From May 18 - 26, 2025, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dung - Director of The National Library of Viet Nam attended the annual General Assembly of the Francophone Digital Network (RFN) held in Quebec, Canada. The event was attended by 13 delegates from 12 member institutions, marking an important milestone in the process of strengthening cooperation and sharing experiences among libraries and archives in the Francophone community.
Overview of the RFN General Assembly Conference
This year's conference, themed "Digitalization - From Preservation to Artificial Intelligence", reflects current issues in modern library activities, especially the trend of digital transformation, development of data technology, and application of AI in the preservation and promotion of the value of Francophone cultural heritage. The main activities of the conference included the General Assembly plenary session, a series of seminar, and scientific discussions with the participation of leading experts in thefields of libraries, information and technology.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dung, NLV’s Director and colleagues conducted group discussions
During the discussion sessions and seminar, delegates from member countries actively shared practical experiences and effective implementation models in the field of heritage document preservation, data digitization and digital archive development. Topics discussed included the process of preserving original documents in harsh climate conditions, digitization techniques suitable for the characteristics of ancient documents, as well as methods to ensure the sustainability and long-term accessibility of digital data.
Seminar themed “Digitalization – From Preservation to Artificial Intelligence”
A notable highlight in the discussion sessions was the presentation of new technological solutions to effectively discover, connect and exploit French-language content in the digital environment. Delegates discussed the use of artificial intelligence to identify ancient texts, deploy a multilingual interoperable search platform, and build an open database to serve the needs of learning, research and community development.
Many typical initiatives were introduced, including Senegal’s model for preserving and accessing cultural heritage data through an integrated digital platform, Haiti’s post-disaster data recovery strategy, Cameroon’s decentralized digitalization solution in remote libraries, Canada’s AI-based French-language document exploitation system, and the cross-border digital library linkage program initiated by Belgium.
Mr. Frédéric Lemmers, Head of Digitization Department, Royal Library of Belgium talks about AI in libraries
These initiatives not only demonstrate the spirit of dynamic cooperation among RFN members, but also open up many feasible directions for national libraries in modernizing digital infrastructure, enhancing access to knowledge, and ensuring equal access to information for all users - especially in the context of the world facing challenges of declining information resources, climate change and digital inequality.
The National Library of Viet Nam, as an active member of RFN since 2007, continues to affirm its commitment to accompany the network in promoting digital transformation and disseminating Francophone cultural content. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dung had meetings and discussions on the sidelines of the conference with many leaders of national libraries and archives, including the National Library and Archives of Quebec, the National Library of France, the National Library and Archives of Canada, the National Library of Ivory Coast, and the Royal Library of Belgium. The bilateral meetings are a valuable opportunity for both sides to share strategic orientations, seek cooperation opportunities in document digitization, exchange of experts, training of librarians and development of open data repositories in the Francophone space.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dung, NLV’s Director with international colleagues
In addition, within the framework of the Conference, delegates visited typical library and archive institutions in Quebec and Montreal: the Grand Library, The National Archives of Quebec, The National Assembly Library of Quebec, the Gabrielle-Roy Library, and the Laval University Library. The tours not only helped delegates better understand the operating model and library development strategy in Quebec in particular and Canada in general, but also created conditions for exchanging expertise, expanding cooperation and learning practical experiences in archiving, serving users and innovating libraries in the digital age.
RFN delegates visit libraries.
The working business trip to Canada of the National Library of Viet Nam this year is not only an annual foreign affairs activity, but also an opportunity to update new technology trends in the global library industry, while demonstrating Viet Nam's proactive, integrated and creative spirit in its efforts to develop knowledge and preserve digital heritage.
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News: Huong Giang; Photos: Pascale Simard/BAnQ