Opening remarks by Hans-Peter Geh, President of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), address the meeting theme, "New Horizons of Librarianship towards the 21st Century," with emphasis on the need for international cooperation as technology advances and libraries expand to become large information centers. Remarks include brief discussions of the needs of Third World countries, the role of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), and a few of IFLA's core programs, primarily the Preservation and Conservation (PAC) program. Three additional papers include: (1) "Science Information System--A Challenge towards an Integrated Information Utility," in which Hiroshi Inose of Japan discusses an information utility designed to enhance information services for academic communities; (2) "The Library and Information Dimensions of the North-South Dialogue--Some Thoughts on the Threshold of the 21st Century," in which Hedwig Anuar of Singapore examines the history of libraries in Asia, the development of literacy and education, problems of publishing in the Third World, and the opportunities and threats presented by information technology; and (3) "The Library and the Times," in which Yu Guangyuan of the People's Republic of China considers the concept of books as information carriers and the function of libraries as providing full utilization of books. (KM)