IFLA - World Library & Information Congress
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About this event
IFLA – World Library & Information Congress (WLIC 2026)
IFLA WLIC 2026 (90th World Library and Information Congress) is scheduled to take place 10–13 August 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea. The congress is hosted at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre (BEXCO), located in the centre of the city of Busan.
With the theme “Libraries Powering Transformation”, the program is designed to bring together the global library and information community to discuss the evolving role of libraries in education, access to knowledge, digital transformation, community resilience, and cultural impact. The event operates as a major international platform where attendees exchange ideas, share research, and connect with professionals and organizations shaping the future of library services worldwide.
About the event theme and purpose
This congress is positioned around how libraries can drive meaningful change. “Libraries Powering Transformation” reflects both practical and strategic discussions—covering how libraries adapt to new information environments, serve diverse populations, strengthen digital and data capabilities, and support lifelong learning and societal well-being. As a congress within IFLA’s broader ecosystem, WLIC also connects participants to professional development opportunities and ongoing initiatives represented by IFLA’s professional units.
What happens during WLIC
WLIC 2026 includes a formal congress program (published online on the official website), with sessions that typically involve keynote-level content, professional exchange, and information-sharing activities aligned with current global library priorities. In addition, the congress framework includes satellite meetings organized across the region to extend professional networking and specialized discussions beyond the main congress days.
Venue and city
- Venue: Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre (BEXCO)
- Location: Centre of Busan, Republic of Korea
- Dates: 10–13 August 2026
Why it matters for the library & information ecosystem
WLIC is one of the most significant global gatherings for library and information professionals. It brings together decision-makers and practitioners from around the world, fostering dialogue across policy, practice, technology, and research. For organizations serving libraries—whether through services, solutions, professional expertise, or sector support—WLIC provides a concentrated venue for engaging with a highly relevant and international audience at a central industry focal point.
Satellite meetings and local context
The official WLIC 2026 website also notes that parallel to WLIC 2026, IFLA Professional Units have organized Satellite Meetings across Busan and Seoul. This helps expand opportunities for professional unit-specific engagement and specialized networking beyond the main congress program.
Overall, WLIC 2026 is a high-visibility international congress for the library and information field, anchored in Busan and delivered under a theme focused on transformation—making it a key event for stakeholders aiming to collaborate, learn, and build partnerships across the global library community.
Data sheet
IFLA - World Library & Information Congress – Event Attendee & Buyer Profile Analysis
Event Date: 10–13 August 2026
Location: Busan, Republic of Korea
Event Status: Upcoming
Research Date: 1 July 2026
Event Overview
| Event Name | IFLA - World Library & Information Congress (WLIC 2026) |
| Event Date | 10–13 August 2026 |
| Event Status | Upcoming |
| Venue | BEXCO (Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre) |
| City | Busan |
| State / Region | Busan Metropolitan City |
| Country | Republic of Korea |
| Organizer | International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) |
| Official Event Website | 2026.ifla.org |
| Event Type | International congress, association meeting, professional conference, exhibition and sponsorship platform |
| Primary Category | Education & Training |
| Secondary Applicable Categories | Business Services; IT & Technology; Science & Research; Government / Public Sector |
| Audience Reach | Global |
| Estimated Attendance / Expected Footfall | Attendance figure not publicly confirmed by the organizer. |
| Attendance Data Reliability | Medium: official event site confirms event, dates, venue, and programme, but no public attendance figure was identified in the provided source text. |
| Main Purpose of Event | To convene global library and information professionals for professional exchange, learning, policy dialogue, networking, library visits, poster sessions, and sponsorship/exhibition activity. |
About the Event
The IFLA World Library and Information Congress is the flagship annual global meeting of the library and information sector. The 2026 edition in Busan is positioned as a major international congress for librarians, information professionals, researchers, educators, vendors, and public-interest institutions involved in knowledge access, information management, and library innovation.
This event matters because it brings together decision-makers and practitioners from public libraries, academic libraries, national libraries, library consortia, archives, information services, and related technology providers. It is relevant for partnership development, procurement awareness, professional education, digital transformation discussions, and solutions related to library systems, content access, preservation, discovery, analytics, and user services.
