The COBISS 2006 Conference closed in Maribor on Thursday, 30 November, with 421 librarians and IT professionals from 14 countries, mostly from those located in the Western Balkans, commenting that the role of libraries is vital for the development of the South Eastern region. The conference was attended not only by a great number of librarians and IT professionals, but also by the representatives from the relevant ministries from the countries of this region and the representatives of the EU general directorates and international organisations who provide development assistance. To enhance the development of librarianship of the region, the participants supported the need for more coordinated and generous development aid from the international community, thereby recognising the expansion of the COBISS.Net network, being built by IZUM, as the best possible way to do this. Five countries currently use the COBISS system. By signing the agreement on the free exchange of bibliographic records within COBISS.Net during the conference, Bulgaria joined as the sixth. They all share a common anticipation that through new EU mechanisms for the development of Western Balkans a concrete support will be given to the automation of libraries.

The participants talked critically about the state of libraries in this time of higher education reform and found that the role of libraries is underestimated, which will consequently seriously affect the quality and competitiveness of national higher education systems in the common European environment. At the closing Round table discussion, a document on the role of libraries in the evaluation and accreditation of universities was unanimously adopted under the name of the "Maribor Declaration". The document will be communicated to the management of universities and relevant ministries in the region.