Theme: Power and Resilience: Books and Reading in the Age of AI

The 2025’s EBLIDA Annual Conference explores the powerful intersection of books, reading and new technology – not least artificial intelligence (AI).

It is particularly fitting that we return to Riga for this discussion, as the National Library of Latvia last hosted the EBLIDA Conference in 2015 under the theme “Building a Europe of Readers.”

We also join in the nationwide celebrations marking 500 years since the first printed book in Latvia.

This important milestone triggered a ripple effect that consolidated the Latvian language, national identity, and eventual statehood. This speaks to the power of the written word and its resilience across the centuries until now, where advances in technology and changed media consumption patterns suggest a vastly different next century for books and reading.

The coming decades will see technologies that will feel like magic to earlier generations; AI systems that learn, adapt, and create, AI features embedded in the ebooks themselves, automated translation and narration indistinguishable from human work etc. Libraries and library associations need to monitor these developments closely and adapt while still maintaining the classical mission of the library: upholding and ensuring the public’s right to access information, knowledge and culture.

Power and resilience are not only attributes of books and reading but also of readers themselves. Reading, however, is threatened like never before by new media and changes to  media use consumption – especially by the younger generations. These media are increasingly concentrated on a smaller number of tech giants with often less than altruistic intentions. Where does this leave libraries?

At the 33rd annual EBLIDA conference we gather experts and practitioners to discuss how AI and other technological developments influence the world of books and reading, and how libraries can harness these technologies and keep fulfilling their age-old mission.

Questions such as:

• Where is library-relevant AI headed?
• What is happening in publishing with audio and AI?
• What is written culture today, and how can libraries adapt?
• What does reading mean for society and the individual?
• How are successful reading campaigns designed today?
• Who are the primary partners for libraries today?

  … and many more.

Organisers:

• EBLIDA
• National Library of Latvia

Partners:

• PUBLIC LIBRARIES 2030
• NAPLE Forum – National Authorities on Public Libraries in Europe

Contact:

eblida@eblida.org

Tagging

• #eblida2025 - in Tweets.
• eblida2025 - in other social media.

Sign up for EBLIDA Newsletter!