DigLib trainers ready to support libraries

Learning how to teach, the DigLib way

From 4 to 6 March, the DigLib trainer team gathered in Warsaw for a hands-on training session organised by FRSI (Information Society Development Foundation), the project coordinator. The workshop followed a train-the-trainers model: the goal was to prepare a group of experienced adult educators to deliver the DigLib training programme to librarians in their home countries. The trainers bring years of experience in adult education and an interest in technology. Their main job will be to help library staff feel confident and equipped to lead digital education activities for adults as part of the Library Living Labs.

The 5E approach: learning by doing

At the heart of the DigLib training methodology is the 5E model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate. Rooted in a constructivist approach, it places learners at the centre: they explore, question, and build knowledge through their own experience, while trainers act as guides rather than lecturers. Day one covered the theory about the methodology. On day two, trainers worked in national pairs to design and deliver 40-minute sessions, then gave each other structured feedback. By day three, the conversation had shifted to the practicalities: how to run librarian training in four different countries, each with its own library culture and challenges. The session also introduced NotebookLM, a tool that supports the creation of accessible educational materials, such as quizzes, tutorials, and summaries of complex documents, even in foreign languages.

What comes next

From June to September, the trainers will deliver training sessions for librarians across the four partner countries, around 10 participants per country, from five libraries each. These librarians will then go on to lead the Library Living Labs: community-based digital education programmes for adults at risk of digital exclusion. Recruitment for libraries is opening soon. Stay tuned!