They met with outgoing IFLA President Vicki McDonald (Australia), President-elect Leslie Weir (Canada), and many members of the IFLA board before Jobava took part in a panel session on’“Partners for a Strong Book Sector.’
During the discussion, Jobava emphasized the shared responsibility of publishers and librarians to ensure diverse authorial voices are heard, highlighting the urgent challenges of self-censorship and the importance of honesty in publishing. She also underlined the need for IPA and IFLA to work together to address global censorship and resist anti-democratic pressures. At the same time, she called for constructive dialogue on copyright. She said, ‘Copyright is one of IPA’s most important pillars, alongside Freedom to Publish. As publishers around the world share a mutual understanding of the vital role copyright plays in our industry, I believe that, in the interest of building a strong and united book sector with shared goals, we should always engage in dialogue with librarians to reach agreement — even on topics where our opinions may differ.’
The Congress was a powerful reminder that collaboration across professions and borders is key to safeguarding freedom to publish and strengthening the future of books.