WP4 Results - Inclusive Pathways in Libraries: The Byblios Protocol for Professional Inclusion
The Byblios project promotes the professional and social inclusion of people with mild to moderate mental disabilities through the transformation of libraries into inclusive learning and working environments. Within this framework, Work Package 4 (WP4) aimed to design, test, and validate a Protocol for Professional Inclusion and a Career e-Portfolio as practical and pedagogical tools to support this process.
The WP4 implementation involved five European countries — Italy, Portugal, Germany, Romania, and Spain — and focused on defining an attitudinal profile of trainees, organizing training and work experiences within the context of new inclusive libraries, and developing digital and reflective tools for competence recognition. The activities led to the creation of a reliable and transferable protocol, a Career e-Portfolio web platform, and a set of learning materials and storytelling videos to support the evaluation of work-based learning in inclusive library environments.
The library is increasingly recognized as a space of learning, community engagement, and inclusion. WP4 of the Byblios project built on the theoretical and methodological framework developed in WP3 to translate it into practical models of professional inclusion.
Two main activities structured this phase:
Activity 4.1: Definition and testing of a Protocol for Professional Inclusion of people with cognitive disabilities.
Activity 4.2: Development of a Career e-Portfolio and related learning materials to support both organization and evaluation of pilot internships.
These activities were implemented collaboratively by project partners in five European countries, each adapting the methodology to its institutional, cultural, and regional context.
Activity 4.1 – Definition and Testing of a Protocol for Professional Inclusion
Activity 4.1 aimed to define a common European framework for supporting the inclusion of people with mental disabilities through work-based learning experiences in libraries.
The Protocol for Professional Inclusion includes:
The attitudinal and competence profile of trainees with mild to moderate impairment.
Guidelines for the organization of internships and training experiences in libraries.
Tools for observation, evaluation and mentoring.
The testing phase involved + 10 internships organized and promoted by national partners in different regional contexts. Each internship combined on-the-job training, mentoring, and learning documentation, integrating the pedagogical principles of the Byblios model:
Personalization of learning paths,
Progressive autonomy,
Mentoring and reflective learning,
Use of libraries as inclusive community environments.
The outcome of Activity 4.1 is a tested and replicable protocol, adaptable to various European contexts and capable of supporting both local and transnational initiatives for inclusion.
Activity 4.2 – Career e-Portfolio for People with Cognitive Disabilities
Activity 4.2 developed a Career e-Portfolio, a digital pedagogical tool designed to document and support learning during the internships.
The Career e-Portfolio:
Collects evidence of learning outcomes achieved in real working contexts.
Serves as a support tool for mentors, tutors, and librarians in evaluating progress.
Encourages self-awareness and motivation among trainees.
The e-Portfolio supports the organization and evaluation of internships and contributes to defining future career pathways for people with mental disabilities. Digital skills are also embedded within the tool, as the process of documentation and storytelling enhances digital literacy and autonomy.
Country-Based Implementation
The testing and implementation of the inclusion protocol took place in five countries: Italy, Portugal, Germany, Romania, and Spain.
Each partner adapted the framework according to national priorities, institutional settings, and available networks. While the activities shared common objectives, their operational focus varied:
In Italy, the protocol was tested in a school library setting, involving two young women with Down syndrome in daily lending activities. Their participation fostered inclusion and awareness among children, who expressed genuine curiosity and affection, even creating drawings of the trainees as part of their shared experience.
In Portugal, the implementation focused on the digital inclusion dimension, integrating the e-Portfolio as a tool for self-assessment.
In Germany, the testing was oriented toward organizational adaptation and mentoring models within library staff.
In Romania, the process involved community libraries and partnerships with local authorities and educational centers.
In Spain, the emphasis was placed on storytelling and audiovisual documentation, producing videos that capture each learning pathway.
Across all contexts, the activities highlighted the potential of libraries as inclusive workplaces and centers for lifelong learning, capable of fostering autonomy, digital skills, and employability among people with mental disabilities.
Results and Outputs
The implementation of WP4 produced three main tangible results:
A tested and validated protocol for professional inclusion, adaptable and sustainable in different regional and institutional contexts.
A Career e-Portfolio platform, serving as both a digital repository and a pedagogical support system.
A collection of storytelling videos and learning materials documenting the pilot experiences in all five countries.
The evidence collected during testing demonstrates that structured mentoring, reflective learning, and digital documentation can significantly enhance participants’ self-efficacy, communication skills, and social inclusion.
Highlights
Five European countries (Italy, Portugal, Germany, Romania, and Spain) tested the Byblios Protocol for Professional Inclusion, promoting work-based learning for people with mild to moderate mental disabilities.
+ 10 internships were organized across libraries and cultural institutions, integrating mentoring, reflective learning, and personalized training paths.
The Career e-Portfolio web platform was developed to document learning outcomes, support mentoring, and foster digital literacy and self-awareness.
National adaptations highlighted diverse approaches: digital inclusion in Portugal, organizational mentoring in Germany, storytelling in Spain, and community collaboration in Romania and Italy.
Results show that structured mentoring and digital documentation enhance participants’ autonomy, communication skills, and employability, establishing libraries as inclusive workplaces and lifelong learning environments.
WP4 outputs — a validated protocol, e-Portfolio platform, and storytelling materials — offer a replicable European model for professional inclusion through libraries.
Conclusions
The Byblios Protocol for Professional Inclusion represents a scientifically grounded and practice-oriented model for promoting the employability of people with mental disabilities in cultural and educational institutions.
The integration of the Career e-Portfolio ensures continuity between training, work experience, and competence recognition, offering a scalable approach for European libraries and social inclusion programs.
Through its participatory and cross-sectoral methodology, WP4 provides a replicable model of inclusive professional training, where libraries act as bridges between education, work, and community engagement.