An example of a unique project (in a nutshell) that presents the public library’s function as a meeting and debating (both physically and digitally) centre in the local community. The Strong Women Project was set up in 2009 as part of the local Strong Women Project that was initiated by the municipality. The municipality asked all the cultural institutions to participate in this project. The library took its part very seriously and decided to start a network project for the women of Schiedam (a playful variation on the famous ‘old boys networks’): the local project "Strong Women Team Schiedam” (in Dutch: Sterke Vrouwen Ploeg - SVP). We named it the Sterke Vrouwen Ploeg (Strong Women Team). Our female Mayor was the captain of the team, which gave it a certain added value. The Mayor, because it was a local theme, was enthusiastic about having been asked to be involved. She is a true ambassador for our town and, during the year, she used the SVP as her personal platform to get informed about the town and the opinions of its women. She participated in 50% of the meetings, showed her personal side when talking about the subjects, and by the end had truly adopted the formula.