At the IFLA conference in Kuala Lumpur there were arranged two meetings in the LTR section. The minutes are available here (meeting1 and  meeting2).

by Anna Maria Tammaro

Last March I had the privilege to participate together with Theo Bothma (Chair of LTR Section) and Krystyna Matusiak (Secretary of LTR Section) in Barcelona at the second Kick-off Workshop of the Global Vision Project of IFLA, with two days of activity and discussions starting from the Global Vision Report Summary, illustrated by the General Secretary Gerald Leitner and the President of IFLA Gloria Perez Salmeron. The Global Vision project began in April 2017 with a first Kick-off meeting in Athens, after this, 185 other events followed, some organized directly from IFLA. Sections and members of IFLA have been asked to discuss the core values of libraries, what they are exceptionally good at, what they should do more and what do less and what major challenges there are today for libraries and the library and information science professionals. The discussion on IFLA’s Global Vision also involved all the members: after the WLIC 2017 in Wroclaw there was an online vote, attended by about 22,000 librarians. IFLA Secretary General Gerald Leitner emphasized that the main result of the Global Vision Project was the evidence of  unity: librarians around the world share common values and are united in their goals. Contributions from over 31,000 participants from 190 countries were collected.

The “Global Vision Report Summary” presents 10 highlights associated with 10 opportunities.

The highlights of “Global Vision Report Summary” are as follows:

Devote to equal and free access to information and knowledge

All libraries of all types give free access to information and are champions of the freedom of expression; it is better understood now that access to knowledge is connected to freedom of expression.

Engage with dedication to support literacy, learning and reading

A strong point of libraries is their role in facilitating literacy and reading by giving the indispensable skills that everyone needs.

Focus on community services, regardless of the way these communities are defined

Regardless of how we define community values, inclusion and diversity, active participation, community needs and information behaviour must be better known, we need better connections.

Embrace digital innovation

Everyone agrees that libraries certainly have potential for digital services, but the libraries are not innovative enough, we must have infrastructure for the technology that changes and also have funding for digital innovation.

Do advocacy energetically supported by the leadership

We have leaders who need to advocate and to know how to influence national and local communities priorities. Leaders and librarians must be energetic in advocating community causes otherwise they will not succeed.

Challenge ourselves to find financing

Finding finance is the biggest problem, getting the resources needed to respond to needs of the community effectively, we need to understand the value, the impact, the capabilities of libraries to offer value. It is necessary to have a political role and participate in the tables where decisions are taken.

To necessarily build cooperation and partnerships

Cooperation and new partnerships must be initiated outside and not only between libraries; existing barriers for collaboration can be broken, libraries are no more closed silos.

We want to avoid bureaucracy, rigidity and resistance to change

We know that we must be less inflexible and resistant to change, more proactive, this is a challenge against existing organizational structures and conservative behaviors.

Defining libraries as guardians of the world’s memory

We must enhance the value of the documentary cultural heritage, we are uniquely good at preserving and organizing knowledge with innovative practices, tools, solutions for access that solve any legal and financial problems.

Young professionals are deeply committed and willing to take on responsibilities driving

In this process of transformation young people are involved, it is necessary to encourage them, to offer them effective opportunities to become leaders, take the challenge of leading young people to lead positions.

The Secretary General Gerald Leitner says: “A vision without action would only be a sterile relationship”. IFLA needs great ideas for putting the vision into concrete practice, the Global Vision is the inspiration for all libraries and for IFLA to plan the future.

The identified opportunities derive directly from the highlights. They constitute the beginning of a “plan of action” for libraries and global librarians:

1. We become champions of intellectual freedom,
2. We update our traditional roles in the digital age,
3. We understand the needs of the community better and design services that have an impact,
4. Keep up with ongoing technological changes,
5. We need more and better advocates at all level,
6. We make sure that our stakeholders understand our value and impact,
7. We develop a spirit of collaboration,
8. We need to challenge the current organizational structures and behaviors,
9. We maximize access to world documentary heritage,
10. We offer young professionals effective opportunities to learn, develop and lead.

The next phase of the IFLA Global Vision Project will be to conduct workshops and virtual conversations in the period from April to July 2018. The results of the workshops and the Kick-off meeting in Barcelona will be summarized in a document to be presented in August 2018 to the WLIC. Between September 2018 and March 2019, there will be further analysis and design of actions towards the realization of the Global Vision, with the launch of the new IFLA strategic plan in August 2019 to the WLIC of Athens.

All the Library Theory and Research Section members are engaged in the conversation, contributing to the IFLA document: how LTR, as a body of international experts, could have the most impact on the field to the benefit of IFLA as an organisation? After selecting the three opportunities most relevant for LTR expertise, for each opportunity, LTR members could provide 5 ideas for actions that answer the following question: What ideas for actions could LTR Section and the area of expertise it represents, undertake to realise this opportunity?

