University of Macau Library Representatives Attend the Chinese Library Annual Conference 2026 (2026-09-24)
From 16 to 19 September 2026, the Chinese Library Annual Conference 2026 was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. A delegation from the University of Macau (UM) Library, comprising Assistant Librarian Billy Leung, Functional Head Wilson Hoi, and Stephanie Song, attended the conference and participated in the opening ceremony on the evening of 16 September.
From left: Stephanie Song, Billy Leung and Wilson Hoi
On the morning of 17 September, at Sub-forum 4, themed “Resource Development, Exploitation and Management: From Documentary Resources to Intelligent Corpora,” Assistant Librarian Billy Leung, Acting Assistant Librarian Priscilla Pun, and Functional Head Wilson Hoi delivered a presentation entitled “A World Within a Few Pages: The Dissemination, Preservation, and Innovative Utilization of Euclid’s Elements.” The presentation highlighted the University of Macau’s significant discoveries in rare books and cultural heritage preservation in recent years, with particular emphasis on the Library’s 1491 incunabulum edition of Euclid’s Elements, a rare work of exceptional value to global history. The session attracted a full audience and received enthusiastic attention from participants.
Assistant
Librarian Billy Leung delivered a speech
Speech venue
The
conference was guided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China
and jointly organized by the Library Society of China and the Chengdu
Municipal People’s Government, with support from the National Library of
China and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Sichuan Province.
Leslie Weir, President of the International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and Sharon Memis, IFLA
Secretary General, attended the event. More than 3,000 participants,
including librarians, scholars, industry professionals, and corporate
representatives from China and abroad, took part in the conference. Under the
theme “Libraries in the AI Era: The Main Platform for Nationwide Reading,”
the conference featured 28 academic events, including plenary sessions,
sub-forums, and satellite meetings, alongside a library exhibition and various
cultural activities such as “Library Night.”
On the afternoon of 17 September, the UM Library delegation was also invited to attend the thematic session “Building an Open and Inclusive World of Knowledge: A Shared Vision for Libraries in Promoting International Exchange and Mutual Learning,” organized by the Library Society of China and hosted by its Committee on Exchange and Cooperation. The session brought together representatives from IFLA and library organizations from various countries and regions to discuss libraries’ roles in international cooperation, professional development, talent cultivation, and addressing challenges such as the digital divide and technological transformation.
Meeting venue
Representatives of MALA pose for a group
photo with the President and Secretary General of the IFLA
Standing Committee Members of the IFLA MLAS Standing Committee posing for a group photo with the IFLA President and Secretary General
In addition, the delegation visited the Chinese Library Exhibition to learn about the latest developments and research achievements in the library sector. After the conference, they also visited the Sichuan Provincial Library, Chengdu Museum, and the Sichuan Fine Arts Museum.
The conference generated extensive discussions on topics including AI-enabled service innovation, the development of nationwide reading promotion systems, library standardization, and international cooperation and exchange within the global library community. It served as an important platform for building consensus on future development. Taking this annual conference as an opportunity, the University of Macau Library will continue to enhance its service quality and institutional development, promote high-quality reading services, preserve and disseminate China’s outstanding traditional culture, and accelerate its comprehensive digital and intelligent transformation.
Representatives
from the University of Macau posed for a group photo with representatives from
the IFLA and relevant national and regional industry organizations