The 89th IFLA World Library and Information Congress WLIC explored the future of the library and information industry under the theme  Uniting Knowledge Building the Future in the contextof rapid technological and social changes. Key discussions centered on information literacy education as apathway for future development the use of futures thinking to design and guide library planning the curation and preservation of documentary heritage for the future and advocacy of collaborative and boldglobal action. In this dialogue on building a sustainable and open knowledge future China‘s experienceand voice are taking a center stage. While drawing on and referencing the insights and spirit of this conference China should also boost confidence and focus on participating more in international academic exchange activities in the future.

IFLA World Library and Information Congress WLIC is an important international academic conference in the library field. The 89th IFLA WLIC was held in Astana Kazakhstan in August 2025.This article drawing on the author‘s on-site observations and experiences and the basic information of IFLA provides an overview of the conference including its overall structure key sessions the maticpriorities conference arrangements and services. It highlights the achievements of Chinese libraries particularly their receipt of awards at this conference. Meanwhile through this participation the article proposed that the Chinese libraries should participate in international conferences engage in international library affairs carry out international exchange work and cultivate international professional talents.

The State Council officially issued the Regulations on National Reading Promotion on December 16 2025 marking the most significant milestone in China’s journey toward national reading promotion legislation over the past more than a decade. A systematic summary of domestic and international research and practical experience from the last ten years can provide a valuable reference for the further improvement and enrichment of such legislation in the future. This article adopts a literature research method to review the decade-long progress in domestic reading promotion legislation research and practice as well as the trends and experiences of foreign reading promotion legislation. The article suggests that future national reading promotion legislation should clarify the responsibilities between central and local governments strengthen empirical investigation and research and place greater emphasison cultural orientation.

This study focuses on the Bookish Shanghai brand within the context of nationwide reading initiatives. Employing methods such as online research field visits and question naire surveys it systematically reviews the achievements and shortcomings in the brand‘s development. The findingsindicate that while significant progress has been made in building the Bookish Shanghai brand severalissues persist including an underdeveloped brand identity system ineffective coordination mechanismsand an incomplete evaluation framework. Moreover reader demands show notable intergenerationaldivergence. In response drawing on successful brand-building experiences from domestic andinternational cases and integrating the brand lifecycle theory this study proposes targeted optimizationstrategies. The aim is to provide insights for deepening the development of the Bookish Shanghai brandand advancing the national Bookish China strategy.

This research introduces the concept of evidence-based librarianship to construct an evidence centered decision-making indicator model for foreign language academic book acquisition in public libraries. This research takes Shanghai Library as a case study explores the application of fully connectedneural network technology in the decision-making model of foreign language book selection reveals the key indicators affecting the acquisition work predicts the potential value of books and provides a new perspective for the construction of foreign language collection in the era of smart libraries. The proposed approach can effectively assist librarians to make more scientific decisions and promote the quality oflibrary collection and provide a new perspective and method for the intelligent development of foreign language academic books in public libraries.

The evolution of artificial intelligence AI from traditional machine learning ML-AI togenerative AI GenAI is reshaping the service models of university libraries. AI-powered virtual librarian based on large language models have become an important break through for the development of smart libraries. This study investigates the online reference services of libraries at China’s Double First-Classuniversities and at the top 100 global universities ranked by U. S. News. It reveals breakthroughs in theservice coverage and functional innovation of AI virtual librarians in Chinese universities as well aspractical experiences related to service accuracy and human-AI collaboration models in internationaluniversity libraries. Based on the application exploration of East China Normal University Library thispaper proposes an innovative future-oriented design framework for AI virtual librarian services. Byconstructing a three-layer knowledge base comprising question-answering document and applicationdatabases and integrating semantic vectorization operational orchestration prompt engineering and theChatECNU large language model technology it creates an intelligent personalized and 24 / 7 accurate AIvirtual librarian. Practical results show that the AI virtual librarian not only significantly optimizes serviceefficiency and user experience but also frees librarian from repetitive tasks enabling them to focus onhigher-value activities and fostering innovation in university library services. In the future AI virtuallibrarians will further promote the intelligent transformation of library services in areas such as multimodalinteraction intelligent academic support and data privacy protection.