1. Who Attends: Buyers / Attendees
| Buyer / Attendee Segment | Typical Organizations | Buying Role or Influence | Relevance to Exhibitors / Suppliers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library leadership | National libraries, public library systems, academic libraries, special libraries | Strategy, budget, vendor selection, service modernization | High-value buyers for library systems, content, digital tools, and consulting |
| Procurement and sourcing teams | Universities, municipalities, ministries, cultural institutions | Contracting, purchasing, compliance, vendor qualification | Relevant for suppliers selling software, services, subscriptions, and equipment |
| IT and digital transformation leaders | Libraries, universities, government information units | Platform selection, integrations, cybersecurity, data governance | Targets for discovery systems, repositories, authentication, analytics, and cloud services |
| Collection development / acquisitions teams | Libraries and library consortia | Content licensing, renewals, acquisition priorities | Important for publishers, content aggregators, and subscription services |
| Education and research stakeholders | Universities, research institutes, scholarly associations | Influence on research access, institutional repositories, scholarly communication | Relevant for digital library, research data, and publishing solutions |
| Government and public-sector information agencies | Ministries, archives, cultural agencies, education departments | Policy, funding, standards, public information services | Important for records management, archiving, and public knowledge platforms |
| Library technology vendors and service partners | ILS/LSP vendors, content providers, automation firms, consultants | Influence ecosystem partnerships and co-selling | Useful for channel development and solution alliances |
| Association leaders and standards bodies | National library associations, professional bodies, consortia | Standards, advocacy, sponsorship, membership programming | Relevant for partnerships, sponsorship, and policy engagement |
2. Event Location and Attendee Geographic Origin
| Geographic Area | Likely Attendee Origin | Buyer Concentration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Busan | Local libraries, universities, cultural institutions, municipal agencies | Medium | Host-city participation typically includes local institutions and volunteers |
| South Korea / national | National libraries, university systems, public sector information organizations | High | Strong domestic reach due to location in a major Korean convention city |
| East Asia | Libraries and universities from nearby markets such as Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore | High | Regional travel corridor supports strong participation from nearby information-sector institutions |
| Asia-Pacific | Library associations, public libraries, universities, cultural agencies | High | The congress has strong relevance for the wider APAC library ecosystem |
| Europe / North America / global | International association members, vendors, researchers, publishers, standards organizations | Medium to High | IFLA is a global federation, so international attendance is structurally likely |
| Global remote and hybrid reach | Members unable to travel, sponsor networks, online viewers of selected content | Medium | Digital reach depends on organizer programming and registration structure |
3. Audience Reach
| Reach Level | Assessment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Global | Primary classification | IFLA is the leading global library federation, and the congress is positioned as an international gathering for the profession. |
4. Sample Buyer Companies and Websites
| Buyer Company / Organization | Buyer Type | Why It Is Relevant | Website | Best Job Titles to Target | Evidence Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Library of Korea | National library / public sector | Core buyer for library systems, digitization, archival, and discovery solutions in Korea | nl.go.kr | Director, Head Librarian, Digital Services Manager, Acquisitions Manager | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| Library of Congress | National library / government | Influential buyer for preservation, metadata, digital collections, and knowledge access tools | loc.gov | Program Officer, Contract Specialist, Digital Preservation Lead, CIO | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| British Library | National library / public institution | High-priority target for content, metadata, digitization, and reader services | bl.uk | Head of Collections, Procurement Lead, Digital Library Manager, IT Director | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| National Library of Australia | National library / public sector | Relevant for preservation, cataloguing, digital access, and archive solutions | nla.gov.au | Director, Procurement Manager, Collections Manager, Technology Lead | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| National Diet Library, Japan | National library / government | Strong fit for bibliographic infrastructure, digitization, and information access services | ndl.go.jp | Library Director, Digital Initiatives Lead, Procurement Officer, Systems Librarian | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| National Library Board, Singapore | Public library authority | Advanced buyer for digital library experiences, citizen services, and content platforms | nlb.gov.sg | Head of Digital Services, Procurement Manager, Program Director, UX Lead | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| Seoul National University Library | Academic library | University buyer for research databases, discovery, repository, and reading services | snu.ac.kr | Library Director, Acquisitions Librarian, IT Manager, eResources Manager | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| University of Hong Kong Libraries | Academic library | Potential buyer for scholarly content, systems, metadata, and digital library solutions | lib.hku.hk | University Librarian, E-Resources Manager, Procurement Officer, Systems Librarian | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| The New York Public Library | Public library system | Relevant for public access platforms, learning services, catalog systems, and digitization | nypl.org | Director of Procurement, Chief Technology Officer, Library Operations Lead, Digital Collections Head | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| National and University Library in Zagreb | National / academic library | Relevant for integrated library systems, digitization, and research access | nsk.hr | Director, Head of Digital Collections, Procurement Officer, IT Director | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| University of Toronto Libraries | Academic library | Large-scale academic buyer for content licensing, repository, and workflow tools | onesearch.library.utoronto.ca | Associate University Librarian, Collections Lead, Procurement Manager, IT Lead | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| OCLC | Library technology / services organization | Important ecosystem partner and solution buyer for metadata, library services, and integrations | oclc.org | Business Development Director, Product Manager, Partnerships Lead, CIO | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| EBSCO Information Services | Information services / content provider | Potential sponsor/partner and ecosystem buyer in library content and discovery markets | ebsco.com | Partnerships Director, Product Marketing Manager, Regional Sales Director | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
| ProQuest | Information services / scholarly content | Relevant for institutional content, dissertations, discovery, and research workflows | proquest.com | Sales Director, Product Manager, Partnership Lead, Account Executive | Strong Market Fit, Attendance Not Confirmed |
5. Job Profiles, Industries and Event Type
| Priority | Job Title / Function | Department | Seniority Level | Why This Role Matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Librarian / University Librarian / Library Director | Library Leadership | C-Level / Director | Owns strategy, budget, and solution priorities. |
| 2 | Head of Digital Services | Digital / IT | Director / Head | Evaluates systems, cloud, authentication, and user experience tools. |
| 3 | Procurement Manager / Purchasing Manager | Procurement | Manager | Controls vendor onboarding, compliance, and buying process. |
| 4 | Acquisitions / Collections Manager | Collections | Manager | Responsible for content buying, renewals, and licensing decisions. |
| 5 | Systems Librarian / Library Systems Manager | IT / Library Systems | Manager / Specialist | Influences technology selection and integrations. |
| 6 | Research Services Manager | Research Support | Manager | Supports databases, discovery, and research workflow needs. |
| 7 | Digital Preservation Manager | Archives / Digital Collections | Manager | Relevant for archival and preservation technology. |
| 8 | Vendor Relations / Partnerships Director | Business Development | Director | Useful for sponsors, exhibitors, and partnership selling. |
| Priority | Apollo Industry | Why It Fits the Event | Best Buyer Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education Management | Academic libraries and higher-education institutions are major attendee groups. | University library and learning-resource buyers |
| 2 | Higher Education | Strong fit for library leadership, research support, and institutional collections. | University librarians and academic procurement |
| 3 | Government Administration | National and public libraries, ministries, and public-sector information bodies attend. | Government buyers and public procurement |
| 4 | Information Technology & Services | Libraries purchase systems, hosting, integrations, discovery, and analytics tools. | Digital transformation and software vendors |
| 5 | Publishing | Content suppliers and scholarly publishing stakeholders are relevant to libraries. | Content licensing and discovery partnerships |
| 6 | Information Services | Library metadata, databases, and information platforms align closely. | Data, metadata, and research platforms |
| 7 | Research | Research institutions and scholarly communication are core themes. | Research support and repositories |
| 8 | Internet | Many digital access and discovery products are internet-enabled services. | Cloud-native and web-based solutions |
| 9 | Computer Software | Library systems, portals, workflows, and analytics are software-driven. | SaaS, platforms, and enterprise software |
| 10 | Management Consulting | Libraries seek advisory support for strategy, change, and digital projects. | Advisory and implementation services |
6. Estimated Attendance
| Metric | Figure | Status | Source / Basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated total footfall | Not publicly confirmed | Confirmed unavailable | Official event site text provided | Organizer does not publish a figure in the provided source text. |
| Exhibitor count | Not publicly confirmed in provided text | Confirmed unavailable | Official site mentions Exhibitors List & Floorplan, but no count in provided text | Use official exhibitor list if published separately. |
| Buyer count | Not publicly confirmed | Estimated / not verified | Professional association congress structure | Buyer-side attendance is likely but not quantified. |
| Speaker count | Not publicly confirmed in provided text | Confirmed unavailable | Official site references keynote speakers and programme | No verified count was visible in the source text. |
