Monthly Archives: December 2022

CPDWL Standing Committee Member Highlight: Heba Ismail

“This is How We Do It: One Professional Development Activity in the Lives of Librarians from Around the World” is a new series from the IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section to highlight our standing committee members, who they are and what they do!

In this post, we highlight Heba Ismail, CPDWL standing committee member!

Why are you a standing committee member of CPDWL and what are you working on for CPDWL Section at the moment? 
Heba: I am a standing committee member because I do believe that the professional development is the key to master skills, what the SC do is a marvelous job by helping librarians worldwide, and by giving professionals the opportunity to learn and apply new knowledge and skills that can help them in their daily job and further their career, since I love volunteering, I like to be part of what CPDWL SC do and I am honored of doing that. I am currently involved with my colleague Mantra in Creating CPDWL Award.
What is one advice you have for new librarians interested in getting involved in IFLA or in their library associations for professional development? 
Heba: Engage, learn, involve, be open-minded to other culture & colleagues and do not be afraid.

CPDWL Standing Committee Member Highlight: Daria Beliakova

“This is How We Do It: One Professional Development Activity in the Lives of Librarians from Around the World” is a new series from the IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section to highlight our standing committee members, who they are and what they do!

In this post, we highlight Daria Beliakova, CPDWL standing committee member!

Why are you a standing committee member of CPDWL and what are you working on for CPDWL Section at the moment? 
Daria: I joined the SC CPDWL because for many years my professional activity has been connected with professional development programs for Russian librarians, with the study and spread of foreign library experience, with the organization of international professional exchanges. As a member of the Standing Committee, I constantly broadcast information about the work of IFLA departments to the Russian library community, prepare publications for the blog and newsletter of our section. I take part in the preparation of a special Knowledge Cafe event, participate in coaching sessions as a coach for Russian-speaking librarians, contributed to the translation into Russian of the full text of the Guidelines for continuing professional education and measures for its adaptation. Gathered information about the organization of distance professional development programs in Russia to develop an appendix to this manual. I also recorded two audio interviews with Russian library leaders for the Russian CPDWL podcast series.
What is one advice you have for new librarians interested in getting involved in IFLA or in their library associations for professional development? 
Daria: Be proactive! Your professional association, as well as IFLA, is in dire need of your fresh ideas and energy. Get to know your colleagues in the professional association, their activities, achievements, work style, even their mistakes. You can use this rich experience in your work. By becoming a member of a professional association, you have a whole network of partners and experts at your disposal who will be happy to take part in the projects you are working on. Also, you will strengthen and enrich your field of activity. You will get the opportunity to tell about your achievements to the whole country, to the whole world. And don’t be afraid! Librarians are a very friendly community of professionals.

CPDWL Standing Committee Member Highlight: Ulrike Lang

“This is How We Do It: One Professional Development Activity in the Lives of Librarians from Around the World” is a new series from the IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section to highlight our standing committee members, who they are and what they do!

In this post, we highlight Ulrike Lang, co-chair of CPDWL!

Ulrike Lang

Why are you a standing committee member of CPDWL and what are you working on for CPDWL Section at the moment? 
Ulrike: As head of education and training department at the State and University Library in Hamburg, Germany, I was always interested in new experiences of learning and training. Library staff is the most important source for the efforts and acceptance of libraries in their communities. For this you have to educate and develop the colleagues. I learned that new influences and trends from abroad could always inspire and the best way to collect these experiences is in the CPDWL section.
Right now I’m serving as chair of the section and am also convenor of the IFLA Coaching initiative of CPDWL & M&M section.
What is one advice you have for new librarians interested in getting involved in IFLA or in their library associations for professional development? 
Ulrike: Always be open to meet new people and to check if their stories can be transformed to your daily work. Look for supporters at home. If your management at your institution will not support your work within IFLA or your library association it might be very difficult to fulfill your tasks in the work of IFLA. You might need time, money and other resources.

Brazil’s Library Advocacy for the Win

On November 29, Dr. Jorge Moisés Kroll do Prado, President of the Brazilian Federation of Associations of Librarians, Information Scientists and Institutions (FEBAB), spoke in support of librarians and the 60th anniversary of the regulation of the library profession in Brazil at the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress of Brazil in Brasilia, the country’s capital.

