Join IFLA Public Libraries and Literacy Reading Sections for our Reflecting Back and Thinking Forward Mid-term Seminar from 12-14 April 2021. We look at how public libraries have responded to COVID and how the lessons learnt will impact the future. We will also explore some of the great initiatives around reading and literacy that have emerged during this time and how we can expand on this. There will also be an opportunity to ‘meet’ the world’s Children’s Laureates/Ambassadors and hear of their vision for the future.
The exciting program is listed below.
All times listed in Amsterdam Time:
April 12, 2021 – 9.30am – 10.30am: Meet the Children’s Laureates/Ambassadors
April 13, 2021 – 10am – 11.30am: Public Library innovations in COVID
April 13, 2021 – 12:00pm – 13.30pm: Literacy and Reading during COVID
April 13, 2021 – 19:00pm – 20:30pm: Public Library innovations in COVID (Portuguese)
April 14, 2021 – 10:00am – 11.30am: The future of libraries in a post COVID world
April 14, 2021 – 12:00pm – 13.30pm: Reading together during a pandemic
April 15, 2021 – 10am – 12pm: Public Libraries Business Meeting – an open meeting for all to attend
Register for the program here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pIoOA9c_T56egeBkYeMjRw
We are very excited to hear from Public Libraries from around the world on their changing
services in response to Covid-19:
Panel: Public Libraries Innovations in Covid: April 13th 10am – 11.30am
Whitney Oakley, Branch Manager, USA
Whitney was born and raised in Colorado USA. She has her B.S. in Human Services and currently works as the Branch Manager of the Anythink Bennett Library. Whitney is passionate about community and national service and sits on the Town of Bennett Board of Trustees as a Trustee Member. She currently lives in Bennett, CO with her husband, daughter and their many animals.
Whitney will share with us her library’s Elders Check-In Calls program and the impact it had on her community.
You can find out more about her library here: https://www.anythinklibraries.org/location/anythink-bennett
Casey Bruck, Programming Librarian USA 
Casey Bruck is the Programming Librarian at the McCall Public Library in Idaho, USA. Casey calmly navigates all kinds of library programs—from kids’ maker-space robotics to adult travelogues. Ask him about any ideas you might have to keep our library a dynamic place of learning in our community. He is also leading the way in our Idaho Room’s digital history project, to make all our local history records available online.
Casey and his Tutor Mobile partner Amanda Keaveny will share with us how they developed a new service: The Tutor bus for their community
You can find out more about McCall Public Library team here: https://www.mccall.id.us/library-staff
Binoy Mathew Librarian Selection Grade at the Valapattanam Grama Panchayat Library, Kerala, India 
Binoy Mathew is Librarian, Special Grade of Valapattanam Grama Panchayat Library in Kannur District, Kerala, India. He has a Postgraduate Degree in Economics and Bachelor Degree in Library and Information Science. He currently lives in Kannur district with wife,son and mother.
Catharina Isberg Library Director, Helsingborg City Libraries, Sweden 
Catharina has previously worked as a Deputy Director and Manager for an academic library and as manager and vice president on an international level for a pharmaceutical industry library. Catharina’s wide variety of different library fields has brought a wealth of different ideas to her work in public libraries. Catharina has also been an active participant for IFLA and is has taken on a number of roles over the past 10 years with her current roles including Governing Board Member 2019-2021, Congress Advisory Committee Member 2019-2021, and a Professional Committee Member 2019-2021. You can find our more about the Helsingborg City Libraries here https://www.bibliotekfh.se/service-och-tj%C3%A4nster?refId=guxzYT&culture=sv
Panel Facilitator: Martin Memet Könick 
Martin is Library Director of Ängelholm Libraries in the South of Sweden. Martin is an elected member of IFLA:s SC for the Public Libraries Section.
Panel Moderator: Sander van Kempen
Sander is a Senior Advisor at the Royal Dutch Library in the Netherlands. Sander is an elected member of IFLA’s Section committees: the Public Libraries Section
We look forward to seeing you all at our virtual catch up.
Register Here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pIoOA9c_T56egeBkYeMjRw