Conference and feast. 4th Real library – library reality conference at the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest

Abstract

The conference on library science and LIS education, organized bi-annually since 2013, has become one of the most significant professional events in the field of library and information science in Hungary. At the event, held on 26-27 November 2019 more than fifty invited contributors shared their views and research findings with more than two hundred participants. The lectures of eminent scholars and renowned representatives of Hungarian librarianship helped to rethink the challenges of the future. PhD students as candidates to become future researchers were also present. The faculty of the Institute for Library and Information Science reported on their extra-curricular research. The first day of the conference focused traditionally on the analysis of the state of library and information science and tertiary education. The picture of the outcomes and challenges of training was complemented by an instructive exchange of experiences between nine professional partners of the Institute. On the second day, the panorama of library and information science was enriched by a preview of ongoing research: faculty members and PhD students spanned the entire, interdisciplinary spectrum of library science: from book history to artificial intelligence, from equal opportunities to the concept of smart libraries. The programme included a festive commemoration of the start of university-level library education in Hungary 70 years ago, with an exhibition. Christine Mackenzie, President of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), in her video message, drew attention to the tasks of society in preserving cultural heritage, emphasizing the validity and importance of the profession’s exciting, creative mission in reflecting on technological and social changes.