World Library and Information Congress Archives

A Global Impact

By Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada | May 1, 2023

For me, this was on full view during my international travels representing ALA last year. When other library workers and I attended the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ World Library and Information Congress (IFLA WLIC) in Dublin, Ireland, in July, we heard from Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland who now … Continue reading A Global Impact →

Christine Mackenzie, IFLA President 2019-2021, in the opening session

IFLA: Working Together for a Better Future

By Raymond Pun | August 25, 2021

Between August 17–19, the virtual conference drew thousands of attendees from around the world to more than 150 sessions with topics that ranged from digital controlled lending to new skill sets for school librarians to climate impact on libraries. Drawing inspiration from 2019–2021 IFLA President Christine Mackenzie’s theme “Let’s Work Together,” the 86th WLIC focused … Continue reading IFLA: Working Together for a Better Future →

Barbara Lison, IFLA President-elect, in her session "20 Trends for Discussion"

IFLA: Closing Virtually with a Call to Action

By Raymond Pun | August 25, 2021

On August 18, the IFLA News Media Section presented “Libraries Enable News Literacy: Finding Solutions to Fake News.” Moderator Ana Krahmer, director of the Digital Newspaper Unit at University of North Texas Libraries, talked with panelists about how to support information literacy for the public. Presenters included data scientists Katharina Beckh and Vishwani Gupta from … Continue reading IFLA: Closing Virtually with a Call to Action →

Denice Adkins (left) and Elizabeth Jean Brumfield (far right) at an LIS curriculum committee meeting at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Changing Perspectives through Exchange

By Denice Adkins and Elizabeth Jean Brumfield | September 22, 2017

A mentor and mentee case study IFLA IMLS fellow Elizabeth Jean Brumfield, distance services librarian at Prairie View (Tex.) A&M University (PVAMU), has been mentored by Denice Adkins, associate professor at University of Missouri’s School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. Through their interactions, they were able to view librarianship from each other’s perspective. Adkins’s … Continue reading Changing Perspectives through Exchange →

Mayor Rafal Dutkiewicz invites delegates to the 2017 IFLA conference in Wrocław, Poland.

See You in Wrocław!

By Terra Dankowski | August 22, 2016

“I’m happy to say I saw action at this meeting and a commitment to positive change,” said IFLA President Donna Scheeder at the Closing Session. Annual awards Maria-Carme Torras i Calvo, chair of the Professional Committee, presented the Professional Committee Award to two sections this year. “The jury really struggled to selection just one winner,” … Continue reading See You in Wrocław! →

(Left to right): Joakim Lennartsson, Mauritza Jadefrid, Harri Sahavirta (SIG chair), Hong Xu, and Saima Qutab.

The Library’s Role in Sustainability

By Terra Dankowski | August 22, 2016

At “Green Libraries: Together for All,” a Thursday afternoon session presented at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, Ohio, the group accomplished all three—welcoming research from Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the US, and presenting the IFLA Green Library Award for 2016. “Sustainability has many aspects,” said Saima Qutab from the University of … Continue reading The Library’s Role in Sustainability →

Top row (left to right): Lesley Farmer, Gertrude C. Umunnakwe, Emmanuel U. Anyanwu, Valérie Glass, Isabel Mendinhos. Seated (left to right): Clayton Copeland, Karen Gavigan, and Elizabeth Burns.

Inclusive School Libraries

By Terra Dankowski | August 22, 2016

At “Inclusionary Practices to Support School Libraries,” a Thursday morning session at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress, librarians from Nigeria, France, Portugal, and the United States attempted to answer this question by examining inclusionary and accessibility strategies in school libraries. Clayton Copeland and Karen Gavigan, both … Continue reading Inclusive School Libraries →

IFLA Poster Sessions

By George M. Eberhart and Rebecca Lomax | August 19, 2016 Ji Yun Jeong and Seo Hyon Kwon with the National Library for Children and Young Adults in the Republic of Korea donned their yellow vests to promote the library’s Read Me a Book program. Children at the library are encouraged to choose a book and take it to a volunteer in a yellow vest who … Continue reading →

Panelist discuss great marketing initiatives for libraries. From left: Sandra Singh, chief librarian, Vancouver (Canada) Public Library; Christie Koontz, associate in research at Florida State University’s School of Information; Silvère Mercier, IFLA Marketing and Management Section; and Nancy E. Gwinn, IFLA Management and Marketing Section.

Inspirational Library Marketing

By Terra Dankowski | August 19, 2016

Christie Koontz, associate in research at Florida State University’s School of Information, offered this wisdom, along with basic marketing definitions and best practices, at the outset of “What Makes a Great Marketing Initiative in the Library?,” a session at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, … Continue reading Inspirational Library Marketing →

Dan Cohen, executive director of the Digital Public Library of America, speaks at “Brave New World: The Future of Collections in Digital Times,” a program at the IFLA 2016 World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, Ohio.

