Marie Oestergaard works to develop the library as a democratic space that empowers citizenship, sustainable communities, and human growth. Focusing on user involvement, partnerships, design thinking, and the rethinking of library space, she has investigated new technologies, processes, and organisational learning in library development. She is the co-inventor of Next Library, a biannual international conference that gathers thought leaders and innovators from over 30 countries in a highly interactive forum to discuss the development of libraries for the benefit of communities. She serves as chair of the board of PL2030 – a non-profit European organisation aimed at putting public libraries on the EU agenda and strengthening the international network. She serves as a board member of METRO – Metropolitan New York Library Council and is an elected member of the IFLA MetLib Standing Committee. In Denmark, she has held various board roles at the Danish Library Directors’ Association and the Danish Digital Library.