Synopsis:
The CONSAL V Programme however included the Second Kuala Lumpur Book Fair, the CONSAL V conference itself, the Media Exhibition held concurrently with the conference Workshop on the Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services. There were a total of 431 participants from 13 countries. the largest delegation of 57 was from Indonesia, followed by the Philippines with 36, Thailand with 26 and Singapore with 22 while another 30 participants were from outside the ASEAN region. There were 260 participants from the host country, Malaysia. In Malaysia, there were a number of significant developments that stemmed from CONSAL V. In particular, there was the resolution urging governments of CONSAL countries to formulate comprehensive national policies for library and information services and establish the necessary administrative machinery to ensure implementation of such policies led to the setting up of a national committee.

CONSAL IV
Theme: " Regional Cooperation for the Development of National Information Services "
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Date: 5-9 June 1978

Synopsis:
This conference was generously sponsored by the Thai government as well as a number of government bodies within the country and some foreign bodies like UNESCO. CONSAL IV marked the first time that the Congress was also used as a central venue for meeting for specialist librarians. Topics discussed were more unique including Malay culture and bibliography; ISBN, discussed for the first time in Southeast Asia; ISDS in Southeast Asia; NLDC and AGRIS. It was also significant that for the first time, CONSAL and SABRICA held their meetings separately, unlikely their joint meetings as at CONSAL I and II. The Congress was attended by 364 registered participants.

CONSAL III
Theme: " Integrated Library and Documentation Services within the Framework or NATIS "
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Date: 1-5 December 1975

Synopsis:
Since its inception of CONSAL I held in Singapore in 1970, Indonesia has had seized the opportunity to organize this regional professional meeting twice, namely CONSAL III and VIII. CONSAL Is theme was chosen considering the importance of optimizing resource sharing of information available in the region of ASEAN. The 184 participants present were grouped into two categories, namely delegates and observers. At that point of time, Brunei Darussalam had not join as a member of ASEAN. Twenty-four observing participants came from the United States of America, Australia, England, Canada, Papua New Guinea and Taiwan.

CONSAL II
Theme: " Education and Training for Librarianship "
Location: Manila, Philippines
Date: 10-14 December 1973

Synopsis:
Three years after CONSAL I was successfully held in Singapore, the CONSAL II was held. CONSAL II brought four official delegates from each member country and one official delegate from the Republic of Vietnam. Aside from the official delegates, there were 8 participants from Indonesia, 11 from Malaysia, 92 from the Philippines, 4 from Singapore, and 11 from Thailand. There were a number of observers from Australia, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, the USA, Asian Development Bank and UNESCO. Financial assistance was proved stronger in comparison with the last conference. Asia Foundation in the Philippines and in the different ASEAN countries gave firm support for the financial requirements of overseas delegations and for the publication of the conference proceedings.

CONSAL I
Theme: " New prospects for Southeast Asians Cooperation "
Location: Singapore
Date: 14-16 August 1970

Synopsis:
This conference was an acknowledge of an emerging sense of regional identification, and the recognition of common problems and shared needs. Participating members were from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. These countries were linked together by an informal relationship through their national library associations. Unlike other government bodies, CONSAL was unable to call for equal official support and this resulted in CONSAL I making an impecunious start. But as this CONSAL was in the nature of a trail, invitations were sent to only to those countries with which we could identify.