UN Links 2026
16-20 November
FAO, Rome, Italy
This year's theme "From Custodians to Catalysts" offers an opportunity to explore how UN libraries evolve beyond specialized knowledge repositories into open, welcoming platforms for sharing their historically and artistically valuable preserved content not only with staff and researchers, but also with the wider public.
Program Overview
The UN-LINKS 2026 program features a mix of keynotes, spark talks, interactive sessions, and guided behind-the-scenes Library tours. Across Monday and Tuesday, attendees will hear from keynote speakers on documentary heritage, narrative curation, and historical UN knowledge networks, along with a feature event centered around a pre-recorded talk by ecology professor and renowned author Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Keynotes
Clara Velez Fraga & Sabina Zaccaro (FAO): Highlight the integration of the FAO Library and rare book collections within the new FAO MuNe museum project, showcasing narrative media and outreach for global food heritage.
Isabelle Fougère (Independent filmmaker): Explores narrative storytelling and the preservation of living memory through an independent journalism and documentary lens.
Tomás Meraz Castaño (Herritage specialist, ICCROM): Focuses on movable heritage, collection management, and library/archival preservation.
Chiara Maria Pulvirenti (Historian, Sapienza University/CUNY): Examines the history of international cooperation and expert knowledge networks across postwar UN agencies.
The Fortress, the River, and the Garden
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
We are grateful to feature a pre-recorded talk by Professor Robin Wall Kimmerer introducing a new metaphor for knowledge symbiosis. Graciously shared with the UN library community, her address challenges traditional knowledge boundaries. The screening will be paired with an interactive creative session where both in-person and online participants reflect on her insights with regard to knowledge management.