The Rector of the University of Banja Luka, Prof. Radoslav Gajanin, PhD, hosted a reception on 22 May 2026 for participants of the two-day International Conference “Librarianship in the 21st Century: Between Cultural Dialogue and Digital Dominance”, held at the Student Cultural Centre of the University of Banja Luka.

During the meeting, participants discussed the importance of libraries in contemporary society, as well as the challenges brought by digitalization and the rapid development of information technologies.

The meeting at the Rector’s Office was attended by Ivona Olariu, Director of the Library in Jaši, Romania; Milica Ševkušić, librarian at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Tatjana Timotijević, Head of the Department for Scientific Information and National Coordinator of the KoBSON library consortium at the National Library of Serbia; Aleksandra Trtovac from the “Svetozar Marković” University Library of Serbia; Dragan Nikolić, representative of the EBSCO database; and the Vice-Rector for Scientific Research and Development of the University of Banja Luka, Prof. Aleksandar Ostojić, PhD.

The conference aims to address the role of libraries in the era of accelerated digitalization, as well as the challenges faced by academic and public libraries, with a particular focus on preserving reading culture, transforming libraries, and adapting them to the needs of modern users.

Organized by the University of Banja Luka and supported by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the conference is also significant for fostering the exchange of experiences, sharing examples of good practice, and strengthening networking among experts and institutions in the fields of librarianship and higher education.