Tag Archives: university

IFLA WLIC 2023 Grant Winners Congress Experience

This post features Snehal Dilip Bhalerao, one of the 2023 IFLA ARL Grant winners from India.

I am Snehal Dilip Bhalerao and I studied at the Savitribai Phule Pune University. I currently work as a research fellow at the Centre of Publication Ethics at the Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. I feel very lucky to have won this grant which gave me the opportunity to attend the IFLA Conference, which was held from 21st -25th August, 2023. IFLA gave me the opportunity to visit Rotterdam and experience another world of libraries.

After visiting IFLA Rotterdam venue, I realized I could gain some valuable knowledge about Libraries which are different from the Indian setting. I had the opportunity to meet, interact and network with many librarians from across the world at the Conference.

The conference was organized in sessions which represented the different interest in IFLA. I therefore attended sessions that were of interest to me. All the conference sessions were very useful to the development of libraries and provided a great source of knowledge to the participants. The various presentations included the sustainable development goal activities in the various countries of the presenters. Topics included the Green Libraries. Some other presentations also showcased the impact of artificial intelligence on libraries and how for instance ChatGPT is helping in all aspects of our lives, both personal and professional, and how to apply it appropriately and effectively.

Again, the conference educated me on the role of IFLA in the development of the LIS profession.

Then there was the Cultural Evening which was organised by IFLA for participants. This event was very exciting and was another avenue for me to meet many colleagues on an informal level. This event comprised partying, eating and dancing. There was also a photo session and I had the opportunity to meet and take photos with the IFLA President. The evening helped me get off my hectic personal life to have some fun and enjoy myself. Thank you IFLA for the cultural evening. It was a very memorable day.

On the last day, there was a Library visit to Belgium by bus. I joined other librarians on this trip. We visited two libraries in Belgium to see how they operate and manage them. These libraries were very beautiful and are currently using AI to enhance their library operations. I initially did not support the use of AI in libraries but after the tour, I got a first hand experience of AI at work and it changed my mind. I have therefore resolved to advocate for its use in Indian libraries. I hope to be able to share my experiences and knowledge with my colleagues in India.

A great thank you to IFLA, I am really grateful for this opportunity. I appreciate IFLA for giving me the learning experience which will help progress my career in the future. I also want to thank the IFLA President and all IFLA Members and Volunteers who guided us during the IFLA Congress -2023 in Rotterdam.

Snehal Dilip Bhalerao

Savitribai Phule Pune University, India

Social Media Strategy in Academic Libraries – implementation experience at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Libraries

A half-day workshop on Saturday 17 August 2013

Fee : Free for IFLA delegates

Many libraries have created social media sites enthusiastically to reach out to their increasingly sophisticated audience. Within a university, it is not uncommon to see a myriad collection of QR codes, Facebook Pages, Twitter accounts, blogs, Flick photos and YouTube videos set up by students, administrative staff and faculty.

Beyond using these ubiquitous tools for library promotion and information literacy, NTU Libraries decided to embrace social media more systematically and comprehensively to identify new niches for user collaborations and to create opportunities for enhancing or developing new library services. A key component of the strategy is to adopt a whole-of-organisation approach where all librarians understand the potential of these tools and leverage them effectively, turning every librarian into a consummate marketer of library services. A New Media Group was also formed to coordinate and drive the libraries’ social media initiatives.

The half day workshop will be conducted by the New Media team at NTU Libraries. During the first half of the workshop, the team will discuss aspects of the Social Media strategy, learning points on winning user acceptance and examples of social media projects. They will then demonstrate how to create a vibrant user community using free or low cost social media tools for the second half of the workshop. Participants can bring along their notebook PCs and try out these tools immediately. 

The workshop will end with a panel discussion, drawing librarians from different countries, to share how various libraries implement their social media strategies and the challenges faced.

Full details, including how to register, are available at the workshop’s blog

The workshop is being organised by Nanyang Technological University Libraries, in association with the IFLA Academic and Research Libraries Section.

The Standing Committee meeting of the Academic and Research Libraries Section will also be held at Nanyang Technological University.  Details will be provided, once confirmed.