IReL was proud to host the ICOLC EMEA Conference 2026 in Dublin from 28-30 October 2026, bringing together library consortium leaders and information professionals from across Europe, The United States, Canada and Japan. The event was held at Trinity College Dublin and welcomed delegates from the international library community for three days of discussion, collaboration, and strategic planning.
This year’s conference carried particular significance as it formed part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, providing an opportunity to showcase Ireland’s leadership in research, scholarship, open knowledge, and international cooperation. Ireland’s EU Presidency programme has highlighted the important role of libraries in supporting education, research, innovation, digital inclusion, and civic engagement across Europe.
The International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) is a global network of approximately 200 library consortia that work together to address shared challenges and opportunities in scholarly communication, collection development, licensing, and access to information.
As host organisation, IReL welcomed colleagues representing universities, research institutions, national consortia, funding agencies, and publishers from around the world. The conference provided a valuable forum for discussing some of the most pressing issues facing the scholarly communications landscape, including:
• “Taming the Crocodile” with guest speaker Charlie Rappel from Kudos
• Sustainable models for scholarly publishing
• Evaluating agreement performance and value-for-money
• Artificial intelligence and its impact on libraries
• Assessing Pathways to 100% Open Access by 2030
• Communication and negotiation strategy
IReL was delighted to facilitate those conversations and to welcome colleagues from around the world to Ireland. Hosting ICOLC EMEA 2026 was both an honour and a reflection of the critical role libraries and library consortia continue to play in advancing research, education, and access to knowledge.
We extend our sincere thanks to all speakers, partners, and delegates whose participation contributed to the success of this memorable event and look forward to continuing these important conversations in the years ahead.