August 12, 2024, the M.I. Rudomino All-Russia Library for Foreign Literature hosted a methodology roundtable. Heads and specialists of national libraries, largest libraries of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, libraries of other regions that including the new Russian territories, and their colleagues from abroad, in a hybrid format discussed problems and prospects of participation of Russian libraries in the professional events of IFLA, International library union “Silk Way”, Alliance of national libraries of BRICs and of Library Assembly of Eurasia.

The meeting was started by the speeches of the director general of the M.I. Rudomino All-Russia Library for Foreign Literature P. Kuzmin and of the president of Russian Library Association and director general of the Russian State Library V. Duda. The speakers pointed out the necessity for Russian delegations to cooperate with their colleagues from abroad, namely with those ones who are interested in such contacts. Apart from that, Mr Duda emphasized the importance of setting right priorities and of focusing all the efforts of Russian professionals on strengthening the role of the national library association (i.e. Russian Library Association). Then, the director general of the RSL reminded that Russia was already cooperating fruitfully with India, China and Serbia in the library sphere. After that he announced the first meeting of Russian and Serbian Forum which takes place 12-14 December in Pančevo (Serbia).

After that there followed the speeches by the counsellor of the director general of the M.I. Rudomino All-Russia Library for Foreign Literature S. Gorokhova. She analyzed the results of cooperation of Russian libraries with libraries from abroad after the times of the USSR and up to the moment of speaking. Head of the Centre of Library Studies and of Professional Contacts of the M.I. Rudomino All-Russia Library for Foreign Literature D. Beliakova focused on the IFLA summit of 30.09.2024 – 3.10.2024 in Brisbane (Australia). P. Lapo, deputy director of the Research library of the Kazakh National Women's Pedagogical University (Astana, Kazakhstan) spoke on the coming 89^th World Library and Information Congress which is to take place on August 18-23, 2025. While �. Krymskaya, candidate of Pedagogy and associate professor of Saint Petersburg State Institute of Culture reported on the international projects launched at the establishment. I. Gayshun, the director general of the Library Assembly of Eurasia, spoke on the Assembly itself and on the Alliance of national libraries of BRICs too.

There were other interesting speeches devoted to the activities of the “Silk Way” International library union and other urgent matters. The participants of the discussions agreed that it was time to change stereotypes and create a positive image of Russian libraries in the international arena. There was considered the significance of work with young people and of involving specialists from regional libraries into participation in large branch events. Then, there was spoken out a plan to gather the summit of the Alliance of national libraries of BRICs at the RSL in the coming year. After that, the participants of the discussion were invited to attend the 8^th Annual Inter-Disciplinary Research and Practical Conference “Rare and Valuable Books in a Preservation Aspect”, which is going to be organised 23-25 October, 2024, in Moscow at the M.I. Rudomino All-Russia Library for Foreign Literature. 

The stream of the meeting is available on the official VKontakte page of the M.I. Rudomino All-Russia Library for Foreign Literature.