The Africa Portal is a good example of a poster project that was both relevant and well described. Started in 2011 by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Canada and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the portal provides free, open access policy information on Africa by reputable research organizations that … Continue reading A Portal to African Policy Issues
Former IFLA President Ellen Tise noted that on August 2 the member states of the United Nations reached a consensus on an intensely negotiated and ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that spells out the steps governments must take to eradicate poverty, take action on climate change, achieve universal literacy, safeguard cultural heritage, and expand … Continue reading Strong Libraries, Strong Societies
Each of the nine provinces of South Africa had a booth, courtesy of the National Library, that showcased the public libraries in their region. The Free State Provincial Library Services, for example, provided brochures about their ebook service, offered through OverDrive, which lets users borrow up to six titles at a time.
The opening session on August 16 began with a dynamic performance by South African actor, poet, and author Gcina Mhlophe, one of the few women storytellers in the country. Against a backdrop of images of African scenery and wildlife, Mhlophe described how creativity and musical rhythm were born long ago on the continent, and people … Continue reading A Jubilant IFLA Conference Opens in Cape Town
In 2013, a group of librarians in northern Illinois teamed up to create “Soon To Be Famous: The Illinois Author Project” to demonstrate how important self-published books can be in the lives of readers. They were inspired by a talk given by academic and author David Vinjamuri at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, … Continue reading The Making of the Illinois Author Project
Here’s a snapshot of how the library community is affected until the budget situation is resolved: The Library of Congress buildings are closed to the public, and its website is inaccessible, except for THOMAS, Congress.gov, and Cataloger’s Desktop. However, the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine still offers access to LC and other agencies before their websites went dark. The National … Continue reading The Government Shutdown and Libraries
That was only one of many stories US Congressman John Lewis (D–Ga.) told a packed room of librarians during his Auditorium Speaker Series speech on Saturday afternoon. His deep, sonorous voice scarcely needed a microphone as he recounted his early years in the Civil Rights Movement—as one of the original Freedom Riders in 1960, as … Continue reading John Lewis’s March
