Registration open: The 2025 African Public and Community Libraries Virtual Summit
Theme: “Libraries Without Borders: Connecting the Dots”
The African Library and Information Association and Institutions (AfLIA) invites all library and information professionals, educators, and partners across the continent and beyond to the African Public and Community Libraries Virtual Summit, taking place 3rd–4th December 2025.
AfLIA continues to lead the way in strengthening and advancing the development of libraries and information centres across Africa by equipping library and information personnel with essential 21st-century skills and facilitating the transformation of libraries into vibrant engines of exploration, learning, and innovation.
This year’s summit, themed “Libraries without Borders: Connecting the Dots,” will spotlight how African libraries are reimagining their roles in inclusive access to knowledge, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability, and civic engagement.
Who Should Attend
- LIS practitioners in Public, Community, and National Libraries
- LIS educators and trainers
- Policy makers and government representatives in the library and education sectors
- Organisations and professionals collaborating with African public libraries
Attendance is free of charge, and registration is now open.
Summit Sub-Themes
Participants will explore innovative ideas and share practical experiences across a range of topics, including:
- Digital transformation and access to knowledge
- Inclusive libraries serving diverse, multilingual, and marginalised communities
- Cultural and documentary heritage through public and community libraries
- Green libraries and environmental stewardship
- Networking and collaboration among African public and community libraries
- Civic engagement, democracy, and community building
- Education policies and lifelong learning connections with libraries
- Play and interactive learning as integral parts of library services
What Participants will Gain
By the end of the summit, participants will:
- Discover how libraries can break geographical, cultural, and technological barriers to empower communities.
- Learn to leverage digital tools and mobile platforms to expand services and improve access to e-resources.
- Understand how public and community libraries contribute to education and learning policies.
- Envision libraries as hubs for civic engagement and community dialogue.
- Explore ways libraries can promote environmental stewardship and sustainability.
- Identify strategies for providing inclusive services to all, regardless of age, language, or status.
- Appreciate how play and interactive learning can enhance user engagement in libraries.
Event Details
- Date: 3rd–4th December 2025
- Mode: Virtual (online)
- Fee: Free – no registration costs
- Time: 9am GMT | 10am WAT | 11am CAT/SAST | 12pm EAT (each day)
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, collaborate, and reimagine the future of African public and community libraries. Click here to register and be part of a continent-wide conversation shaping libraries without borders.