On October 9–10, 2025, Bishkek (Kyrgyz Republic) hosted the IV International Conference “Books, Reading, and Memory Institutions in the Information Society” organized by the Russian Committee for the UNESCO Information for All Programme, the Interregional Library Cooperation Centre and the National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic, with support from the CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation and the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The event brought together leaders of libraries, museums, universities, research institutes, and publishing houses from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Kyrgyz Republic.
Held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic, the conference focused on key aspects of enhancing the effectiveness of memory institutions through modern formats and advanced digital technologies. Discussions also addressed the preservation of cultural heritage, the promotion of book culture, and the encouragement of reading in the global information society.
At the opening ceremony, Kyrgyz State Secretary Mr. Marat Imankulov read out a congratulatory message from Mr. Sadyr Japarov, President of Kyrgyzstan, to the forum participants. Welcoming remarks and reports were delivered by Mr. Mirbek Mambetaliev, Minister of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TURKSOY, Ms. Anastasia Parshakova, Chair of the Russian Committee for the UNESCO Information for All Programme and Director General of the Interregional Library Cooperation Centre, Mr. Vladimir Tolstoy, Director General of the Leo Tolstoy State Museum, Ms. Jyldyz Bakashova, Director of the National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic. A greeting to the conference participants was also conveyed by Mr. Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Presidential Envoy on International Cultural Cooperation.
The conference continued within five thematic sessions: “Museum Work in the Context of Digital Transformation: New Approaches to Safeguarding Cultural Heritage”, “Books and Reading in the Digital Age: Challenges and Prospects”, “Preserving Linguistic and Literary Heritage: Traditions and Modernity”, “Reading and Media in the Digital World” and “Education and Reading: New Approaches to Fostering Readers”.
Tatiana Murovana, UNESCO IITE Programme Specialist, moderated the session on digital media and presented a report titled “Media and Information Literacy in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence”. The session further explored the impact of AI tools on the media landscape, strategies for teaching media and information literacy to children and youth, and the role of libraries and museums in the digital media space.
As part of the conference, two exhibitions dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic were also inaugurated.
