About Us

3rd International Library and Technology Festival

“The Healing Library”

Libraries continue to fulfil their vital social role as “information centres” through the public services they offer. At the same time, the transformation of libraries and library services is expanding the roles they play in social life. In this context, our Ministry aims to turn public libraries into “opportunity centres” programmed to meet the social, cultural, intellectual, academic and professional needs of our citizens. In other words, it plans to transform libraries into cultural institutions that provide the opportunities and infrastructure for raising generations that think and produce. To this end, a holistic infrastructure ecosystem consisting of spatial, intellectual, technological and social components supporting intellectual and cultural production is being designed in newly implemented library projects.

In parallel with this approach, the 3rd International Library and Technology Festival will be held at the Istanbul Rami Library between 2–4 April 2026 with the theme “The Healing Library”.

Within the scope of the festival, an exhibition featuring leading companies, start-ups and institutions in the library and technology field will be held to support convergence between the world of technology and innovation and the library sector, and to create a platform where relevant stakeholders can come together to evaluate possible areas of cooperation. The festival programme will include workshops in the fields of technology, artificial intelligence, software, coding and similar areas, as well as sessions contributed by national and international experts and academics from multidisciplinary fields. These contents will be structured in line with the main themes of the “Healing Library” approach, covering well-being and psychological resilience, accessibility and human-centred spaces, belonging and social bonds, lifelong learning and empowerment, and ethics and trust.

The Rami Library, Istanbul’s largest library serving millions of users and one of Europe’s leading libraries, will host the event. Producers developing products and services for or adaptable to library services will be brought together with thousands of individuals, organisations and young people who can benefit from these solutions, enabling on-site experience of the opportunities and services offered by the world of technology and innovation and the library sector. In addition, in line with the “Healing Library” theme, contributions will be made to sharing and disseminating applications and solutions that can strengthen the accessibility and inclusiveness approach of libraries and support the well-being of users.

The 3rd International Library and Technology Festival will provide an important meeting ground for thinking about and developing the “Healing Library” vision together, bringing together leading national and international speakers, workshops and seminars, poster sessions, and experience-sharing from public librarians across Turkey.

We believe the festival will lead to new collaborations and lasting outcomes that will reinforce the public role of our libraries, strengthened by knowledge and integrated with people.