From February20-21, 2019, the 27^thConference of Directors of National Libraries in Asia and Oceania – abbreviated asCDNLAO 27) was held at the National Library of Singaporewith the participation of 41 delegates representing22 national libraries in the region. The conference selected the theme “What is our future? National Libraries in 2040” to celebrate the 40^th anniverary of CDNL-AO establishment. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the conference, Ms. Elaine Ng – Chief Executive of the National Library Board Singapore, chair person of the conference, welcomed all delegates and affirmed the role of CDNL-AO in sharing and bringing together issues and solutions for national libraries in the region. She also emphasized that future is the age of digital era when libraries are facing with many challenges in the industrial revolution 4.0, thus the library sector in general and the national libraries in particular need to orient the future, develop plans and visions for the national libraries in 2040.

On January 5^th 2019, the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) helda Conference to reviewits activities in 2018 and deploy the tasks in 2019. Attending the Conference were Mrs. Trinh Thi Thuy - Member of the Party Executive Committee, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST); Mr. Nguyen Tuan Linh - Director, Chairmanof the MoCST's Trade Union; Mrs. Vu Duong Thuy Nga - Director ofthe Library Department; Mr. Le Ngoc Trung - Deputy Director of the Emulation and Reward Department, MoCST; the DirectoralBoard, officials and employeesof the NLV.  The conference has discussed and evaluated the achievements and limitations of the work in 2018 and set out the direction and operation plan for 2019. It is clearly stated in the conference’sreport that: In 2018, the NLV has effectively implemented its targets and working plans, achieved the outstanding achievements as follows:

In implementing the National Library of Viet Nam’sprofessional training plan for the year 2018 approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, from October 1 to November 2, 2018, the National Library of VietNam (NLV) has organized training courseson application of the cataloging rule Resource Description and Access –Vietnamese edition for core cataloguers in the north, central, and south regionsof Viet Nam in order togive instructions for thelibraries to usethe cataloging tools todescribecontent of the digital resources, as well as the resources in non-digital formats (traditional materials).  Resource Description and Access (RDA) is an international cataloging standard which is based on the Anglo-American Cataloging Rule (AACR2), has designed for digital environment to meet the change and development of the information resources. The birth of the RDA has marked an important change, a step forward in the catalogingactivityand been officially applied in many libraries around the world. The organization ofthe training courses onapplication of the RDA cataloging rules for Vietnamese libraries comes from the requirement of modernizing library - information activities with the aim to increase exchanges, share information and promote international integration, especially standardization in processing information and materials.

To carry out the duty assigned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) on implementing projects of developing National Standards, on December 28, 2018, the NLV organized the first symposium with the aim to exchange, discuss and receive comments of scientists, managers and experts in the field of library, information and standards for the 2nd draft of the National Standard “Information and Documentation: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in libraries”. So far, there hasn’t been anyofficial documents on regulations and guidelines related to the standardofRadio Frequency Identification (RFID) in libraries in Viet Nam. This leadsto the unsynchronizedand inconsistentapplication of the RFID technology into library operation and management, causing difficulties in many processes, such as borrowing/returning materials, inventory, interlibrary loan... Therefore, research and development of the National Standard on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in libraries, specifically the establishment of rules for a data pattern and coding rules for the use of RFID tags for documents matchingthe needs of all library types is necessary and catches up with theoperation trend of the library information agencies around the world in the context of information technology is constantly changing and developing rapidlylike today.

Within the series of activities of the project "Window on Korea" period 2016-2020, on December 18, 2018, the National Library of VietNam and the Korean Cultural Center in VietNam (representing the National Library of Korea) co-organizedthe Books presentation ceremony for the next phase of the project signed between the two Libraries. In this phase, the National Library of Korea has presented over 200 book titles with various topics in Korean and English to the National Library of Viet Nam. These books will be added to the foreign languages collection of the Library to help scientists, researchers and students learn more about country and people of the Kimchi land. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dung - Deputy Director of the National Library of VietNam expressed the sincere thanks to colleagues of the National Library of Korea as well as leader and staff of the Korean Cultural Centerand hoped that the two national libraries will continue to have more effective cooperation in the future.

