IFLA congress lands in Astana as Central Asia hosts global library sector for first time
The 89th World Library and Information Congress of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions opened in Astana on 18 August 2025, bringing the organisation’s flagship gathering to Central Asia for the first time. The five‑day event, running until 22 August, attracted nearly 1,700 delegates from 114 countries and combines a packed programme of professional sessions, satellite meetings and cultural events intended to showcase the region as an emerging hub for knowledge exchange. According to the official congress website and IFLA communications, the programme is supported by an event app and practical logistics guidance for visiting delegates.
Under the congress theme Connecting Knowledge, Building the Future, organisers programmed more than eighty professional sessions and some fifteen side events addressing core challenges for libraries: artificial intelligence, big data, digital preservation, inclusion and interoperable cataloguing standards. IFLA’s UNIMARC formats — described on the federation’s publications pages as an enduring international framework for bibliographic and authority data exchange — featured among sessions on metadata and cross‑border resource sharing. The host bid was prepared by Kazakh Tourism, Visit Astana and the Association of University Libraries of Kazakhstan.
IFLA President Vicki McDonald used the opening ceremony to underline the federation’s strategic aim to widen participation. “This year, we have the highest percentage of first‑time delegates to an IFLA congress,” she said, urging colleagues to treat the meeting as a place to seek common ground while recognising complexity. McDonald framed the gathering as part of a two‑year lead‑in to IFLA’s centenary in 2027, arguing that demonstrating an active, diverse membership is vital to sustaining the federation’s voice in global spaces such as the United Nations and UNESCO.
Kazakh officials presented the congress as both cultural diplomacy and a statement of domestic priority. Talgat Yeshenkulov, Vice‑Minister of Science and Higher Education, described libraries as “centres of knowledge and culture” and highlighted investment in university libraries, digital platforms and immersive learning technologies. Daniel Serzhanuly, acting chairman of Kazakh Tourism, pointed to the capital’s growing calendar of international events and to visa‑free travel arrangements for citizens of up to 87 countries as practical enablers of inbound business and congress tourism. The congress also dovetails with national cultural programming: authorities marked the 180th anniversary of the poet and philosopher Abai Kunanbayev earlier in August and have planned thousands of related events throughout the year.
Programme sessions moved swiftly from high‑level reflection to operational collaboration. Panels explored ethical frameworks for integrating AI into library services and practical partnerships, including how post offices and libraries can work together to extend digital access in underserved communities. Delegates examined national models for widening access to scholarly literature, with India’s One Nation One Subscription initiative cited as an example of centralised licensing to broaden access to international journals — a scheme the Indian government describes as covering some 13,000 journals and benefiting millions of students and researchers.
For associations and trade bodies, the Astana congress is both a reminder and an invitation: conferences remain vital venues to surface practical partnerships, pilot interoperable standards and translate high‑level commitments into member services. IFLA and local hosts have positioned the event to deepen regional networks and showcase pathways for libraries to lead on inclusion, open science and digital transformation — priorities that will preoccupy the sector as it approaches IFLA’s centenary.