Tehran – The Iranian National Library and Archives (NLAI) seeks to benefit from the support of the International Library Association and Institutions (IFLA) in the field of digitization and document preservation, and is sought to promote more aggressive collaboration.
NLAI Head Gholamreza Amirkhani made a statement on Tuesday at a virtual meeting with IFLA president Vicki McDonald and IFLA executive director Sharon Memis, IRNA reported.
During the meeting, Amirkani outlined the role and achievements of Iran’s national libraries in the field of librarianship and information science. The discussions include Iran’s active participation in the IFLA World Library and Information Conference held in Kazakhstan (2025), expanding research into libraries’ artificial intelligence, and cooperation in digitization and document preservation.
Emphasizing the long-standing existence of the NLAI, Amirkani states, “The National Library of Iran is an 87-year-old cultural institution that has maintained its continued involvement with IFLA since the 1960s.”
“Over the years, we have established various forms of collaboration with IFLA, including regular participation in parliament since the 1990s and key articles and publications from the IFLA. Furthermore, the National Library of Iran is entitled to Tehran. We held IFLA meetings in several regions in the company,” he added.
He also highlights the prominent role of Iran’s national libraries in West Asia, noting that the institution is academically active and that more than 30 faculty and researchers contribute to the research department. did. This makes it one of the country and major cultural organizations in the West Asia.
Amirkhani discusses NLAI’s commitment to international publishing standards and explains: Furthermore, the Iranian National Library holds one of the world’s largest collections of Persian and Arabic manuscripts. ”
He further expressed his keen interest in Iran strengthening its cooperation with the IFLA, stressing: Visa’s challenges, which some countries previously failed to participate, have now been resolved, allowing for wider engagement. ”
Amilhani also highlighted the importance of collaboration in emerging fields, saying: “We are currently conducting research on the future of artificial intelligence and knowledge management. Some of our findings have already been published as scientific papers, and we will be introducing these insights in the upcoming IFLA Congress. I want to share it.”
In conclusion, he reiterated his commitment to Iran’s digitization and document preservation. With the resources available, Iran hopes to further strengthen these efforts and gain the support of IFLA to play a more active role in international cooperation.
On her part, Vicki McDonald expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, saying: We are also pleased to see Iran attend the IFLA 2025 conference in Kazakhstan. Especially because I couldn’t do that last year. ”
She also mentioned IFLA’s upcoming Centennial celebrations, saying, “We are celebrating IFLA’s 100th anniversary in 2027 and look forward to a close collaboration with our Iranian colleagues for this important event.”
In touch with artificial intelligence, McDonald said: “AI is becoming a central topic in the field of librarianship, and it is essential that libraries thoroughly examine their meaning. We have received Iranian research on AI and are extremely grateful for learning from the findings. I’m interested in it.”
She also pointed out that IFLA elections are currently underway and encouraged Iranian experts to nominate various committees, particularly those focusing on AI and digitalization.
Also speaking at the conference, Sharon Memis also highlighted the importance of Iran’s involvement in international libraries and digitalization projects, saying: We will collaborate in areas such as digitization, preservation and archives. ”
At the end of the meeting, Vicky MacDonald expressed his appreciation for Amilkani’s expertise in librarians and officially invited him to attend the IFLA conference in Kazakhstan.
“We look forward to strengthening our cooperation with Iran, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence and digitalization. If possible, we would like to benefit from Iran’s valuable experience in these areas. “I’m,” she concluded.
SS/SAB