Implementing the 2018 professional training plan of the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in the morning of October 1, 2018, in Hai Phong, the NLV held the opening of the training course on using the Resource Description and Access-Vietnamese edition for core cataloguers in northern provinces. This is the first training course of the 3 courses to be held in the North, the Centre and the South respectively. Attending the opening ceremony was Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga - Director of the NLV, Ms. Tran Thi Hoang Mai - Deputy Director of Hai Phong Service of Culture, Sports and Tourism, library leaders in charge of technical services and cataloguers of some information and library institutions in northern mountains and the Red River delta provinces.

On September 13^th 2018, the delegation of the National Assembly (NA) Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children (CCEYAC) paid an official visit to the National Library of VietNam(NLV) to survey the implementation of the Library Ordinance of the library. The delegation included Ms. Hoang Thi Hoa - Vice Chairwoman of the CCEYAC; Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung - Standing Member of the CCEYAC, Mr. Phan Viet Luong - Standing Member of the CCEYAC; Mr.Vu Minh Dao - Director of the Department of Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children(DCEYAC); Ms. Nguyen Thi Sau – Deputy Director of the DCEYAC; Ms. Doan Quynh Dung - Deputy Director of the Library Department; Mr. Nguyen Huu Gioi - President of Vietnamese Library Association and expertsof the NA Office and Library Department. Welcoming the delegation wereMs. Kieu Thuy Nga - Director of the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV)andthe Deputy Directors, Head of the library’s divisions.

On 24-30August 2018, the 84^th World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) was hold at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia. The theme “Transform Libraries, Transform Societies” with the additional tagline “Reaching out to the hard to reach” was selected in recognition of the critical role played by libraries in the development of a nation particularly in their ability to transform societies.The congress attracted over 3,500 delegates from 112 countries, with over 250 scientific presentations, seminars, open sessions, more than 600 speakers and 120 posters sharing views about library development trends and experiences in operating library activities, such as: building library development policies and policy orientation of each country, challenges in library activities, public libraries, digital libraries, preservation of materials, library facilities and buildings, user services, legal deposit and copyrightissues, organization and usage of library software, digital libraries, library standards, trends in development of library technology, new technologies for libraries… In addition, IFLA also live streamed highlights of the WLIC to a worldwide audience, without charge (over 17 hours and 9 sessions). The results were more than 100,000 people around the world, in over 70 countries of all continents followed the live-stream through IFLA’s WLIC website, YouTube and Facebook.

To be recommended by the IFLA Governing Board; with support of the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam, in the morning of May 24th 2018, the National Library of Viet Nam in collaboration with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) opened the “IFLA Global Vision Workshop for Asia and Oceania”. The Global Vision Project is a major project of IFLA, which was initiated and started in April 2017 through seminars and high level conferences in different areasand anumber of meetings and online topic discussions, involving librarians from 213 countries and regions around the world, including Viet Nam. The aims of the projects are strengthening relations in the field of library, identifyingfuture challenges, opportunities and priority activities which the library environment can respond to rapid changes in society; thereby build concrete action planstoturnglobal visioninto reality. This is an opportunity for regional delegates tomeet anddiscuss to build a common visiontogetherand concrete action plans to turnthe vision of the future libraryinto reality.

From May 2-5, 2018, the 17th Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL XVII), hosted by the National Library of Myanmar in cooperation with the Myanmar Library Association, was held in Naypyitaw, Myanmar with the theme "Next Generation Libraries: Collaborate and Connect". Heldevery three years, CONSAL is the largest and most prestigious scientific forum in Southeast Asia in the field of Information – Library, where member countries have the opportunity to learn, grasp the new trend of development, research, exchange and share experience, participate in joint projects and explore opportunities for collaboration with other libraries in the region and the world. Attending the CONSAL XVII Congress were more than 650 delegates and observers, including about 200 international delegates from 26 countries in the world, with 40 delegates from Viet Nam. At the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Congress, keynote speeches of the State Counsellor of Myanmar, Vice President of Myanmar...