Few librarians have been able to advocate for libraries in their country’s Congress. This is a huge win for libraries and librarians in Brazil and globally. I’ve collaborated with Dr. Prado for a long time and interviewed him about this achievement. I hope his answers help build strategies to advocate for libraries in countries around the world.

What was the purpose of your library advocacy at the National Congress of Brazil?

I went to the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress of Brazil in Brasilia, invited by the Federal Council of Librarianship. The Chamber of Deputies is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil.

We had two activities: on Monday, November 28, I spoke at a public hearing for the universalization law for school libraries and on Tuesday, November 29, I spoke at the solemn session for the 60th anniversary of the regulation of the librarian profession in Brazil.

The law for university libraries is now 12 years old and still unfulfilled. We only have 36.5% of Brazilian schools with libraries, which does not mean a librarian is in these spaces. The public hearing on November 28 outlined the next steps in fulfilling this law. I was joined by Prof. Dr. Maria das Graças Castro Monteiro, chair of the Brazilian School Libraries Commission of FEBAB. A national campaign (#SouBibliotecaEscolar in Portuguese, #IamSchoolLibrary) has mobilized associations, regional councils, society, and the government in the Brazilian states to carry out regional articulations. Our country is vast, and each state has a different socioeconomic and political particularity.

The solemn session on November 29 for the 60 years of regulation of our profession is an outstanding achievement. The law was created by librarian Laura Russo, FEBAB’s first president. In Brazil, we only have 69 regulated professions and this context, in a way, makes it easier for us to guarantee a speaking slot in Congress.

For a few years now, FEBAB has been increasing close collaborations with other librarian entities in Brazil, which is fundamental. Despite being a big country, librarians are a small group. Therefore, every union and collective effort is essential.

How were you able to secure such opportunities?

The Federal Deputy Fernanda Melchionna and the Federal Council of Librarianship invited me to speak. Melchionna, the first librarian elected deputy in our country, is one of the leaders of the Parliamentary Group for Books, Reading and Writing launched in 2019 with the support of 220 deputies.

FEBAB has continuously collaborated with Melchionna securing her support. Additionally, we collaborate with other library entities in Brazil. Our delegation was strong, reflecting our work in unity. The presidents of the regional library councils, a representative of the National Fund for the Development of Education, and the federal deputies Fernanda Melchionna and Erika Kokay (FEBAB’s partner in several initiatives) were all present with us in Congress. From FEBAB, at the public hearing on school libraries on November 28, I was joined by Prof. Dr. Maria das Graças Monteiro Castro, chair of the Brazilian Commission on School Libraries of FEBAB. At the solemn session on November 29, I was the only speaker representing libraries.

What did you speak about?

During the solemn session, I spoke about the hard work of Laura Russo. She was a very important librarian who worked hard for the development of our profession in Brazil. She was the first president of FEBAB in 1959 and the first president of the Federal Council of Librarianship in 1966. The law that regulates the profession was created due to her work. I also mentioned that the achievements from these six decades result from the advocacy of our associations, regional councils, and unions. It is of fundamental importance that librarians continue to engage and support this movement so that we may have new achievements in the next 60 years.

I brought some specific data about the situation during the public hearing on school libraries. In Brazil, according to preliminary data from the Library Census that FEBAB has been carrying out since April of this year, only 13% of the professionals are working in schools. It is necessary to increase the number of people trained in the courses but in line with the required profile of the school librarian that we need to build. I also mentioned that our fight cannot be only about access to books but information as a whole, and this happens in a space with adequate and accessible infrastructure and with a dedicated librarian. We need financial investment, guidelines, and models for school library networks, and we need to design the library according to the learning level of the students.

What would you recommend to librarians that would like to have an appointment at such an important and visible forum in their countries?

The first thing I recommend is to engage with the profession’s different groups and entities. They continuously follow up and work closely with local and federal governments, universities, and other organizations. They continuously carry out projects in different areas that need the support of professionals. You may not be available to participate in the management team, but it is essential to cooperate with their actions.

IFLA has produced relevant materials: the 10 Minutes International Librarian action tips, which are advocacy tips that you can practice in any library. Here in Brazil, in partnership with SP Leituras, we translate it into Portuguese and publish it on FEBAB’s social media. These materials can be adapted regionally or even translated into languages other than the official IFLA languages.

By Loida Garcia-Febo, International Library Consultant and CPDWL Advisor