In the virtual meeting of the LTR Standing Committee we have chosen the 3 opportunities most relevant for LTR, also if the work and expertise of LTR can go beyond the three opportunities that have been indicated:

• We must update our traditional roles in the digital age (Opportunity 2)
• We need to understand community needs better and design services for impact (Opportunity 3)
• We must give young professionals effective opportunities to learn, develop and lead (Opportunity 10)

Two opportunities concern all IFLA Sections:

We need more and better advocates at all levels (Opportunity 5)

Every expert in LTR Section and in the library constituency we represent, should be able to stand up and advocate for libraries and explain the impact we are having.

We need to develop a spirit of collaboration (Opportunity 7)

What five ideas for action could our LTR Unit and IFLA undertake to improve collaboration within IFLA and with external partners? Multidisciplinary research networks between LTR and other discipline scholars can be organized in a variety of ways: from open session to all sorts of social networks distributed in space and time.

All LTR members are invited to participate and must feel involved in this conversation for Global Vision, starting from the reflection on the highlights and opportunities described above and accepting the challenge of adapting the “global” to the “local” with efficiency and transparency. There are no silos, diversities and hierarchies, but now we need only partnerships, bridges and proposals of innovation.

The LTR section, also supporting Library History SIG, will contribute in several ways at the upcoming meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

On Sunday 26. August, at 13:45,  the joint session with the Information Literacy section takes place in Session 116: Information Literacy: from practice to research and back again

The purpose of this session is to hear about a range of critical approaches and research models that contribute to building new theory; the challenges of applying theory in practice; the technology dimension in theoretical frameworks; how learning theories can inform practice; and cultural perspectives associated with learning.

The session is devided into two subthemes: First Information Literacy Practice across Disciplines, Contexts and Environments with four presentations, secondly  a panel discussion on integration of theory and practice in information literacy with another four contributions.

The call for papers for this session recieved a very high number of responses, which gave the chairs (Gaby Haddow and Min Chou) and their team a hard job selecting  contributions for the session.  We are really looking foreward to learning about how both practices and the theoretical aspect of Information Literacy  looks in 2018.

On the last day of the conference, Wednesday 29, at 8.30, the second LTR session will take place: Session 220 IFLA’s role in building strong LIS education: an international approach to quality assessment and qualification in the library and information profession. 

This is a joint open session with the Education and Training Section and LIS Education in Developing Countries Special Interest Group (SIG). We will discuss different modes of professional credentialing in order to identify an approach that IFLA can adopt as an international demonstration of proficiency as a library and information professional. This session builds on the findings from an international survey on education and pathways to professional status for a library and information professional, reported in the BSLISE Working Group White Paper.

Experts on diverse modes of professional credentialing (e.g., equivalence, reciprocity and transferability; accreditation; certification; licensure; core knowledge and competencies) will present on opportunities, challenges and principles, and address the role that IFLA can play. The expert presentations will be followed by open discussion, during which the role of national library associations, legal frameworks, pedagogies, expanding nature of the field, etc. may be covered.

Session coordinators are Saif Aljabri, Susmita Chakraborty, Clara M. Chu, Jaya Raju.

The Library History SIG is sposored by the LTR section. At IFLA WLIC 2018 they have invited to Session 095: Transform Libraries. Transform Societies: Library outreach to marginalized populations: historical perspectives. The session takes place 26.08. at 09:30.

They received a number of interesting  abstracts for its session at IFLA 2018, and had a hard job  choosing just a few for the session. They have also invited associate professor Brendan Luyt of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore  to deliver a keynote at the session.

We welcome all to these three interesting sessions!

The contents of the newsletter are:

• Letter from the Chair
• Reflections on the ongoing IFLA Global Vision Conversation: A spotlight on Library and Information Science (LIS) Education
• The Data Curator’s role and responsibilities: International and interdisciplinary perspectives. LRT Satellite in Warsaw (WLIC 2017)
• Become a LTR member!
• Follow us!Follow us!

Read the newsletter here, or find more details at our Newsletters webpage.

Thank you all and happy reading !

LIBRARY THEORY AND RESEARCH SECTION Newsletter • July 2017 is now available.

The contents are :

• Letter from the Chair
• Libraries in 2022
• Contributing to Research on LIS Education
• LTR Satellite Meeting
• LTR Open Session
• Follow us!

Please visit the link to the Warsaw Department webpage :https://ifla.wdib.uw.edu.pl/programme/ and do not forget to register for the Satellite for that visit the website.https://ifla.wdib.uw.edu.pl/registration-and-fees/ Registration fee is 420 PLN, which includes the cost of lunch, coffee breaks, welcome dinner and the reception. Students’ participation is free (does not include lunch and welcome dinner). Registration will commence at the first day at conference