The Future Is Digital

By Phil Morehart | August 18, 2016

ALA president-elect James G. “Jim” Neal opened his segment of “Brave New World: The Future of Collections in Digital Times,” a program at the IFLA 2016 World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, Ohio, with a warning. Digital content is growing exponentially. The world produces daily ebooks, online games, 3D-printed work, MOOCs, social media content, … Continue reading The Future Is Digital →

From left: Erica Lake, associate librarian from the University of Utah’s Eccles Health Sciences Library; Mary White, a public health librarian with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Praba Naidoo of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa; and Dijana Sabolović-Krajina, from the Public Library Fran Galović in Koprivnica, Croatia.

Bridging the Health Divide

By Terra Dankowski | August 18, 2016

Librarians from South Africa, Croatia, Sri Lanka, and the United States presented findings from diverse initiatives, campaigns, and studies, mostly focusing on the librarian’s role in facilitating health information for the public and acting as a bridge to professional medical resources. Praba Naidoo of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, presented on a … Continue reading Bridging the Health Divide →

Presenters at “Reclaiming Subject Access to Indigenous Knowledge,” a session during the International Federation of Library Associations’ 2016 World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, Ohio.

Removing Barriers to Indigenous Knowledge

By Terra Dankowski | August 18, 2016

Librarians from the Philippines, Canada, and the United States discussed their research on the barriers to accessing indigenous materials, ideas to modify metadata and subject headings, and obstacles to implementing new cataloging and classification systems. Cristina Villanueva, librarian at the University of the Philippines Baguio, presented her findings on classifying and indexing Philippine indigenous materials, … Continue reading Removing Barriers to Indigenous Knowledge →

Latest Library Links

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Renaud Foucart writes: “The US Department of Justice may be on the verge of seeking a breakup of Google in a bid to make it less dominant. While this is still a distant prospect, it is being considered in the wake of a series of rulings in the US and the European Union which suggest that regulators are becoming increasingly frustrated by the power of big tech. But what would a breakup of these tech giants achieve for consumers?”

LLRX, Oct. 29
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Steven Mintz writes: “For decades, a college or university’s quality was measured by the size of its library collection. The library was the campus’s crown jewel, a towering building at the institution’s center, symbolizing academic prestige. But as collections shift online and physical books move into remote storage, the library’s purpose is now in question. For libraries to maintain their central place within the intellectual life of universities, they must become dynamic, multipurpose hubs that not only provide access to a vast array of digital and physical resources but also actively engage in the broader educational and cultural missions of their institutions.”

Inside Higher Ed: Higher Ed Gamma, Oct. 28
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On November 6, ALA issued a statement following the results of the 2024 US election. The full statement reads as follows: “In response to results of the 2024 US election, ALA vowed to continue its defense of the core values of librarianship in the face of political threats. ‘We know that many of our members are concerned that the election results portend attacks on libraries, library workers, and readers,’ said ALA President Cindy Hohl. ‘Whatever happens, ALA will stand up for all Americans’ freedom to read—and we will need everyone who loves libraries to stand with us.’”

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 6
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“Over 1.2 million school-aged children were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2021–2022 school year. Kids who are experiencing homelessness and their caregivers can benefit greatly from the services libraries offer, including computer and printing access, programs and classes, books and other materials, and a place to spend time when their housing situation may not be safe or comfortable. Every school district in the US is required by federal law to have a homeless student liaison, usually called a McKinney-Vento liaison. The good news is that it’s usually pretty easy to find your McKinney-Vento liaison.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 2
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“As early as 2003, certain university libraries in the US developed virtual libraries in the online video game Second Life and offered a variety of services, marking the first practical research on metaverse libraries. The metaverse is regaining popularity nearly two decades later, and technological circumstances have improved. Today’s metaverse is a collection of new technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), gaming, networking, etc. VR and AR are two of the most important metaverse enabling technologies, and their use in university libraries is growing.”

College & Research Libraries, Nov.
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Christina Caron writes: “On social media, Mychal Threets was spreading the gospel of ‘library joy’ to hundreds of thousands of followers. But at his job, as a supervisor at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Solano County, California, he was facing new challenges. Over a year, Threets filed more than 170 incident reports documenting how library patrons had acted out: property damage, harassment, physical altercations. Like Threets, librarians around the country are struggling to reconcile their desire to serve their communities with their need for self-preservation.”

New York Times, Oct. 31
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Megan Bennett writes: “‘Stop the Draft!’ ‘I Like Ike.’ ‘I’m with Her.’ From the iconic to the incendiary, political messages like these have emblazoned buttons and pins since the start of US elections. Since 2012, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been archiving political buttons. The collection now spans thousands of items over a century’s worth of campaigns and causes. The collection has approximately 4,800 buttons and pins and 200 stickers. Most fit into one of three categories: campaigns (local and national), sociopolitical movements, and community organizations like unions.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

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