The Second International Conference “Preserving Heritage for a Sustainable Future” was held at the National Library of Armenia on October 3-4 dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the founding of the National Library of Armenia. The conference was attended by about 200 participants from 64 organizations in 20 countries. Library directors, international cultural figures, young and promising specialists in the field of library, and information gathered to discuss problems and challenges of preserving cultural heritage. On October 3, Anna Chulyan, Director of the National Library of Armenia, delivered a welcoming speech at the opening ceremony. She noted that the conference is dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the National Library of Armenia receiving its state status, and concluded her speech with several questions about the future of libraries. — What will be the role of libraries in the digital era? — How will libraries balance physical and digital collections? — How can libraries remain relevant in the world of artificial intelligence and automated information retrieval?

Deputy Minister of Culture Alfred Kocharyan welcomed the conference participants and wished them success. He said: “The Ministry encourages intercultural dialogue and welcomes the establishment of new ties. The state emphasizes the role of libraries and library activities in the life of Armenian society and pays special attention to the development of the industry.” The plenary session featured speeches by the Director of the Russian State Library Vadim Duda, Head of the Digital Development Group of the Hungarian National Library Kalcsó Gyula, Executive Director of the law firm Ani Davtyan, Director of the National Library of Armenia Anna Chulyan, Senior Advisor of the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) Chris De Loof, Head of the Global Book Business of the German publishing company Springer Nature Peter Nils Thomas, Founder of the Armenian company ARLOOPA Arman Atoyan, Lecturer at the American University of Armenia Molly Freeman. 

Many of the keynote speakers' speeches touched upon the issues of the relationship between libraries and artificial intelligence. The discussions, organized in four auditoriums, were devoted to the preservation and popularization of Armenian heritage, bibliography, promotion of reading, digital content management, professional development, etc.