Library blog

With Cyprus holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, it’s the perfect time to shine a light on the country’s remarkable libraries.

With Denmark holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, it’s the perfect time to shine a light on the country’s remarkable libraries. From the futuristic Dokk1 in Aarhus to the iconic Black Diamond in Copenhagen, Danish libraries are more than just places to read. They’re vibrant, community-driven spaces. Join us as we explore some of Denmark’s best and see why these libraries are truly special.

The Council Library has been refurbished, with improved spaces and a new shelving system to make browsing easier. We recently celebrated with an Open Day. Catch up on the highlights and see what’s new….

Poland’s libraries offer a unique glimpse into its rich history, beauty, and spirit of innovation. With the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, World Book Day is a great moment to highlight these inspiring spaces. Happy World Book Day to all!

Are we facing an epochal change, in which centres of power and influence multiply outside of the West’s reach? Is the West really in a state of peril? Amid so many near-apocalyptic accounts of a shifting balance of power, Samir Puri’s analysis in Westlessness: the great global rebalancing provides a sober and even optimistic counterpoint.

With the Belgian Presidency in full flow, 23 April is approaching and with it, World Book Day!

Join us in celebrating the wonderful world of Belgian literature!

World Book Day is fast approaching, on 23 April. During the current Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU, the Council Library thought it was an opportune moment to highlight some of the wonderful libraries Belgium has to offer.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, recommended books to read from across the EU with our annual Readers of Europe initiative. This year the spotlight is on female authors. From Hungarian poetry to Lithuanian historical fiction, Belgian revenge thrillers to Czech mystery, discover your next read as we dive into a genre-spanning list...

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight is on female authors. Today’s selection is by the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU. From Flanders ‘Het smelt’ by Lize Spit and from Wallonia ‘La mémoire de l’air’ by Caroline Lamarche.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight will be placed on female authors. Today’s recommendation is from the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU: ‘The Women I think about at night : traveling the paths of my heroes’ by Mia Kankimäki.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight is on female authors. Today’s selection is by the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the EU: 'Táto izba sa nedá zjesť' by Nicol Hochholczerová.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. This year marks the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative and the spotlight will be on female authors. Today’s recommendation is from the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU: ‘Gluha soba’ by Mojca Kumerdej.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight is on female authors. Today’s selection is by the Permanent Representation of Romania to the EU – 'Tot mai multă splendoare' by Alina Purcaru.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight will be placed on female authors. Today’s recommendation is from the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the EU: ‘Luanda, Lisboa, Paraíso’ by Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight will be placed on female authors. Today’s recommendation is from the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU: ‘To feed the stone’ by Bronka Nowicka.

Im Laufe des Sommers wird die Ratsbibliothek – in Zusammenarbeit mit den Ständigen Vertretungen bei der EU – Bücher aus allen Ländern der EU empfehlen. Dies ist die vierte literarische Reise durch Europa unter dem Motto „Readers of Europe“, und in diesem Jahr stehen Autorinnen im Mittelpunkt. Das Buch, das wir heute vorstellen, ist die Empfehlung der Ständigen Vertretung Österreichs bei der EU: „Mon Cheri und unsere demolierten Seelen“ von Verena Roßbacher.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight will be placed on female authors. Today’s recommendation is from the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the EU: ‘Aleksandra’ by Lisa Weeda.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight will be placed on female authors. Today’s recommendation is from the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU: ‘Żifna f'Xifer Irdum’ by Nadia Mifsud.

Over the course of the summer, the Council Library, in collaboration with the permanent representations to the EU, will recommend books to read from across the EU. It’s the fourth instalment of our Readers of Europe initiative, and this year, the spotlight is on female authors. Today’s recommendation is from the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU: ‘Between: selected poems of Agnes Nemes Nagy’.

Im Laufe des Sommers wird die Ratsbibliothek – in Zusammenarbeit mit den Ständigen Vertretungen bei der EU – Bücher aus allen Ländern der EU empfehlen. Dies ist die vierte literarische Reise durch Europa unter dem Motto „Readers of Europe“, und in diesem Jahr stehen Autorinnen im Mittelpunkt. Das Buch, das wir heute vorstellen, ist die Empfehlung der Ständigen Vertretung Luxemburgs bei der EU: „Subridere. Un aller simple“ („Subridere. Einfache Fahrt“) von Nathalie Ronvaux.