Medical and health information experts come together for EAHIL 2024 conference in Riga

Representatives from 28 countries will be attending the conference with the largest number coming from the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, Italy, and Norway. Library professionals from countries such as the USA, Canada, Qatar, and South Africa will also be in attendance. The conference in Riga will offer an extensive programme dedicated to the latest trends and innovations in the field of health information and libraries. Continuing education classes, workshops, and poster presentations will take place parallel to the official programme.

‘This conference is an important meeting place for library professionals working in the field of medical and health information, where they can make contacts for future cooperation. This is also where they can share the most up-to-date information on what is happening in the field and how libraries need to adapt to social and technological changes. The main theme at this year's conference is undeniably artificial intelligence, as AI tools significantly change information search strategies and provide new opportunities for automation. AI tools and their use in the library environment, with an emphasis on the link between information technology and library services, is a topic that runs through the entire conference programme,’ explains a representative of the conference local organising committee from the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Library.

Several reports and workshops will be dedicated to how to improve the efficiency and quality of systematic searches in various databases, and research results from studies on libraries as agents of development and change will be presented, focusing on strategic management, technology integration, and the impact of libraries in the academic and research environment. This year, the speakers will focus both on the basic aspects of library science and on innovative approaches to the management and distribution of health information in the digital era.In 2023, the conference was held in Trondheim (Norway), in 2022 – in Rotterdam (Netherlands). This year Riga was selected as the location for the EAHIL Conference. The conference in Riga is organised by the Rīga Stradiņš University Library, which is the main library for medical and health sciences in the country and also provides methodological assistance and support to Latvian healthcare institution libraries.

The conference is held in a hybrid format – in-person events will take place at the National Library of Latvia, and some of them (of report presentations, keynote speakers, the opening and closing ceremonies, etc.) will be broadcast on the conference’s website. Attendees will be able to enjoy a social programme.

Conference website