The largest professional conference organized by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) regularly includes a forum where directors of national libraries from various regions of the world meet.
Another meeting of the CDNL (Conference of Directors of National Libraries) took place on August 11, 2026, in Busan, South Korea. The NLCR was represented at the meeting by its Director General, Tomáš Foltýn. Attended by over 70 delegates, the event focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on the daily operations of national libraries, highlighting the need to address this area not only from a technological perspective but also in terms of legislation, ethics, and processes.
Excellent presentations on the topic were delivered by invited guests Sung-Hyon Myaeng, Vice President of Hyosung Group, and Marek Kowalkiewicz, an AI expert from the University of Brisbane. The meeting also included discussions regarding an initiative by the National Library of Korea to draft a declaration outlining the activities and responsibilities of national libraries in the field of AI. National libraries will continue to work on this document and seek a common approach to its formulation.
Discussions regarding the activities of the national libraries continued with a separate bilateral meeting in Seoul between the leadership of the NLCR and the National Library of Korea. Key topics included digitization, providing access to digital content, the role of AI in library operations, and opportunities for international cooperation between the two institutions. The visit was attended by Michaela Mrázová, Director of the Librarianship Institute (NLCR), and Martin Lhoták, Deputy Director for Research, Development, and Technology at the Library of the Czech Academy of Sciences; the latter delivered a comprehensive presentation on AI tools used in Czech digital libraries to the National Library of Korea’s team. This visit serves as further evidence of the ongoing implementation of activities outlined in the joint memorandum of cooperation between the NLCR and the National Library of Korea. It is excellent that the newly appointed Director General of the National Library of Korea, Nam Young-joon, also intends to continue this collaboration.
