On 29 May, 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World was delighted to contribute to the Library Staff Training Seminar 2026, held at The Woodford Dolmen Hotel and hosted by Carlow County Council Public Library Service.
The seminar brought together library staff for a day of reflection, discussion and shared learning around the role of public libraries in local communities. 80:20’s Ciara Regan, Education and Research Officer, and Mairead Redmond, Education Projects Officer, facilitated an interactive workshop titled “Librarians: New approaches to community and beyond”, exploring the role of librarians through and SDG lens, using the 5 Ps: People, Peace, Planet, Prosperity and Partnership.
Libraries create space for honest reflection
A strong message emerged from the discussion: libraries play an essential role in serving the needs of local communities. They are places of dignity, where people can come without discrimination, access support without stigma, and continue their educational journeys at different stages of life. Libraries and librarians are part of the social infrastructure of community life.
This closely connects with 80:20’s approach to popular education and global citizenship education. At the heart of this work is the belief that education should help people ask questions, make connections and understand the systems that shape their lives and communities. The workshop created a space to do just that: to pause, reflect, listen and recognise the everyday impact of library work.
Connecting local practice with global questions
The use of the 5 Ps also helped connect local library practice with wider global conversations about sustainable development. People, Peace, Planet, Prosperity and Partnership are not abstract ideas. They are visible in the daily work of public libraries: in inclusive services, access to knowledge, support for learning, care for community wellbeing, and collaboration with local groups and organisations.
80:20 would like to thank Carlow County Council Public Library Service for the invitation to contribute to the seminar, and all participants for their openness, generosity and thoughtful engagement throughout the day.
The conversations in Carlow were a reminder of something simple but important: libraries are dignified spaces for everyone; free from discrimination, full of possibility, and central to learning, inclusion and community.
Click here to learn more about our Adult and Community Education work.