The Indian Library Congress (ILC) is a progressive national platform for serious deliberations aimed at shaping ideas for the sustainable, inclusive, and democratic development of libraries in India. It envisions libraries as empowering public spaces that promote knowledge, equality, and social participation.
At a time when both global and local experiences are rapidly reshaping the knowledge landscape, libraries must evolve as spaces of collective learning. As India moves towards a knowledge-based economy, libraries have a critical role to play in ensuring that access to information and learning remains equitable and inclusive. The Indian Library Congress seeks to strengthen the movement for libraries that serve marginalised and deprived communities and regions, working towards the goal of making libraries free and accessible to all.
Libraries today must also respond creatively to technological disruptions. Rather than being passive recipients of change, they should emerge as innovators and leaders by making new technologies accessible and meaningful to the common people. The Indian Library Congress will assess these multifaceted developments, learn from diverse experiences, and work towards evolving strategies to build libraries as engaging, inclusive, and emancipatory spaces.
The Indian Library Congress is a collective initiative of several public institutions and organisations. As a platform committed to democratic alternatives, it invites participation from people across all walks of life — including library professionals, teachers, librarians, students, researchers, people’s representatives, writers, artists, and all those interested in the future of libraries and public knowledge.
The Indian Library Congress 2026 will be held in Chennai on 16th and 17th February 2026. The event will bring together activists, academics, institutions, and organisations united in the effort to uphold the right to public spaces and knowledge for every individual.
Your esteemed presence as a delegate will be vital to the success of this collective endeavour. We warmly invite you to register and be part of the Indian Library Congress.
Registration Link