On October 9, 2026, at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed the establishment of the “Golden Library Fund of the CIS,” an initiative aimed at bringing together outstanding literary works from the peoples of the Commonwealth countries.
The Head of State emphasized the importance of encouraging young people’s interest in reading as one of the foundations of education, intellectual development, and personal growth. Kazakhstan has already placed particular emphasis on this area by establishing National Book Day and implementing the “100 Books Read by the Nation” project.
Under the proposal, the collection could be housed in the Presidential Library in Astana. A key component of the initiative could be the creation of a publicly accessible digital library featuring professional translations of the finest literary works from CIS nations.
The implementation of such a project would open up new opportunities for preserving and promoting literary heritage, expanding access to cultural and educational resources, and strengthening mutual understanding among the peoples of the Commonwealth countries.
For the library community, this initiative is of particular significance, as it brings together the traditional mission of preserving literary heritage with modern approaches to developing digital libraries and sharing knowledge.
