The 89thWorld Library and Information Congress (WLIC),organizedby the International Federation of LibraryAssociationsand Institutions (IFLA),was held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from August 18 to 22,2025.The opening ceremony featured remarks by Talgat Yeshenkulov,Vice-Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan;Gulzhan Irzhanova,President of the Association of University Libraries in Kazakhstan;and VickiMcDonald,President of IFLA.
Dou Tianfang,Associate University Librarian at Tsinghua University, andamember of the IFLA Advisory Committee on Open Science and Scholarship (OSSAC),was invited to attend thecongress. At the session“AI Across Borders: CNKI AI Kazakhstan Launch”, shedelivered a keynote speech entitled “The Practice and Application of AI in Chinese Academic Libraries”. Inher presentation, she provided an overview of the current application of AItechnologies in Chinese academic libraries, using Tsinghua University Library as a case study to illustrate the development of an intelligent work-order system that enhances internal management and service efficiency. She further shared innovative practices of AI inmulti-scenario to improve knowledge access and information interaction. Her address demonstratedthe effortsand contributions of Chinese academic libraries in advancing user experience and knowledge acquisition efficiency.
Dou Tianfang delivering a keynote speech at the session
Founded in 1927 and headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, IFLA is a non-governmental professional international organization comprising library associations and institutions from UN member states.Thisyear’s congress,held under the theme “Uniting Knowledge, Building the Future,” brought together more than 1,600 delegates from over 110 countries and regions around the world.