| Sponsor count | Not publicly confirmed in provided text | Confirmed unavailable | Official site references Key Sponsors | No count was provided in the excerpt. |
| Historical attendance | Use prior-year official reports if needed | Historical / prior-year evidence | Prior-year official congress materials would be required for validation | Not inferred here without a verified official source. |
7. Key Focus Areas and Buyer Engagement
| Focus Area | Typical Buyer Need | Buyer Engagement Opportunity | Relevant Supplier Offering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library systems | Integrated circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, discovery | Meet systems decision-makers and IT leads | ILS/LSP, discovery layers, workflow tools |
| Digital transformation | Modern user experience and operational efficiency | Showcase automation and integration capabilities | Cloud platforms, APIs, portals, analytics |
| Content access | Subscriptions, databases, licensing, renewals | Engage collections and acquisitions teams | E-resources, publishing, aggregators |
| Digital preservation | Long-term storage, archival integrity, metadata | Meet archives and special collections leaders | Preservation platforms, DAM, repository tools |
| Research support | Scholarly communication, repositories, metrics | Connect with university and research librarians | Institutional repositories, research analytics |
| Access and inclusion | Services for diverse communities and equitable access | Position mission-driven public sector solutions | Accessibility tools, multilingual UX, kiosks |
| Professional development | Training, certification, leadership development | Network with association and training stakeholders | Learning platforms, coaching, consulting |
Lead Quality Assessment
| Factor | Assessment | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer relevance | Very High | Attendee base is centered on institutions that buy content, software, services, and education. |
| Decision-maker availability | High | Library directors, procurement, IT, and acquisitions leaders are typically present. |
| Data collection potential | Medium | Strong if exhibitor/speaker directories are published; current-year attendee list not confirmed in provided text. |
| Apollo targeting potential | High | Clear targetable segments across education, government, IT, publishing, and information services. |
| Geographic targeting potential | High | Busan location supports Korea/APAC targeting and global association outreach. |
| Best outreach approach | Relationship-led, education-first | Use thought leadership, demos, case studies, and partnership messaging. |
| Overall lead quality | High | Strong event for B2B attendee list building in the library, education, content, and information services market. |
| Best use case | Lead generation and account mapping | Best for generating contacts among library leaders, procurement, and technology buyers. |
| Limitations / risks | No public current-year attendee list in source text | Requires exhibitor, speaker, or programme pages for deeper verified account mapping. |
Apollo.io Targeting Recommendation
| Filter Type | Recommended Filters | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo industries | Education Management, Higher Education, Government Administration, Information Technology & Services, Publishing, Information Services, Research, Computer Software, Management Consulting | Focus on organizations most likely to buy library-related solutions and services. |
| Departments | Library Services, Procurement, IT, Digital, Collections, Research Support, Business Development | Reach the roles most likely to influence purchasing. |
| Seniority | Manager, Director, VP, C-Level, Head | Prioritize budget holders and solution approvers. |
| Job titles | Library Director, University Librarian, Head of Library Services, Procurement Manager, Acquisitions Manager, Digital Services Manager, CIO, CTO, Systems Librarian, Collections Director, Research Services Manager | Target role-based buyers and influencers. |
| Geography | South Korea, Japan, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Canada | Cover host market, APAC region, and global association members. |
| Employee size | 201–500, 501–1,000, 1,001–5,000, 5,001+ | Prioritize institutions with buying budgets and formal procurement. |
| Keywords | library, library services, digital collections, acquisitions, metadata, discovery, repository, preservation, cataloging, scholarly communication, archive | Increase relevance to congress attendee profiles. |
| Technologies | Library systems, CRM, ECM/DAM, cloud hosting, analytics, identity and access management | Useful if selling software or managed services. |
| Company type | Public institution, university, government body, nonprofit, B2B vendor, content provider | Aligns with the congress’s institutional buyer base. |
| Revenue / funding | Publicly funded institutions or mid-to-large enterprises | Focus on organizations with purchasing power and formal approval processes. |
Suggested Apollo Search Logic: (library OR librarians OR "library services" OR acquisitions OR collections OR metadata OR discovery OR repository OR preservation) AND (Director OR Head OR Manager OR CIO OR CTO OR Procurement OR Acquisitions) AND (Education Management OR Higher Education OR Government Administration OR Information Technology & Services OR Publishing OR Information Services)
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Sources & Verification Notes
| Source | Type | What It Verified | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFLA WLIC 2026 official website | Official organizer source | Event name, dates, host city, country, venue name, congress purpose, programme, sponsorship/exhibition references | Very High |
| BEXCO official website | Venue source | Venue identity and city-level convention center context | High |
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