At the invitation of the National Library of China (NLC), the National Library and Information System Authority’s (Nalis) executive director, Paula Greene, met with officials at the National Library of China in Beijing on May 23, 2025 and attended the Fifth Silk Road International Library Alliance (SRILA) Conference in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China from May 26 to 30, 2025.

The conference, aimed at facilitating the collaborative development of library industries and promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning, themed: Cultural Inheritance and Sustainable Development of Libraries was attended by some 80 library directors and expert representatives from 26 national libraries around the world, including: Bangladesh, China, Iran, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

On the first day of the conference, Greene delivered a speech on the conference’s theme, highlighting Nalis’ collections inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World International and Regional Registers and the Authority’s role as the Preservation and Conservation Centre for the English-Speaking Caribbean.  She pointed to challenges libraries face due to lack of funding, climate change and apathy by the public and in some cases, governments. 

Greene was honoured to have a private meeting with Chen Ying, Party Secretary and deputy director of the NLC.  At this meeting, with the aid of a translator, the two discussed areas for further international exchange and cooperation. 

The conference schedule also included visits to the Nanjing Imperial Examination Museum of China, the Nanjing Jiangbei Library, the Nanjing Library, Yangtze River Ecological Park and the LOPU Technology Company Limited.  These visits provided insights into the use of advance technology, particularly in the provision of library and information services. 

NALIS became a member of the Silk Road International Library Alliance in April 2023 and in June of the same year, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the National Library of China and established the Chinese Book Collection housed at the National Library in Port of Spain (the books in the collection were donated by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China).  Since signing the MoC, four other members of staff visited China to attend training programmes, sponsored by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

Thirty-nine national libraries globally are members of SRILA which was initiated by the National Library of China in 2018 with its main objective to build long-term cooperation and regular communication mechanisms among library communities in various countries.

As executive director of a national library system, Greene participates in discussions with other library heads to promote understanding the cooperation on matters of common interest to national libraries worldwide.

Photos courtesy: National Library of China