Kazakhstan: Astana world’s library capital this August

Kazakhstan capital Astana will host the 89th World Library and Information Congress of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the largest global event in the field of libraries and information technology, under the theme Connecting Knowledge, Building the Future from August 18 to 22.

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 and Japan.

The Central Asian 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 organise the global event, establishing itself as a platform that brings together library professionals from across the globe.


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 — 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, according to Astana Times.