Author Archives: richards

Meet the candidates: Jane Cowell

Jane Cowell
Chief Executive Officer
Yarra Plenty Regional Library
AUSTRALIA

I can bring a broad career experience to the Standing Committee that encompasses 20 years working in Public Libraries, including over 10 years as a Public Library Manager, significant strategic planning skills honed through four years as a national Library Consultant working with Public Libraries, State Libraries and Archives in developing future directions, and 8 years working as an Executive Director State Library of Queensland which included responsibility for Public Libraries, Rural Libraries Queensland (a service for very small regional local government Councils) and the Indigenous Knowledge Centres in the remote corners of the State.

I have also played an integral part in the research and Public Library policy development delivered at the State Library of Queensland in collaboration with the public libraries in the State.  This included, The Library Dividend: A study of the socio-economic value of Queensland public libraries, The Impact of Libraries as Creative spaces, and The First Five Forever early literacy program and I bring an excellent understanding of current issues, future opportunities and advocacy skills for Public Libraries today.

I have also participated in the wider Australian library industry sector and have served as President of the Queensland Public Library Association, a Director on the Australian Library and Information Australia board, participated on a national conference committee and State based library industry programs and projects, such as mentoring new Librarians.

My passion and enthusiasm for the impact that public libraries can deliver for all their communities abounds and I will bring energy, commitment and future based thinking to the role.

For more information about voting for members of the Public Libraries Standing Committee take the time to read our post.

Voting is now open!

Voting for members of the IFLA Public Libraries Standing Committee for the 2019-2023 term is now open. All financial members of the Public Libraries Section are eligible to vote and the ballot papers have been posted out by IFLA Headquarters. Voting closes on 29 March 2019.

We are excited to announce that  18 people have nominated to be members of our Standing Committee. Sadly we only have 9 vacancies.

To help you make an informed decision we asked each of the nominees to tell us a little about themselves and why they are standing for election. Over the next few days we will be gradually posting these on our Blog and on Facebook. Please take the time to read them.

Our Standing Committee is very active and geographically distributed to give us links into the wider public library community. Our continuing members will be:

Lo Claesson (Sweden); Montserrat Espunga (Spain); Leikny Indergaard (Norway); Corinne Hill (USA); Pirkko Lindberg (Finland) Sue Considine (USA); Margaret Allen (Australia) Ismea Meic (Croatia); Lenka Pruckova (Czech Republic); Spaska Tarandova (Bulgaria); Qiang Xu (China).

We also have 5 Corresponding Members who are eligible to stand for a second, two year term:

Rursudan Asatiani (Georgia); Sarah Dudek (Germany); Mark Freeman (UK); Fatemeh Pazooki (Iran); Shaddy Shadrach (India).

So take the time to read about our candidates and make an informed decision. Make your vote count!

Jan Richards
Chair IFLA Public Libraries Standing Committee

 

PLS through the eyes of a newcomer

Saleh modelling Fatemeh’s PLSC name badge! We could tell the difference.

At the Public Libraries Standing Committee sessions in Kuala Lumpur we were delighted to welcome Saleh Zamani from Iran. Saleh is a colleague of our corresponding member Fatemeh Pazooki and as she was unable to come Saleh attended so he could report back to Fatemeh when he returned home..

We have just received this report from Saleh (via Fatemeh) and we would like to share it with you. We think it demonstrates what IFLA is all about.

This was the first time that I came to IFLA as newcomers. Although I was not familiar with IFLA’s structures, I first got acquainted with Public Libraries Section. So, my first visit to IFLA was through the Public Libraries group in the Chinese restaurant. I got surprised due to the friendly, warm and inclusive behaviors of all the members specially Jan. I’m not a librarian, but from the time of meeting Jan and her friends, I was interested in Librarianship. From the two Public Library’s sessions, I could attend the first session and enjoy the reports of the program. I remember one of the reports was on the investment in Libraries that could reduce social costs of communities. This report was important to me because of bearing social background. Another attractive point for me was that among the sections which I participated in, the Public Library Committee was much more active than the others. Empathy and coordination among the members made them an effective family. Jan’s flexible management has made it so easy for any non-librarian to be interested in librarianship. Unfortunately, at the second session of the committee, I was not able to attend because I took part in another section (CDNL).

However, I will never forget the memories of friendship with committee members. I really thank Fatemeh Pazooki because she introduced me to this committee for the first time, and I had the chance to take part in that section. I remember, I was so happy with the selection of Public Library Section on the last day at the Planetary Theater. I realized Jan and her colleagues are doing a lot of ongoing efforts to update their activities while loving their profession. I really love to see them all again and wish them good luck.

Ecology, Education and Culture: Libraries as a Model

The Tunisian Federation of University Libraries “FEBUS” in collaboration with IFLA: Public Libraries Section

& Higher Institute of ISD Documentation University of Manouba

Ecology, Education and Culture: Libraries as a Model

Tunis – 21-22-23 June 2018

Call for Papers

 The Federation of University Libraries and Specialized Documentation and Information Services invites proposals for papers to be presented at its International Conference Ecology, Education and Culture: Libraries as a Model to be held in Tunis, Tunisia 21-23 June 2018.

 Main theme The Conference will showcase international best practice for environmentally sustainable libraries in educational and cultural institutions.

Audience The conference is targeted at Library and Information Professionals, Cultural institutions; Ecologists; Teachers and researchers, Students.

