At the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, the 18th edition of the Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries International Conference (QQML2026) is taking place from 26 to 29 May 2026, as one of the important international conferences dedicated to reflection on the future of libraries. This year’s edition is held under the theme “Participating in, Collaborating, Entertaining: the Humankind in the Future Library.” At the opening of the conference, the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO was invited to deliver the inaugural plenary session.

The intervention by the Commission’s representatives was entitled “From Archives to Algorithms: The UNESCO Conversation on the Future of Knowledge and Libraries” and was prepared by Ms Ligia Deca, Secretary-General of the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO, and Codrin Tăut, expert of the Commission. The theme proposed a reflection on the way libraries are rethinking their role in an age shaped by digital platforms, algorithms and artificial intelligence, as well as on the conditions under which knowledge can remain a public good.

In the message conveyed to participants, Ms Ligia Deca stressed that, despite accelerating technological change, libraries remain essential public institutions, and that the challenge today is not only to expand access to information, but also to preserve knowledge as “accessible, reliable, plural and meaningful.” The Secretary-General of the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO also underlined that libraries should be understood as “institutions of trust, continuity and public responsibility,” situated at the intersection of education, cultural participation, social cohesion and the protection of documentary heritage.

The message of the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO also emphasized that the future of libraries cannot be reduced to a simple matter of technological adaptation. What is at stake is the very capacity of societies to preserve knowledge as a public space — open, inclusive, plural and democratic.