On December 1-4, in Kaunas, the Lithuanian Librarians’ Association organized XII Baltic States Librarians’ Congress – CoBaL 2025. Congress have gathered librarians, researchers, cultural leaders, innovators, and educators from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and many other countries. Participants have come with different experiences, different local realities, and different challenges – but with one shared belief: that libraries are essential to the future of a literate, democratic, and humane society. They talked about reading, writing, media and information literacy, community cohesion, democratic values, sustainability, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and the evolving identity of our profession. These were not isolated topics – together they formed a single, powerful narrative about the role of libraries in the 21st century.
Over these two days, several clear themes emerged.
1. Literacy is expanding – and libraries are expanding with it.
We are no longer speaking only about the skill of reading. Today, literacy includes the ability to navigate digital spaces, critically evaluate information, understand media, participate in civic life, and stay resilient in a world full of complexity. Libraries across the Baltic countries – and beyond – are becoming centers where this wider understanding of literacy is taught, supported, and lived.
2. Libraries remain cornerstones of democratic life.
Many presenters highlighted how libraries strengthen communities, offer safe and inclusive spaces, and help citizens access trustworthy information. In times when societies face polarization, misinformation, and growing distrust, libraries reaffirm their role as neutral, open, and democratic institutions – perhaps more necessary now than at any time in recent memory.
3. The work of librarians is evolving – and it is more vital than ever.
We heard discussions about the changing professional identity of librarians:
not only as custodians of knowledge but as mentors, mediators, digital guides, community leaders, educators, and ambassadors of lifelong learning.
We talked about sustainability – not only environmental sustainability, but the sustainability of people, of skills, of communities. And we were reminded of a simple but powerful truth: sustainable libraries exist only because of sustainable librarians – professionals who learn, grow, collaborate, and innovate.
4. The Baltic region is strong when it works together.
We saw examples of cooperation across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as partnerships with Scandinavian countries, Central Europe, and Ukraine. We shared our challenges and solutions – from reading promotion programs to digital literacy initiatives, from community outreach models to national strategies. The congress proved once again that regional collaboration is not a luxury – it is our strength.
The Meaning of This Congress
Every CoBaL builds bridges: between countries, between institutions, between generations, and between visions of what libraries can become.
This year, however, felt special.
It felt like a moment of transition.
We stand between a world shaped by traditional reading culture and a world rapidly transformed by artificial intelligence, automation, and global digital ecosystems. We stand between the stability of old models and the innovation of new ones. And we stand between the comforts of what we know and the possibilities of what we can create.
But throughout this congress, the message was consistent:
Libraries will remain central – not because of their buildings or collections, but because of their people, their values, and their mission.
We safeguard literacy.
We protect access.
We ensure inclusion.
We preserve memory.
We cultivate communities.
We empower citizens.
And we do all this with dedication.
The Baltic Library Literacy Manifesto
One of the highlights of this congress is the shared commitment to the Baltic States Library Literacy Manifesto – a document that reinforces our belief in literacy as a foundation for wellbeing.
This manifesto is more than words.
It is a promise.
A promise that we will keep libraries open and accessible.
A promise that we will defend the principles of intellectual freedom.
A promise that we will foster literacy in all its modern forms.
A promise that we will collaborate across borders, sectors, and generations.
A promise that libraries will continue to serve every person – regardless of age, background, or circumstance.
Let this manifesto guide our decisions, inspire our strategies, and strengthen our unity.
Looking Toward the Future
We look forward – with both realism and optimism.
Yes, the world is changing fast.
Yes, new technologies challenge our traditional roles.
Yes, social and political shifts demand our attention and care.
But these changes also open doors:
- New ways to engage readers.
- New forms of storytelling, learning, and participation.
- New partnerships across sectors.
- New tools to reach those who were previously unreachable.
- New opportunities to make libraries even more relevant, more visible, and more impactful.
The future is not something that happens to us.
The future is something we help create.
And if this congress has shown that librarians are ready to step into that future – with courage, curiosity, and compassion.
Let us keep reading.
Let us keep learning.
Let us keep building communities.
And let us keep working – together – to ensure that libraries remain the key to a literate society.