Ancient local chronicles hold a significant position among Chinese ancient books containing avast amount of valuable content resources. Exploring and conducting semantic knowledge associationresearch on historical figures recorded in these chronicles not only promotes the development andutilization of these chronicles but also contributes to the construction of China‘s local chronicle resourcesand indigenous knowledge system. This study analyzes the characteristics of historical figure resources inancient local chronicles and the ontological needs of users. Using Protégé an ontology model isconstructed. Taking the historical figure Liu Yu and the chapter on customs in Volume 3 of ZhishunZhenjiang Gazetteer as examples the study combines large language models LLMs and the Neo4j graphdatabase to build a knowledge graph of historical celebrities enabling knowledge discovery. The findingsindicate that the combination of knowledge graphs and LLMs can assist non-technical users in achievingrapid semantic retrieval and valuable knowledge discovery. This approach is significant in terms ofknowledge interaction promoting knowledge retrieval knowledge discovery and advancing academicresearch. The research provides innovative ideas for the construction of ontology and knowledge graphand also offers a new perspective for the development of local cultural resources.

To highlight the value and contributions of public libraries in the AI era and to promoteinclusive AI literacy education for the general public this study conducts a literature review and onlineresearch to explore the content and current practices of AI literacy education in public libraries bothdomestically and internationally. A stratified and tiered content framework for public-oriented AI literacyeducation is constructed based on four dimensions AI awareness AI knowledge AI competencies andAI ethics. Furthermore the study analyzes and compares AI literacy education practices in public librariesworldwide across four perspectives conceptual objectives framework elements content formats andcompetency levels. Based on these findings it proposes strategies and recommendations for AI literacyeducation in public libraries focusing on building a people-friendly AI literacy education system andpromoting sustainable development through multi-dimensional collaboration.

MOOCs SPOCs gamification and case-based teaching have driven the transformation ofinformation literacy education in higher education although there is still considerable potential for furtherrefinement. This study grounded in existing research on the SPS case sandbox explores the connotationof the SPS case sandbox information literacy teaching model highlighting its structural situational andpragmatic characteristics. It elucidates the model’s advantages develops a corresponding designframework and applies it to the context of graduate school entrance exam information search . Drawingupon the design and implementation phases of the SPS case sandbox teaching model this paper proposesa practical pathway for university libraries to integrate the SPS information literacy case sandbox into theirteaching practices.

This paper systematically exams U. S. federal education acts from the perspective of familyparticipation with the goal of understanding how these policies support and shape the concept of familyengagement in public libraries in the United States. By analyzing the institutional guarantees embedded inthese acts it aims to provide policy insights and references for implementing family engagementinitiatives in public libraries in China. By adopting historical analysis this paper reviews and analyzesearly-childhood education legislation centered on the Head Start Act and school-age education legislationcentered on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Federal education acts provide ideologicalguidance financial guarantees and project support for public libraries to implement the concept of familyparticipation. Early-childhood education and school-age education are the two fields where the concept offamily engagement intersect with public libraries. The former provides an entry point for integratingfamily engagement into library practice while and the latter enables its sustained development. From theformulation of the family participation framework to the implementation of strategies and the promotion ofrelated projects the evolution of family engagement in public libraries aligns closely with its progressionin early-childhood and school education.

This study examines the biographies interpersonal relationships and career mobility of 24 registered librarians at the Jiangnan Library in the late Qing Dynasty. By analyzing their backgrounds andactivities it explores how these early librarians constructed their professional identity and developed asense of professional consciousness. The findings reveal that the librarians of the Jiangnan Library wereconnected through social bonds such as mentorship collegial relationships shared hometowns and acollective passion for book collecting and scholarly pursuits. In the library‘s formative years despite thefluidity and uncertainty of their roles these librarians conscientiously embraced the historical mission ofsafeguarding documents and sustaining scholarly traditions. They made professional contributions to thedevelopment of library operations such as cataloging reader services and literature acquisition forming aunique professional cognition. Amidst a period of profound social transformation they collectively shapedthe professional persona of modern librarians and endowed the library with the spiritual attributes of asanctuary for scholarly ideals and the continuity of academic heritage.

