Hosted by Ibn Haldun University, the Second Rare Books Conference (NEK 2025) was successfully held on December 16, 2025, under the title "From Roots to Codes: Rare Books and Artificial Intelligence". The event took place at the Ibn Haldun University Media Center Event Hall, featuring parallel sessions, and was followed with great interest by over 200 participants. Participants had the opportunity to discuss developments in this important field through presentations and panels on the digitization of rare works and the role of artificial intelligence in this area.
Rare artifacts are not only historical documents but also important carriers of our culture and identity. Preserving this valuable heritage means more than just understanding the past; it also means leaving a meaningful legacy for the future. Each rare artifact plays a significant role as a unique source of information in shaping our culture.
Modern technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and digitization, offer significant potential for preserving rare artifacts and making them more accessible. Artificial intelligence tools are crucial for accurately understanding the past and playing a vital role in digitization processes. Advanced technologies, such as optical character recognition (OCR) and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, enable the rapid and accurate reading of old writings in a digital environment. This facilitates the digitization of rare works and content analysis, enabling us to pass on our cultural heritage to future generations. These processes not only allow us to understand the past accurately but also create an invaluable resource for future generations.
Opening Speeches:
The conference provided an in-depth discussion forum on the digitization of rare works, artificial intelligence applications, and the role of new technologies in preserving these works and ensuring their accessibility.
Sessions Included in the Program
The event also featured an exhibition titled "Turkish Archivists Association: Tracing Rare Works from Past to Present in the Light of Documents," as well as workshops offering opportunities to learn about traditional bookbinding, the restoration of rare works, and digitization, which attracted significant interest.
During the event, the "2025 Rare Books Service Award" was presented to Mr. Ayhan Tuğlu, President of the Presidential National Library. In addition, plaques were presented to the session chairs and certificates were presented to the speakers who delivered presentations.
As the Ibn Haldun University Library, we would like to thank all participants who attended the event and hope to see you again at our next events.
