It’s been little more than a week since the closing of the 90th World Library and Information Congress in Busan, South Korea—and what a congress it was!
While the final, official numbers are still being gathered, we can already report some amazing statistics. IFLA WLIC 2026 welcomed 3,191 delegates, half of them first-time attendees, from 111 different countries and territories around the world, along with 305 speakers and 50 exhibitors. In just four days, there were 205 sessions and meetings, and our Korean hosts set the bar very high for future WLICs, by delivering an impeccably organised event, including a Cultural Evening which blew everyone away.
But there is something these numbers cannot fully express, something that cannot be easily quantified or even summarised in words. What makes WLIC special every year, is the atmosphere you can breathe and experience throughout the congress week, and for that we have to thank every single participant – our hosts, delegates, guest speakers, volunteers, members, and staff.
Nothing beats attending a WLIC in person, but you can see, or relive, some of the magic that a WLIC brings in the session recordings we’ve just made available on our YouTube channel.
There’s over 16 hours of material that shows the breadth of what an IFLA Congress can offer, from the professional to the celebratory—but also the fun!
While Sessions and carefully planned gatherings are the fundamental structure of WLIC, anyone who ever participated knows that a lot of important things happen on the sidelines spontaneously, in the little pauses and breaks throughout the days. It’s there that relationships among librarians are forged or rekindled, friendships that last decades and that foster international cooperation.
At a time when our sector is under considerable strain, it is more important than ever that we treasure these connections. We are stronger together, and as IFLA President Leslie Weir would say, it is easier to Be Bold together.
So, this is what we want to close WLIC 2026 with, the images of thousands of library professionals connecting, having fun together and creating lasting bonds, deepening their commitment to international librarianship, and as an inspiration to continue growing together and working together to make the voices of global libraries heard.
And now, onward to a milestone year!
As you know, WLIC 2027 will take place in London, and what better place than the country where IFLA’s journey started in 1927 to celebrate IFLA’s centenary? We have already launched our commemorative IFLA 100 logo and have had a sneak peek of what the UK National Committee is preparing, but we have many more ideas to share about how we can celebrate such an important milestone to the fullest with you all. Registration for IFLA WLIC 2027 is scheduled to begin in October.
While IFLA100 is undoubtably an unmissable opportunity to celebrate our impactful history, more importantly it’s a critical time to explore what kind of international federation the library field will need for IFLA’s second century. This is why we’ve built in futures literacy to our programming for the Centenary. You saw this as a thread already in Busan with our the futurist Sohail Inayatullah, our Emerging Leaders session, which saw the release of the the first quest in the Great IFLA100 Futures Challenge, and with David Lankes, who navigates the uncertainties around the AI-induced information shock.
Coming up in September, we have an IFLA Townhall Meeting (two dates: 8 September and 9 September) with IFLA President Leslie Weir and Secretary General Sharon Memis, the next IFLA Futures Club with Internet Archive’s founder, Brewster Kahle. Then in October, IFLA’s MetLib Conference 2026 “Planning for Futures: Be Bold”, takes place in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Keep an eye on IFLA’s website and social media, and stay tuned for more!