Event commemorative library an uncommon type in China aim to commemorate specifichistorical events by collecting exhibiting and preserving documents and artifacts related to those events.They serve to convey historical significance and values while fostering public reflection. TsinghuaUniversity‘s December 1st Library is a significant example. Established in 1947 to commemorate thefour martyrs of the December 1st student movement it became a focal point for progressive activitiesand the study of advanced theories. It housed a substantial collection of progressive literature and played acrucial role in the school’s political and cultural activities. After several rounds of consolidation and relocationits collections has now been integrated into the university library. This paper uses thedevelopment of the  December 1st Library as a case study to explore the significance of eventcommemorative libraries their historical value and their potential for regeneration in the digital ageoffering insights and perspectives for the establishment and development of such libraries.

The long lost handwritten copy of Qiantang Yi Shi is Liu Yiqing’s work and published in theYuan dynasty. It‘s transcript is a unique copy which was collected by Wang Qishu resurfaced in 1773due to the compilation of the Siku Quanshu. The following year this copy was inscribed with a poem inthe hand of Emperor Qianlong and was returned to the Wang Qishu. Afterward it remained missing for along time. The current circulating editions of Qiantang Yi Shi all originate from the Siku Quanshu whichhas been collated and arbitrarily altered by the imperial librarians namely some people who compiled SikuQuanshu. Shanghai Library possesses a copy of this book which features a poem written by EmperorQianlong on the front matter bearing the Imperial Academy seal in both Manchu and Chinese charactersand containing traces of corrections made by the imperial librarians. This copy which collected inShanghai Library is the very same edition that was originally in the collection of Wang Qishu and can becross-referenced with other book submissions made by the Wang family to the imperial court. Consequentlythis copy is of great importance in reconstructing the original appearance of the book’s edition as well asin reflecting the traces of alterations and the level of collation expertise exhibited by the imperiallibrarians. Emperor Qianlong personally participated in the research of the author of the book throughinscribing two poems thereby reinforcing his political stance of criticizing turncoat officials like QianQianyi for their equally difficult to go on or retreat . This is a unique and vivid case in the readinghistory of the Siku Quanshu.

Foshuo Wuliang Dacijiao Jing is a fragmental manuscript which written in the Tang dynastyand now is collected in the library of Shanxi Normal University. According to the characteristics of itscharacters papers and formatting combined with the information of diaspora collection description andexpert opinions it can be determined that this manuscript is the Dunhuang manuscript of the TangDynasty in the 8-9th century. This manuscript has common characteristics with the Russian collectionnumber is Дx02723 in terms of calligraphic style and format. Based on investigations of the contentcontinuation incomplete characters crack docking and the process of literature circulation it is foundthat they are likely two parts of the same manuscript and can be rejoined . This research also made a fulltextcorrecting and recording of the Foshuo Wuliang Dacijiao Jing. As a newly discovered Dunhuangliterature this Foshuo Wuliang Dacijiao Jing has certain value in the aspects of version textual researchscripture collation and restoration of fragments and should be helpful for the study of Buddhistapocrypha.

This research introduces some romanization of the Ningbo dialect texts published in the 19thCentury which are collected in Princeton University Library now. One of the introductory texts without atitle might be one of the earliest versions. this research also introduces the history of missionaries in Chinacompile Chinese dialects books on Romanized explores Sino-Western hybrid printing techniques and thevalue of dialect books. It also transcribes one of the chapters in Chinese scripts and analyzes themissionary content and language characteristics. In addition it compiles a bibliography of publications inRomanized Ningbo dialect held in institutions outside of China.