Thursday, 17 September 2026
“State Library Day”: The final congress day leads us into the venerable Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, one of Germany’s most important libraries with international stature. Since its founding in 1661, the library has preserved more than 30 million works: from incunabula and manuscripts to music autographs and a unique map collection. Highlights include the magnificent 42-line Gutenberg Bible, manuscripts by Dante, Goethe, and Döblin, as well as musical masterpieces such as the autograph scores of Bach’s Mass in B minor, Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Several of these treasures are part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme.
Morning
After a reception by the General Director, we will meet the staff of the State Library. They will guide us in small groups through the breathtakingly large building and show us their treasures. We will visit the Manuscripts Department, the central reading room, the Music Department, the children’s book reading room, the Rare Books department, the autograph collections, and the map library.
Afternoon
Having become acquainted with the monumental building of the State Library Unter den Linden (Haus I), we proceed in the afternoon to one of its iconic modern buildings: the Scharoun Building (Haus II). Here the 5th ILAB Symposium begins. Following lectures and panel discussions, guests are invited to the festive presentation of the ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography.
Evening
The evening concludes with our “Farewell Dinner” in a very special location: on the terrace of the Humboldt Forum, the reconstruction of the former Berlin Palace. Here we celebrate with fine food, excellent wines, dancing, and music into the lively Berlin night, high above the rooftops, the domes and towers, facing the Old Museum, the Berlin Cathedral, and Museum Island.
