Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

The 13th International Congress titled “The Library as a Cultural Phenomenon” is being held in Minsk on October 29–30, bringing together library professionals and experts from around the world to discuss the theme “The Role of Women in Culture.”

The event is organised by the Ministry of Culture of Belarus and the National Library of Belarus.

The congress programme focuses on women's contributions to culture, science and education, current challenges in library education and library science, the development of electronic information resources and services, and the role of libraries in society and public life.

Over the two-day event, participants are taking part in plenary sessions, thematic panel discussions, roundtables, seminars and training sessions. The programme also features practical presentations on the creation of digital collections, document digitisation and preservation, alongside an exhibition of publishing products and electronic information resources.

Azerbaijan is represented at the 13th International Congress by Adiba Ismayilova, Deputy Director of the Azerbaijan National Library and Doctor of Philosophy in History.

In her presentation, titled “The Azerbaijan National Library: The Digital Future of National Memory,” Ismayilova highlighted the institution's efforts to preserve the country's documentary heritage, expand its digital resources and improve public access to information services.

Her presentation examined the evolving role of modern national libraries, emphasising that their responsibilities extend beyond safeguarding traditional collections to include digital transformation and international information exchange.

One of the key topics was the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing electronic catalogues and preparing bibliographic records. Ismayilova explained that AI tools can assist librarians in structuring bibliographic information according to relevant MARC 21 fields, identifying name variations, and selecting keywords and subject headings.

At the same time, she stressed that artificial intelligence is not intended to replace professional librarians and bibliographers. Instead, AI-generated information must be reviewed and verified by qualified specialists to ensure accuracy and reliability.

The presentation also highlighted the importance of digitising rare books, periodicals and other valuable documents to preserve Azerbaijan's documentary heritage and make these resources more accessible for academic research and scholarly use.

Representatives from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Slovenia, Oman, India, China, Cuba, Mali, Myanmar, Bulgaria, Indonesia and several other countries are participating in the international congress.