundation
- Agnieszka Koszowska, editor, project coordinator at the Information Society Development Foundation
- Elżbieta Olszewska, board member, program director of the ABCXXI Foundation – All of Poland Reads to Kids
- Katarzyna Sołtan-Młodożeniec, expert coordinator in the Culture and Media Department, Center for Civic Education
moderator: Krzysztof Żwirski, literary activist
The history of the last few decades of culture in free Poland includes numerous examples of activities initiated by non-governmental organizations to promote the habit of reading from an early age. How do these initiatives intersect with national policies promoting reading? And what positive outcomes can we achieve by maintaining a constant dialogue?
Detailed information and the full conference program are available at: nprcz.pl/konferencja_nprcz/
We invite you to follow the event online: NPRCz 2.0 Summary Conference