Between 15th and 17th June 2025 Dávid Rózsa, Director General represented the Hungarian national library at the annual general meeting of CENL in Edinburgh.
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The National Széchényi Library (NSZL), as part of the Hungarian National Museum Public Collection Centre once again took an active role in one of the most important events in the European library profession: between 15th and 17th June 2025 Director General Dávid Rózsa represented the Hungarian national library at the annual general meeting of CENL [2] (Conference of European National Libraries) in Edinburgh.
CENL brings together the directors and leaders of Europe’s national libraries, with the aim of strengthening the role of these institutions in preserving Europe’s cultural heritage and ensuring access to knowledge. The NSZL has been an active member of the organisation for many years and regularly participates in its annual meetings.
This year’s meeting was hosted by the National Library of Scotland (NLS), [3] which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The centenary provided a special framework for the event: participants were able to both reflect on the achievements of the past century and look ahead to the future challenges and responsibilities of libraries. The meeting was opened and chaired by Frank Scholze, Director General of the German National Library, and Amina Shah, Director General of the National Library of Scotland.
The main theme of this year’s general meeting was: “The Transformative Power of Artificial Intelligence – For and Through National Libraries.” This theme was especially topical, as artificial intelligence is having an increasing impact on the operations of cultural and scientific institutions. National library leaders discussed how AI is reshaping library work and how these tools can be used to better serve the public, digitize heritage materials, and expand access to information.