Monthly Archives: October 2020

INELI-MENA recognized as WSIS Champion 2020 in the e-learning category!

September 2020 witnessed one of the amazing events worldwide, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) prize ceremony, which took place virtually provided by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Eighteen WSIS prizes were awarded during the ceremony. The prizes recognized successful initiatives by governments, private sector actors, civil society members, and partnerships between all stakeholders. In total, there were 72 champions, 354 nominees, and more than 2 million votes(1).

INELI-MENA was recognized as WSIS champion 2020, it ranked among the top five projects in the world in the e-learning category. INELI-MENA is an e-training leadership program, implemented by the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information (AFLI) and funded by Global Libraries Initiatives (GL) at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). It aims to:

  1. Support future Arab leaders in public and national libraries by developing, improving their skills & competencies.
  2. Build an active regional e-learning network of emerging leaders in libraries in the Arab region by the end of the program.
  3. Encourage cooperation between regional library associations and specialists in the field through a cooperative project.

The program consists of:

  • Online activities: a Moodle website was created to provide the participants with the learning modules; the website offered a translated version of Global Libraries INELI content, including the following modules: building successful teamwork; innovation; using data; risk management; resolving conflict; change management; advocacy; libraries and development (SDGs); and team projects.
  • In-Person Activities: INELI-MENA conducted two convenings in Germany & Egypt.
  • Combined In-Person and Online Activities: innovators worked in teams to produce new, innovative services and programs and implement them in their public libraries. Innovators implemented six projects for their communities: a library for homeless children; a human library; two marketing plans; a program for developing talent; and a pre-school program.

Certificate of recognition to AFLI

 It is worth mentioning that this would not be possible without the support of Global Libraries Initiative (GL) at the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

Thanks to IFLA for conducting an interview with the INELI-MENA program Director, to read the full interview, please follow this link:

https://www.ifla.org/node/93348

Reference:

  1. https://dig.watch/resources/opening-segment-wsis-prizes-2020-awards-ceremony

Australian librarians go above and beyond to promote children’s literacy!

As part of Library and Information Week each year, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) hosts National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS). In 2020, over 1.25 million participants simultaneously read the same picture book in libraries, schools, pre-schools, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. The success of this annual event has challenged the Australian LIS profession to come up with innovative ideas for future NSS events.

When thinking about the biggest thing that could happen for NSS, a suggestion was made to do it from space. There was already a science education program with stories read aloud by astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS), so the idea was really not too outlandish…

So when ALIA approached the Australian Space Agency and the Office of the Chief Scientist, they received a very positive response.  And the planning for NSS 2021 began and work commenced on sending a book into space.

Today, the selected picture book, with a single copy especially created to meet the precise physical requirements for space travel, lifted off from NASA’s flight facility at Wallops Island, Virginia, USA, heading for the ISS.

The book is entitled Give me some space! written and illustrated by Australian author Philip Bunting. It tells the story of Una, who dreams of a life in Space. She thinks that life on Earth is just so so-so. But how will she get there? And will she complete her mission to discover life in Space?

 

The story actually had to be fact-checked to ensure that the ideas were scientifically accurate.  As part of the project, there will also be a citizen science experiment where school children across Australia will record the temperature in their location. The data they collect will be combined with ISS data to map specific climate details of the vast continent.

NSS 2021 is scheduled for Wednesday 19 May 2021 at 11:00 AEST – which seems light-years away from now! However, do pop the event in your diary, so that you can all make the most of the opportunity to join millions of children around the world as they listen to an astronaut read their special story aloud to them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further resources

ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime https://www.alia.org.au/nss
Scroll down the webpage to ‘Resources’ to find heaps of creative ideas to support the NSS activities

Story Time from Space https://storytimefromspace.com/

Philip Bunting: Give me some space! https://philipbunting.com/books/give-me-some-space/

NASA Antares rocket launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, USA  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRhgcY-yaf4