On 16^th January 2017, National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) has been solemnly received more than 50 books from Embassy of Colombia in Viet Nam. This is a meaningful gift, beginning a period of cultural cooperation between the two countries, between the Embassy of Colombia and the National Library of Viet Nam in the near future. There are more than 50 books on a variety of topics in culture, tourism, culinary arts, especially including a collection of novels by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. These books will introduce many Vietnamese readers to the beautiful Colombian country and people. Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs. Claudia Liliana Zambrano Naranjo, the Chargé d'Affaires of Embassy of the Republic of Colombia in Vietnam, hoped that the donation materials would...

On December 26, 2016, the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) held a conference to summarize its activities in the year 2016 and initiate new tasks for the year 2017. The conference has received deep discussion and evaluation of the results achieved as well as limitations in 2016 and set out the direction and tasks for the year 2017. Implementing the defined tasks and work plan, following close on the NLV’s emulation content of “Solidarity, creativity, innovation and development”, under the direction of the leaders of the governed Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, during the year 2016, the NLV has promoted its tradition to proactively, decisively and actively accomplish the work plan and achieve many important results: Excellently, timely and properly fulfilled the propaganda activities serving regular and unscheduled tasks, such as exhibition/display/introduction of materials, cultural exchange and celebration of typical events of the country; Successfully organized the 2016 Book Festival with many new activities acknowledged by central agencies, readers and the public;

On 25^th November 2016, Congress of the Vietnam Library Association, the third term (2016-2021) was held at the National Library of Viet Nam. Attending the meeting were Mr. Huynh Vinh Ai - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Prof. Dr. Dang Vu Minh - President of Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Information and Communications; and the participation of nearly 300 delegates representing all members of the library system in all parts of the country. During the past term, the Executive Committee of Vietnamese Library Association has had more fully aware of the role, position and content operation of the Association's work. One of the key tasks is to build a system of grassroots organizations that all levels of the Association are interested in and initially achieved fairly good results. After 10 years...

With the view to meet the increasing demand of the capital’s readers about a modern space which can inspire the learning and sharing knowledge, on November 24, 2016, the National Library of Viet Nam and Samsung Vina Electronics Company officially launch the S.hub Sharing Space at the National Library of Viet Nam, 31 Trang Thi, Ha Noi. The ceremony had the presence of Mr. Huynh Vinh Ai – Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST); Mr. Ho Viet Ha, Director of the Planning and Finance Department (MoCST); Mrs. Vu Duong Thuy Nga, Director of the Library Department; Mrs. Kieu Thuy Nga, Director of the National Library of Viet Nam; Mr. Kim Cheol Gi, CEO of Samsung Vina Electronics Company; Mr. Bang Woo Hyun – Deputy Director General of Samsung CE Complex Viet Nam; Mr. Nguyen Van Dao – Deputy Director General of Samsung Vina Electronics Company; representatives, reporters and readers.

On 14^th November 2016, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ha Noi and the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) held a Discussion “2016: Year of Henryk Sienkiewicz” on the occasion of the 100^th year of the Death of the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846 - 1916). Attending the Discussion are leader representatives of the International Cooperation Department, Library Department – Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST), the NLV, Mrs. Barbara Szymanowska – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic Poland in Ha Noi, representatives of the Union of Friendship organizations, Central and Ha Noi, Viet Nam – Poland Friendship Association, Viet Nam Art - Literature Association, publishers, writers, poets, translators, and those who love Polish literature in general and Henryk Sienkiewicz’s in particular.

To perform the tasks of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism assigned the National Library of Vietnam (NLV) to implement the Project of constructing National Standard, dated 11^th September 2016, the NLV organized the First Symposium with the aim to exchange, discuss and receive comments of scientists, managers, experts in the field of library, information and standards for the 2nd draft of National Standard "Information and documentation - Interlibrary Loan Transactions". The project is built on the basis of ISO 18626:2014 Information and documentation - Interlibrary Loan Transactions in order to unify the interpretation, the standard application, the procedures and operational processes of providing loan services among libraries, information centers, agencies, units and enterprises operating in the fields of information technology, library software development in Viet Nam...

From 6^th – 10^th October, 2016, Ha Noi 2016 Book Festival with the theme “Book and Integration” organized by the People’s Committee of Ha Noi City, the Department of Information and Communications has opened at Hoang Thanh Thang Long, Ha Noi. As the cultural activity to celebrate 62 years of Capital Liberation (10/10/1954 - 10/10/2016), also marking Viet Nam’s over 20-year journey of joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – ASEAN and almost a year of ASEAN Community’s formal establishment, Ha Noi 2016 Book Festival has brought together 168 booths of 46 publishers, the country’s leading book companies with the participation of 20 prestigious publishing groups and units coming from 12 countries around the world, including the Publishing Associations of ASEAN and other member countries.

In order to help Vietnamese libraries shift from traditional library model to modern one and learn experiences of libraries in the U.S. regarding development trends of new library services, in the morning of October 14, 2016, the National Library of Viet Nam cooperated with American Center, the U.S. Embassy in Ha Noi to organize the seminar: “Library trends and activities in the U.S.: Experiences of integrating new technology and traditional library services in organizing reader services” with presentation of Nancy Battes Pearl. Attending the seminar were leaders and representatives of the Science, Technology and Environment Department – Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the National Agency for Science and Technology Information – Ministry of Science and Technology; Institute of Social Sciences Information, Library of Congress; Military Library; libraries of some military and public security academies; representatives of Ha Noi University of Culture, Faculty of Information-Library, Ha Noi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Home Affairs; representatives of some city/provincial libraries; staff of American Center, the U.S. Embassy in Ha Noi and staff of the National Library of Viet Nam.

In 4 days, from 6^th to 9^th September 2016, Vietnamese delegation including 04 officials of the National Library of Viet Nam and 02 officials of Binh Duong and Khanh Hoa Provincial Libraries attended The 2^nd session of Project International Network of Emerging Library Innovators – Association of Southeast Asian Nations (INELI – ASEAN). With the goal to continue to build a network of emerging library innovators, those who hold strong vision for the future of the public library system in Southeast Asia, the session brought together more than 60 delegates who are Directors of National Libraries and Presidents of Library Associations, library – information professionals, experienced library staff from 10 CONSAL country members...

In the afternoon of September 5^th, director of the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) Kieu Thuy Nga received Mr. Vincent Monadé, president of French National Book Centre. Mr. Monadé, who is a member of the French delegation accompanying President Hollande on his visit to Viet Nam, expressed his happiness as this is his first visit to Viet Nam and has a meeting with the NLV. President of French National Book Centre is looking forward to developing cooperation with the NLV through signing an Memorandum of Understanding on the two major fields. The first one is continuing develop the Francophone Book Space at the NLV to be launched on the cross-year Viet Nam – France 2013-2014 occasion, aiming to provide the most French book resources for Viet Nam. The second one is digitalizing French documents of the NLV, enabling broad access to this precious document resource. Speaking at the meeting, Mrs. Kieu Thuy Nga expressed her sincere thanks to cooperation of French National Book Centre over the years and shared that beside the attention on Indochina collections of about 68,500 items in French taken over from the Central Library of Indochina, the NLV also focuses on acquiring new French books to meet its users’ needs. In the field of digitalization, currently....