Monthly Archives: December 2014

AMICAL 2015 conference call for proposals

AMICAL 2015 – Conference information & Call for proposals
Theme: Clearing thresholds: information literacy & faculty–librarian–technologist collaboration

AMICAL is a consortium of higher education American-style universities located currently in about 30 countries around the world. Each year they hold a conference. Here is an excerpt from their announcement calling for proposals for the 2015 conference to be held in Bulgaria and providing a website URL for future use. This organization may be a useful one for you to network with, especially if there is an AMICAL university in your country. Perhaps you might even be interested in guest teaching or undertaking research at one of their institutions,

The AMICAL Consortium, together with the American University in Bulgaria, are pleased to launch the AMICAL 2015 conference website, which includes information about the schedule, speakers, venue, sponsors and program proposals. The 2015 AMICAL Conference will give special focus to information literacy, and in particular to new conceptual frameworks for information literacy in the context of international American universities. The program will also cover a broad range of other topics related to libraries, technology and learning, with sessions ranging from conceptual talks to hands-on workshops to unconference sessions created during the event.

“Staff and faculty from AMICAL member institutions are invited to propose program sessions for AMICAL 2015, with proposals particularly encouraged from the following areas:
“Information literacy, learning models and pedagogy
Students as creators & collaborators
Digital humanities
Marketing and communication of library and information services
Assessment of library and information services”

For more information click on: HTTPS://www.amicalnet.org

IFLA Sustainable Development Goals Efforts

LA has been working with the international library community—as well as civil society and member states—to develop its position on the creation of the new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help ensure that crucial elements such as access to information are included in the UN post-2015 Development Agenda. Throughout this process, it is important that libraries are seen as being part of the conversation.

Last week, an advance “Synthesis Report of the UN Secretary-General On the Post-2015 Agenda” was released. The Report outlines the priorities and main goals of the post-2015 UN Development Agenda and has a serious goal: to transform our economies, our environment, and our societies. IFLA welcomes the Report and the inclusion of access to information, and encourages the United Nations to recognise the role of access and skills as an essential pillar in the transformational agenda for sustainable development. Unfortunately, we are disappointed that the report lacks substance on the potential of ICTs for development.

We encourage the UN and its Member States to use the Lyon Declaration during the next stage of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda to inform the inclusion of access to information, and the skills to use it effectively by:

·         Acknowledging the public’s right to access information and data, while respecting the right to individual privacy;

·         Recognising the important role of local authorities, information intermediaries and infrastructure such as ICTs and an open Internet as a means of implementation;

·         Adopting policy, standards and legislation to ensure the continued funding, integrity, preservation and provision of information by governments, and access by people;

·         Developing targets and indicators that enable measurement of the impact of access to information and data.

IFLA has already released a Toolkit to support library institutions and associations and other civil society organisations to advocate for access to information in the context of post-2015 UN Development Agenda—thereby empowering signatories of the Lyon Declaration to make the voice of the library community heard on a national level.

What next?

Following the publication of the final synthesis report at the end of December 2014, IFLA will produce a revised version of the Toolkit with specific talking points and examples to support meetings with member state representatives that library associations and institutions will organise in early 2015.

The final synthesis report will become the baseline for the negations and meetings that will take place throughout 2015, in the lead up to the Special Summit on Sustainable Development. IFLA will be participating in some of the meetings, including:

·         High-level thematic debate on the means of implementation for the post-2015 development agenda (February 2015)

·         Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 (July 2015)

·         Millennium Development Goals Gap Task Force Report (September 2015)

·         Special Summit on Sustainable Development (September 2015)

Read the full response online.

 

ECIL 2015 conference call for proposals

The 3rd European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL 2015), to be held from 19-22 October 2015, in Tallinn, Estonia.

 In the Conference, additional to all aspects of Information Literacy (please visit the Conference website for a detailed list of topics – http://ecil2015.ilconf.org/) the contribution of information literacy to the smart lifestyle and green society issues will be focused and explored. ECIL aims to bring together researchers, information professionals, media specialists, educators, environmentalists, sustainability experts, policy makers, employers and all other related parties from around the world to exchange knowledge and experience and discuss recent developments and current challenges in both theory and practice.

The conference will be composed of several types of contributions, such as full papers, posters, PechaKucha (short presentations), best practices, workshops, panels, invited talks, doctoral forum; each has different requirements and restrictions regarding the length, time allocation and content. Contributions should be prepared using the templates available through the Conference website and submitted electronically via the conference management system by March 16, 2015.

For more information please refer to conference webpage http://ecil2015.ilconf.org

If you have any questions after visiting the conference webpage, please email the conference secretariat at ecil2015@tlu.ee
If you wish to receive updates on ECIL 2015 you can follow us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ECILconference/571454716331266

 

2015 Information Literacy conference

We cordially invite you to attend our 3rd European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL 2015), to be held from 19-22 October 2015, in Tallinn, Estonia.

In the Conference, additional to all aspects of Information Literacy (please visit the Conference website for a detailed list of topics – http://ecil2015.ilconf.org/) the contribution of information literacy to the smart lifestyle and green society issues will be focused and explored. ECIL aims to bring together researchers, information professionals, media specialists, educators, environmentalists, sustainability experts, policy makers, employers and all other related parties from around the world to exchange knowledge and experience and discuss recent developments and current challenges in both theory and practice.

The conference will be composed of several types of contributions, such as full papers, posters, PechaKucha (short presentations), best practices, workshops, panels, invited talks, doctoral forum; each has different requirements and restrictions regarding the length, time allocation and content. Contributions should be prepared using the templates available through the Conference website and submitted electronically via the conference management system by March 16, 2015.

For more information please refer to conference webpage: http://ecil2015.ilconf.org

If you have any questions after visiting the conference webpage, please email the conference secretariat at ecil2015@tlu.ee

If you wish to receive updates on ECIL 2015 you can follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ECILconference/571454716331266

Sustainable Development Goals Synthesis Report

IFLA has been working with the U.N. to promote access to information, and asking it to be included on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda. Kindly see links below for background information.

Last Thursday, 12/4, the U.N. Secretary General released his Synthesis Report about the SDGs. This document takes into consideration various reports and the final document resulting from the meetings of the U.N. Open Working Group.  As you will read on the report, below, access to information was included!

The U.N. Secretary General invited civil society groups to send responses about his Synthesis Report.
You are encouraged to share IFLA’s response with association leaders.