Distinguished Co-chairs of 19th CONSAL 2025, Mr Edy Irwan Zulkafli, and Dr Ghazali Mohd Fadzi
Colleagues and Friends from the CONSAL Community,
It is an honour to be here today among many distinguished friends and colleagues. Let me first express our sincere gratitude to Malaysia for hosting CONSAL from 2023 to 2025, and in particular, for bringing us back together in the first in-person conference and meeting since the pandemic. I would like to thank the National Library of Malaysia, the Librarians Association of Malaysia, for the warm and generous welcome.
Over these past few days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, we have witnessed the power of collective wisdom, shared our challenges, and celebrated our achievements. Some of the topics that our esteemed colleagues have presented reflect ongoing challenges and concerns that we all face. These topics also remind us of the fast-evolving role of libraries in our communities. My colleagues from Singapore, for instance, shared about the power of working with partners to transform our libraries, and to make libraries more accessible. We also looked at the transformative impact of technology, such as Generative AI, and how it could reshape the way we read, learn and discover.
CONSAL enables us to collectively examine such topics, share our experiences, and importantly, consider ways to collaborate and advance together. In doing so, we are shaping a future where libraries remain vital pillars of knowledge and community in our digital age. And we were reminded of the important role librarians and libraries play by none other than the distinguished Malaysian Prime Minister yesterday. In his opening speech, he spoke about the vital tasks of preserving knowledge, disseminating it, transmitting it, inspiring discovery and also revitalising libraries as vibrant community centres. CONSAL’s role in advancing this is key.
Therefore, on behalf of Singapore, I am deeply honoured to accept the privilege of hosting CONSAL from 2026 to 2028. In 1970, a small group of visionary librarians from across Southeast Asia gathered in Singapore with a bold dream: to create a platform where knowledge knows no borders, where collaboration transcends national boundaries, and where the spirit of learning unites us all.
Since then, Singapore has had the privilege of hosting this prestigious Congress three times: in 1970, 1983, and 2000. We are honoured to once again have this opportunity to welcome the CONSAL community back to Singapore.
Together with the Library Association of Singapore, the National Library and Archives Board is committed to creating an experience that honours CONSAL's objectives: strengthening regional relationships, promoting professional development, fostering international cooperation, and providing a platform for knowledge exchange.
At the National Libraries and Archives Board, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of our existence as a statutory board, and we are embarking on a new chapter to enhance reading, learning, and discovery for all. We look forward to sharing and exploring these possibilities with all of you in the coming years, particularly when we hold the in-person conference and meeting in 2028. We hope that while you are in Singapore that you would be able to experience the unique blend of tradition and innovation that defines our country.
And now, I would like to invite you all to take a glimpse of what awaits you in Singapore!
Thank you and see you all in Singapore next!