On October 8-9, 2026 more than 110 participants from 23 countries, representing library, academic, educational, archival and cultural institutions participated in the Third International Conference, “Heritage Preservation for a Sustainable Future” at the National Library of Armenia (NLA). It was dedicated to the 360th anniversary of the first printed Armenian Bible by Voskan Yerevantsi (Voskanyan Bible), printed in Amsterdam in 1666.
The conference featured 98 professional presentations addressing a wide range of themes related to cultural and documentary heritage, including the Bible as cultural heritage, diaspora heritage preservation, digital transformation, national printed and visual heritage, and the role of language in safeguarding cultural identity. Other thematic categories included heritage preservation in CIS libraries, the conservation and restoration of documentary materials, and professional development and management in the library sector.
The guest speakers His Eminence Archbishop Levon Zekiyan (Italy) presented “An Attempt to Revalue the Pivotal Significance of Voskan Yerevantsi’s Bible Publication”, Christian Negrel, OCLC Director for Southern Europe, OCLC EMEA (France) and Anna Chulyan, Director of the NLA, jointly delivered “The Power of WorldCat: Connecting National Library of Armenia to the World”, cybersecurity expert Annika Waegenbauer (Germany) addressed cybersecurity challenges facing national libraries in her presentation, “The Quiet Target: Why National Libraries Are Under Cyberattack”.
The programme also featured professional workshops organised in cooperation with the International Association of Armenian Librarians and Archivists (IAALA), EBSCO and OCLC. These sessions offered practical insights into contemporary tools for libraries and archives, emerging trends in information systems and opportunities for international professional cooperation.
Bringing together international expertise and diverse perspectives, the conference encouraged professional dialogue and the exchange of experience on shared challenges in cultural heritage preservation. It highlighted the importance of continued international cooperation in safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage for future generations.