Welcome
Dear members of the Information and Library Science community,
For the seventh time, Koç University Libraries are organizing an International Library Staff Week in Istanbul, between 11-15 May 2026. The event brings together professional Library staff with varied backgrounds working in universities or other research-oriented libraries with an interest in sharing ideas and networking with colleagues.
Our experience from similar events started in Spring 2018, when we organized and hosted for the first time an International Library Staff Week, with the participation of 18 International Academic Librarians from 13 countries and 5 continents. Continuing, later on the same year 8 colleagues from the American Beirut University Libraries spent a week at Koç University and later on, in October, the Library hosted the Greek and Turkish Library Staff Week. In April 2019 we celebrated Spring and the Library profession with colleagues all over the world with our 2nd International Library Staff Week. In May 2022, we organized the 3rd International Library Staff Week. In total 23 attendees from 17 different institutions and 13 different countries attended our event. In May 2023, we organized the 4th International Library Staff Week with again an excellent librarian group from various countries around the world. In May 2024, we hosted the 5th International Library Staff Week with 26 attendees from 14 countries and 18 different libraries. Last year, we hosted the 6th International Library Staff Week and welcomed 11 attendees from 9 different countries.
We strongly believe that international events as such, offer the opportunity to share different professional and cultural backgrounds and experience in a friendly and relaxed environment and is a great start for potential joint projects.
In addition, Istanbul is a unique place to visit and Koç University stands strong in the international educational and research arena. Don’t miss the chance to be part of the experience!
Main theme
Koç University Suna Kıraç Library is pleased to host the 7th International Library Staff Week (ILSW) under the theme “Rethinking Higher Education and Libraries in the Age of AI.”
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming higher education and libraries, bringing new approaches to learning, research, information access, and service design. Within this context, we aim to explore the evolving roles of libraries, the integration and responsible use of AI tools, emerging skill requirements, and ethical responsibilities together.
Throughout the week, seminars, workshops, and interactive sessions will offer participants a platform for global knowledge exchange and collaboration.
We warmly invite our international colleagues to join us in this transformative journey and to rethink the future of university libraries together.
Keywords to guide us through our journey:
- Generative AI
- Academic Libraries
- Future of Libraries
- AI Literacy
- Information Literacy
- AI Ethics
- AI and Academic Integrity
- Emerging Technologies
- AI Transformation
- Personalized Learning
- AI-powered Library Services
- Metadata Management
- Policy Development