Young leaders invited to take part in the "Future of Libraries" contest

The All-Russian Contest for Young Library Leaders "Future of Libraries", established by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, is being held for the second time in 2026. The contest is organised by the Russian State Library for Young Adults, with the Russian State Library as its general partner. Young library professionals from across the country aged under 35 who care about the future of the profession are invited to take part.

The contest aims to identify professional development pathways for young librarians, provide an impetus for developing their leadership, creative and artistic qualities, and create opportunities for sharing successful professional practices. To take part, applicants must submit their application by 12 October, including an essay and a video introduction. Entries are accepted in six categories — four main and two special ones. The main categories are "Team Leader", "Reading Promotion Leader", "Library Technology Modernisation Leader" and "Student Leader". The special categories are "Next-Generation Leader", presented by the Russian State Library, and "Volunteer Ambassador", presented by the Volunteers of Culture movement.

In their essays and video introductions, participants are invited to reflect on the role of a leader within a team, their own professional journey, opportunities for professional and career development, and their potential to contribute to the development of libraries across the country.

Experts will assess applications from 13 October to 8 November, after which a shortlist will be drawn up in each category. An open online vote will take place from 9 to 15 November, while the competition jury will assess the entries in parallel. The finalists' video introductions will be published on the competition website.

The results will be announced and the winners will be presented with their awards at the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The winner in each category will receive a prize of RUB 100,000, while the Grand Prix winner will receive RUB 150,000.

The All-Russian Contest for Young Library Leaders "Future of Libraries" was first held in 2025 and received 456 applications from 72 regions of Russia. The high level of participation and quality of the entries confirmed the relevance of the initiative to the development of the country's library sector.

Detailed information about the "Future of Libraries" contest and its terms and conditions is available on the project's official website.

Mutual support for projects and initiatives by the Russian State Library for Young Adults and the National Centre RUSSIA continues the strong partnership established under a cooperation agreement signed in 2025. The agreement provides for joint projects aimed at reviving interest in literature among school and university students. In particular, the Russian State Library for Young Adults regularly supports original projects held by the National Centre RUSSIA, including the International Symposium "Inventing the Future", the "Dreams of the Future" Video Essay Contest and the All-Russian Science Fiction Literary Award.