The ‘World Library and Information Congress (WLIC)’, an international event that brings together world library and information field experts, policy makers, researchers, and corporate officials, will be held in Busan in August. The National Committee for the 2026 Busan World Library and Information Conference held a meeting at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 9th and disclosed the status of WLIC preparations. This year’s competition will be held at BEXCO in Busan for four days from August 10th to 13th under the theme of ‘Libraries Leading Change.’ It has been 20 years since the 2006 Seoul Games were held in Korea. This year, WLIC is scheduled to be attended by over 3,000 people from over 150 countries to discuss the role of libraries in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation, and the direction of sustainable development. In an era where AI has changed the way we search for knowledge, we discuss its future role with the topic of ‘What should libraries do in the AI ​​era?’ Busan WLIC is hosted by the National Committee of the Korean Library Association and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Actor Yoo Ji-tae, who was appointed as a public relations ambassador, said at the Korea Press Center on this day, “Even in the age of smartphones, libraries are