12th Congress of Baltic Librarians CoBaL: Libraries – Key to a Literate Society
The Congress of Baltic Librarians, organized by the librarians of Baltic states, is the most lasting and regular form of co-operation every five years. The initiative came from the Latvian colleagues, and the first congress was held in 1930 in Riga, then in 1935 in Estonia, and 1938 in Lithuania.
Subsequently, a 56-year forced break occurred because joint activities of professional organizations were prohibited during the Soviet period. Thirty years ago, after the restoration of independence, librarians associations were restored in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and the tradition of congresses was re-established.
Historically, the congress has grown to be a significant form of cross-border cooperation between the associations of Baltic librarians. It plays a vital role in the regional exchange of information.
In 1991, the 4th Congress was held again in Riga. Since then, it has occurred every five years in a different Baltic country. In 2025, it is again Lithuania’s turn to host the congress.
Lithuanian Librarian’s Association (LBD) is organizing the 12th Congress of Baltic Librarians “Libraries – Key to a Literate Society” on 2nd–3rd December 2025 in Kaunas, Lithuania. This year’s congress focuses mainly on the following topics:
- Literacy promotion activities in libraries
- Reading promotion
- Media and information literacy
- Technologies in libraries
- Democracy projects
- SDG in libraries
- Professional librarian in a new world
- How to measure the impact of library accessibility.
The official statement – the Baltic Libraries Literacy Manifesto – will be presented during the congress.
The congress of 2025 will take place in Lithuania, Kaunas; colleagues from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Ukraine, and other countries are sharing their knowledge via presentations.
The congress has always been essential for colleagues to meet in person and gather in working groups.
Call for Abstracts
Be part of the 12th Congress of Baltic Librarians (CoBaL) – the leading forum uniting library professionals from across the Baltic states. This year’s theme is:
“Libraries – Key to a Literate Society”
🗓 2–3 December 2025 | Kaunas, Lithuania
We invite submissions related (but not limited) to the following topics:
- Literacy and reading promotion
- Media and information literacy
- Technologies in libraries
- Democracy projects
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in libraries
- The librarian’s role in a changing world
- Measuring the impact of library accessibility
📌 Presentation formats:
- 20-minute presentation
- 30-minute presentation
- Video presentation
- Discussion
- Workshop
- Poster
🕒 Deadline for submissions: 12 September 2025
Selected participants will be notified by 30 September 2025.
