Baku, March 18, AZERTAC

Baku has hosted the 7th International Summit of the Book as part of the 6th Global Forum.

A joint initiative of the US Congress Library and Egyptian Library of Alexandria, the Summit focused on learning, tolerance, dialogue and understanding, and included speakers from around the world, including former heads of state.

The opening session was moderated by Ismail Serageldin, Founding Director Emeritus of the Library of Alexandria.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia, spoke of the history of book publishing.

Ana Birchall, Vice Prime Minister of Romania, highlighted cooperation between national libraries. She said an Azerbaijani center will soon open in Romania.

Ivo Josipovic, former President of Croatia, drew the audience`s attention to the role of electronic books in the life of people.

Valdis Zatlers, former President of Latvia, George Ivanov, President of Macedonia, Ingrid Parent, former President of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania highlighted the role of the book in national development, preservation of cultural heritage and formation of the future.

Sessions of the summit focused on development, cultural heritage, education and media literacy, training, and the future of libraries.

The "International Summit of the book" is one of the important initiatives launched by the Library of Congress to emphasize the key position of the book and libraries in preserving national cultural identities and human civilization.

The first International Summit of the Book was held at the Library of Congress, Washington DC on 6–7 December 2012, with the theme “The Culture of the Book.” The Summit brought authors, scholars, officials and experts together to promote the knowledge that comes from books and to discuss their current role across the globe.

The second meeting of the Summit was held at the National Library Board Singapore (NLB) on 16th August 2013, with the theme “A Book By Any Other Name.” The one-day event focused on the meaning and future of the book, from an Asian and global perspectives.

The third meeting of the Summit was convened in Paris at the Grand auditorium, Quai François Mauriac, organized by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) in partnership with the Centre national du livre (CNL) on 13th October, 2014.

The Summit laid emphasis on the role of translation as the source of a European way of thinking and on digitization as a new memorial space.