Media literacy and reading were discussed in Bishkek

On 24-27 May 2023, Bishkek (Kyrgyz Republic) hosted the III International Conference “Books, Reading and Memory Institutions in the Information Society”, organized by the Russian Committee of the UNESCO Information for All Programme and the National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic under support of the Intergovernmental Foundation for Humanitarian Cooperation of the Member States of CIS and the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The following topics were discussed at the conference:

  • Increasing the importance of support and development of reading, including children’s and youth reading, in the CIS Member States.
  • Identifying and supporting the dissemination of the best ideas and practices in the field of reading promotion and popularization of historical and cultural heritage.
  • Attracting the attention of regional authorities and the media to the need for scientifically based solutions to problems in the field of reading popularization and support.
  • Improving the efficiency of the major memory institutions functioning and the infrastructure for the support and development of reading at the national and regional levels.

During the plenary session and six thematic sessions, heads and representatives of museums and other cultural institutions, renowned scientists and prominent figures of science, culture, literature from the CIS countries shared their experience of digital transformation of museums, scientific and cultural institutions, libraries and archives.

Ms. Tatiana Murovana represented UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education at the conference and delivered a presentation on “Media and Information Literacy as a Basis of Competent Reading in the Digital Era” at the session “Reading and Education”. Ms. Murovana also moderated the section “Memory Institutions in Modern Digital Society: Approaches and Practices”.

The conference brought together about 200 participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, representing museums, libraries, universities, NGOs and media involved in the activities on promotion of reading. More than 40 reports and reviews were presented on the results, problems and prospects of the activities carried out in each country to support and develop reading, ways and means of improving the effectiveness of these activities. The forms of cooperation between books and reading support institutions – museums, educational institutions, libraries, publishing houses, book trade organizations, media – were discussed during the event, and proposals for state support of these institutions were formulated as well.