Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians

The Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians is an international library organization that connects libraries throughout the Southeastern Asia region. It was founded in 1970 in Singapore with the goal of supporting and growing information and library science throughout the region.

History

The formation of CONSAL was inspired by the creation of the ASEAN organizations in 1970. It has long connections to the national libraries of all its member countries, including the National Library of Malaysia, National Library in Singapore, National Library of the Philippines, National Library of Vietnam, National Library of Thailand, National Library of Myanmar, National Library of Cambodia, National Library of Laos, National Library of Indonesia, and many other public and private library institutions.

Members and affiliates

CONSAL includes libraries, schools, associations, and organizations across Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Timor-Leste began joining CONSAL meetings as an observer and participant, but not an official member, in 2011 at the CONSAL XV.

Leadership

Main Committee Chair

Ghazali Mohamed Fadzil

Secretary General

Chin Loy Jyoon
Dr. Nor Edzan Che Nasir
Ramachandran Rasu Naidu

Conferences, awards, and programs

CONSAL typically holds a General Conference & Meeting for its members every three years, with each member country alternating the role as host. The 20th CONSAL Meeting will be held in Singapore in 2028.

Conference	Year	Location	Theme	Events	Ref.
CONSAL XIX	2025	World Trade Center Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Inclusive Knowledge: Bridging Divides, Empowering All: Leveraging Inclusivity, Empowering Humanity
CONSAL XVIII	2022	Virtual, Cambodia
CONSAL XVII	2018	Naypyidaw, Myanmar	Next Generation Libraries: Collaborate and Connect
CONSAL XVI	2015	Bangkok, Thailand	ASEAN Aspirations: Libraries for Sustainable Advancement
CONSAL XV	2012	Bali, Indonesia	National Heritage: Preservation and Dissemination
CONSAL XIV	2009	Melia Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam	Towards Dynamic Libraries and Information Services in Southeast Asian Countries
CONSAL XIII	2006	De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines	CONSAL at the Crossroads: Challenges for Greater Regional Cooperation
CONSAL XII	2003	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam	Information Empowerment: Enhancing Knowledge Heritage	Myanmar joined.
CONSAL XI	2001	Suntec City, Singapore	Stepping into the New Millennium: Challenges for Library and Information Professionals	Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam joined the organization. Held at the same time as the Asian International Book Fair and the International Library Expo. The CONSAL Outstanding Librarian Award was first announced.
CONSAL X	1996	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Libraries in National Development
CONSAL IX	1993	Bangkok, Thailand	Future Dimensions and Library Development
CONSAL VIII	1990	Jakarta, Indonesia	New Challenges in Library Services in the Developing World
CONSAL VII	1987	Manila, Philippines	Libraries for Countryside Development in Southeast Asia
CONSAL VI	1983	Singapore	The Library in the Information Revolution	This coincided with the National Library of Singapore's 25th anniversary.
CONSAL V	1981	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Access to Information
CONSAL IV	1978	Bangkok, Thailand	Regional Cooperation for the Development of National Information Services	The organization was renamed the Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians.
CONSAL III	1975	Jakarta, Indonesia	Integrated Library and Documentation Services Within the Framework of NATIS
CONSAL II	1973	Manila, Philippines	Education and Training for Librarianship in Southeast Asia
CONSAL I	1970	Singapore	New Prospects for Southeast Asian Cooperation

Since 2002, CONSAL has hosted the annual CONSAL Outstanding Librarian Award and the CONSAL Young Librarian Award.