The Third International Scientific Conference of Librarians was held in Ohrid, Macedonia, between 28 and 29 April 2023. Hungary and our library were represented at the conference by Judit Gerencsér, Deputy Director General.
[1]
The National Széchényi Library (NSZL) maintains a wide range of international relationships and is a member of several international professional organisations. The development and expansion of international library professional networks is an area of strategic importance for the national library.
[2]In 2023, the Third International Scientific Conference of Librarians was held in Ohrid, Macedonia, between 28 and 29 April. The professional event took place at the University for Information Science and Technology "St. Paul the Apostle" [3] in Ohrid. Hungary and the National Széchényi Library were represented at the conference by Judit Gerencsér, Deputy Director General. The Deputy Director General participated in the international event at the invitation of the National and University Library "St. Kliment of Ohrid" [4] and the Macedonian Association of Librarians. The professional meeting brought together nearly 150 librarians from Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and other countries.
The event was welcomed with a video presentation by IFLA President Barbara Lison, and among nearly 40 professional presentations, Deputy Director General Judit Gerencsér presented the new library initiatives and developments of the National Széchényi Library of Hungary under the title "Innovations for users in the 21st century". Dr. Ismet Ovčina, Director General of the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was the guest of honour.
[5]The professional conference was an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into library issues in the region, the current professional projects of libraries in northern Macedonia, and in particular the life of the Macedonian National and University Library. Several discussions were held with Director General Rametulla Kuçi and his colleagues on the possibilities for cooperation between the Macedonian and Hungarian national libraries (e.g. preservation, digitisation, etc.), and a proposal was made to sign a cooperation agreement in the near future.
After the conference, the Deputy Director General visited the Grigor Prlichev Municipal Library in Ohrid. Director Milco Jovanoski presented the main services and history of the library; there was also a professional discussion on the main challenges and trends affecting libraries.
Summing up the experiences, it can be noted that the participation in conferences and the discussion of professional cooperation opportunities are of great importance in further strengthening the international library professional relations between national libraries and librarians' associations.