"Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities" - The 2025 Sino-Foreign University Library Annual Conference was successfully held at WKU

Recently, the 2025 Sino-Foreign University Library Annual Conference was successfully held at Wenzhou-Kean University. The annual conference, organized by the Wenzhou-Kean University Library, attracted active participation of 22 universities, including 11 Sino-foreign universities. The conference theme was Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities: Future-Focused Pathways for Sino-Foreign University Libraries. The annual conference aimed to jointly explore the development direction of libraries at present.

The conference opened with online panel discussion, invited talks, and keynote speech, all of which focused on challenges and opportunities facing university libraries at present.

The online panel discussion was provided by five senior leaders from Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries and stood out as a highlight. On the discussion, Ms. Sian Brannon from University of North Texas Libraries, Ms. Abigail DiPaolo from Rutgers University Libraries, Ms. Shelly McCoy from University of Delaware Libraries, Ms. L. Angie Ohler from University of Minnesota Libraries, and Ms. Laurie Taylor from University of Connecticut Library engaged in discussions around key topics such as AI, library research environment, library space master planning, balancing innovation and tradition, and open access publishing and usage.

Today's academic libraries face many challenges. How to cultivate a new generation of library leaders who are capable of meeting these challenges? What are their critical characteristics and skills? In the invited talks，Ms. L. Angie Ohler and Ms. Laurie Taylor also discussed research-in-progress on library leadership. Previously,they both graduated from ARL's Leadership Fellows Program and for many years lead Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, a division of the American Library Association. 

Mr. Shilei Yan, Deputy University Librarian of the Macau University of Science and Technology Library, discussed his involvement in the China Library Leadership Program, focusing on topics such as cultivating faculty's and students' aesthetic appreciation and artistic literacy, creating diverse learning paradigms, evaluation methods, AI integration, and innovative digital education. 

In the keynote speech, Dr. Le Yang, Associate Vice Provost & University Librarian at the University of Oregon Library, conducted an analysis on the topic of "Redefine Academic Libraries: Digital Innovation at the Crossroad". He said, digital innovation，in the current era of the rise of digital technology and AI, has become a crucial means of empowerment, involving initiatives such as open science, AI applications, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Subsequently, the conference organized an unconference session centered around core library functions such as teaching, learning, and instructional services, access and user services, digital learning and media and IR, cultural promotion and activities, information technology and systems, administration and operations, research and subject services, resource development and management. Participants actively engaged in the corresponding group discussions, based on their own interests and concerns, and freely expressed their views. 

The successful holding of this annual conference not only further strengthened the connections and exchanges among Sino-Foreign University Libraries but also inspired new ideas and injected new impetus into the innovative development and cooperation of libraries.

Content | TANG Lianyi

Layout | TANG Lianyi

Review | XIE Zhiwu & REN Yuanyuan