Astana Becomes First Central Asian City to Host IFLA World Library Congress

Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is set to make history as the first Central Asian city to host the prestigious World Library and Information Congress of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazakh media.

The event will gather more than 1,630 participants from 114 countries, including library directors, information center specialists, educators, students, and representatives of leading publishing houses. The discussions will focus on best practices and the latest trends in the field of librarianship. Countries with the largest delegations include Kazakhstan, the United States, China, South Korea, Germany, Japan, and others.

The region has hosted the IFLA Congress only twice in its nearly century-long history, and just nine times across Asia. This year, Astana will make history as the first city in Central Asia to welcome this prestigious global event, establishing itself as a trailblazing platform that brings together library professionals from around the world.

The program, comprising over 80 professional sessions, will feature guidelines for digital libraries and artificial intelligence, preservation methods for library collections, and cataloguing standards, including UNIMARC.

UNIMARC is an international standard for cataloging library materials, designed to help libraries worldwide exchange and share bibliographic records in a consistent format. It ensures that information about books and other resources can be understood across different systems and countries.

Highlights of the congress include: the official opening ceremony with a welcoming address by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; a global book flash mob at MEGA Silk Way shopping mall; a keynote by Dr. Kais Hammami (ICESCO) on the role of libraries in shaping a culturally oriented future; and guided tours of Astana’s public, university, and school libraries.

The event’s organizers are IFLA, the Association of Higher Education Libraries of Kazakhstan, Kazakh Tourism National Company, and Astana Development Centre under the Akimat (city administration) of Astana.

In an interview with The Astana Times, Anna Plassmann, project manager at K.I.T. Group, the event’s organizing company, stated that the congress aims to foster cross-cultural collaboration and connect libraries with ministries, policymakers, and the broader public. She emphasized that the gathering will serve as a platform to showcase the region’s rich cultural heritage while strengthening the global library community through meaningful partnerships and knowledge exchange.