On 8–9 June, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague hosted the Digital Publishing Summit, one of the most important international events in the field. On 10 June, it was followed at the same venue by the ThinkPub conference “Reader Engagement in the Digital Age”.
For LAB Director Inga Davidonienė and Head of Publishing Alisa Žarkova, the three intensive days offered an opportunity not only to explore the latest developments in publishing, but also to present Lithuania’s experience to an international community of experts.
Held annually, the Digital Publishing Summit brings together more than 120 experts in publishing, technology, accessibility and reading innovation from around the world. The event addresses the most important challenges and future directions in digital publishing, ranging from content creation and distribution to new reading experiences and ensuring that content is accessible to every reader.
This year’s event took place in the distinctive surroundings of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, a venue that perfectly reflected one of the Summit’s central themes: the relationship between cultural heritage and innovation.
LAB’s participation was important not only as an opportunity to learn from the international community. As experts in inclusive publishing, it is equally important for us to share the knowledge we have gained and to ensure that Lithuania’s voice is heard internationally.
Despite being a small country, Lithuania’s work in accessible publishing is widely recognized. We continue to develop our expertise, and events like these allow us to demonstrate that Lithuania’s experience can be relevant and valuable to the wider international publishing community.
At the Digital Publishing Summit, LAB Director Inga Davidonienė took part in the round table discussion “Companioning Publishers’ Digital Journeys”. She presented Lithuania’s experience of implementing accessibility initiatives, applying the provisions of the European Accessibility Act and creating an environment in which information and cultural content are accessible to everyone.
Within the wider conference programme, her contribution stood out for its focus on people and their needs. “The main challenge is informing readers. Our library not only advises publishers on how to produce accessible digital publications, but also works to create change among readers. We teach people how to use the latest digital publications and introduce them to their features, functions and mobile applications. Publishers can do the same by communicating more actively about innovations in digital publishing and features such as synthetic voice. To stimulate the digital publishing market and respond to users’ needs, we must explain and promote the value of digital publications, just as we would with any other product,” said Inga Davidonienė.
The discussion also brought together accessibility, publishing and digital innovation experts from several countries: Cristina Mussinelli, Secretary General at “Fondazione LIA”; Bertrand Rocton, Head of Digital at “Hachette Livre”; and Deborah Nelson, Executive Director of the Canadian digital publishing organisation “eBOUND Canada”.
Together, the participants explored how the publishing sector can successfully adopt digital solutions, improve accessibility and create a more inclusive reading environment for everyone.
Alongside the round table discussion, the conferences featured a wide range of presentations on issues currently shaping the future of digital publishing worldwide:
- Accessibility and inclusive publishing: from EPUB 3, WCAG 2.2 Level AA and the European Accessibility Act to practical examples of transformation within publishing houses in Latin America and Finland.
- Diverse reading experiences: solutions for readers with low literacy, people with dyslexia and multimodal reading. Combining text, audio, translation, annotations and other features can enrich the reading experience and support a better understanding of information.
- Open technological solutions: Readium LCP, OPDS, Thorium Reader and Thorium Web were presented as important tools for building a more open, secure and accessible digital reading ecosystem.
- Digital textbooks: the Brazilian PNLD programme was a particularly impressive example of digital transformation, reaching almost 40 million students.
- AI and copyright management: discussions focused on how publishers can clearly declare the permitted uses of their content, build a trusted infrastructure and take an active role in shaping the AI-driven creative economy.
- The evolution of reading: digital reading is not a revolution that has replaced earlier forms. It is one stage in a long evolution, in which older ideas take on new technological forms.
- An ageing society: unless the publishing industry helps older readers move towards digital formats, it risks losing millions of readers.
These events once again demonstrated that digital publishing is no longer simply a question of technology or format. It encompasses accessibility, the reader’s experience, open standards, copyright, data and sustainable solutions that enable cultural content to reach more people, regardless of their needs, language or place of residence.
We are pleased to be part of this international community, to share Lithuania’s experience and to continue learning from others.