The issues dealt with by the conference

The Conference program will focus on the themes detailed below and proposals should reflect one of these:

  1. Sustainable Environment – the way in which libraries and resource centres can be more ecologically and socially responsible and help to establish an environmental culture, spaces that respect and support sustainable development
  2. Sustainable Resources -The consideration of the ecological dimension in the acquisition, monitoring and organization of documents;
  3. Sustainable Technologies -The consideration of the ecological dimension in the construction, renovation and maintenance of equipment: minimize the negative impact on the environment and maximize the ecological and economic benefits
  4. Sustainable Services – The consideration of the ecological dimension in the programming of cultural action and in partnership practice; The participation of users as a stakeholder in the life of the green library; The intergenerational transmission and its impacts on ecological awareness;

There are three ways to participate in the conference:

  1. Conferences, papers, studies, research, and reports related to the themes of environment and ecology in cultural institutions
  2. Demonstration of best practices, equipment and furniture used in ecological information services and a fair for environmental activities
  3. Training on ‘Pathways to Green Libraries: theory and practice’ working with librarians and archivists in ecological practices: awareness of environmental problems in their professions.

 

 

Proposal guidelines:

Proposals must be original work of author(s), address one or more of the sub-themes, written in English, French or Arabic, and include:

  1. Title of proposed paper:
  2. Name(s) of author(s).
  3. Author’s professional role and institutional affiliation, if any.
  4. Author’s e-mail address and telephone number (s).
  5. Abstract of the proposed paper; and
  6. Short professional profiles of presenter(s)

The proposal should not exceed 2 pages in 12 font

 

Submissions:

All proposals will be reviewed by a panel set up by the Committee. Discussions will be held with successful applicants concerning format and timing (Key notes of 30 minutes and 20 minutes for others)

Important deadlines:

 

20April 2018: Submission of abstract (max 2 pages in 12 font).
30 April 2018: Communication of acceptance or rejection of proposal.
30 May 2018: Submission of completed paper.(Max 10 pages 12 font)
15 May 2017: Submission of presentation slides.

 

Contacts Email: federation.but@gmail.com

Président de l’Association Médiation, Bibliothèque et Formation en France : wahed.wallouche@laposte.net

Visiting Singapore for WLIC 2018?

If you’re passing through Singapore on your way to the WLIC in Kuala Lumpur this coming August there’s an opportunity to visit some of the country’s fabulous libraries.

Thanks to our Singaporean colleagues pre and post conference visits are on offer. For further details Click here

Corresponding Members Needed

The IFLA Public Libraries Standing Committee is seeking expressions of interest from people interested in becoming Corresponding Members of the Section for the period January 2018 – August 2019. Up to five Corresponding Members may be appointed as part of this process.

Public Libraries Standing Committee The Public Libraries Standing Committee comprises 20 elected members from Australia (2), Brazil (1), Bulgaria (1), China (1), Croatia (1), Czech Republic (1), Denmark (1), Finland (1), France (1), Japan (1),The Netherlands (1), Norway (1), Singapore (1), Spain (1), Sweden (2), USA (3).

The Public Libraries Section is very active within IFLA and is currently engaged in a number of exciting initiatives. This includes an extensive review of the Public Library Standards and Guidelines and management of the Public Library of the Year Awards. We also offer a rich program at the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC), often partnering with other sections while our mid-term meetings provide an opportunity for us to work with colleagues in our host countries.

What is a corresponding member? Corresponding Members complement the work done by elected members of the Standing Committee. These places are intended for people who are normally unable to attend the WLIC (and therefore the meetings of the Standing Committee) for geographical or financial reasons. Their role is to represent countries in geographical areas, which are not already represented on the Standing Committee, or to provide expertise in a specific subject field.

Expressions of interest are particularly sought from colleagues in the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa. Expressions of interest from those representing major language groups not covered by the current Public Libraries Standing Committee membership will also be considered.

Corresponding Members receive the Standing Committee papers and are expected to maintain regular contact with the Officers and other Standing Committee members, at the same time sharing information about the Section within their own networks. The Standing Committee might appoint Corresponding Members to work on particular projects, or to provide input on certain activities.

Corresponding Members will be appointed by the Standing Committee for an initial term ending at the WLIC in August 2019, renewable for one further term of two years on the decision of the Section’s Chair.

Corresponding Members are very welcome to attend Committee meetings whenever possible and are encouraged to contribute to the conversation. They do not however have voting rights and do not contribute to the quorum. All costs associated with attending meetings are the responsibility of individual members.

If you are interested in becoming a Corresponding member of the Standing Committee please complete the Expression of Interest Form below and return it to the address on the form by Friday 2 February 2018.

Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants

Our friends at the American Library Association are inviting proposals for presentations to be made at the next ALA Conference in New Orleans on the topic of Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants. Given all the great work that so many of our members are doing in this space you may be interested in reading the call:

CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The American Library Association’s International Relations Roundtable Papers and Projects Committee invites proposals for presentations to be made at the next ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Presentations will be delivered at the International Papers Session scheduled in June 2018. The International Papers and Projects Program provides librarians with an opportunity to exchange information about library services, collections and projects throughout the world. The program also serves to stimulate the interest of U.S. librarians in international library matters. We invite presentation proposals based on the International Papers and Projects 2018 theme:

Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants

UNESCO emphasizes the importance of social inclusion for international migrants and encourages cities and local governments to “ensure social rights for migrants to adequate housing, education, health and social care, welfare and decent standard of living according to basic needs such as food, energy and water.” Libraries can play an important role in helping new arrivals acclimate and thrive in a new community.

Do you have a story to share about how your library, on its own or in collaboration with community organizations, is providing social services and support for refugees and immigrants? Do you have advice on creating successful programming to support refugees and immigrants?

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Proposals, presentations, and papers must be written and delivered in English, which is the working language of the program.

Proposals should include:
1. Title of the presentation
2. Name, title, institutional affiliation, and full contact information (including a valid e-mail address) for each presenter
3. Abstract (300-500 words)
4. A short biographical profile of each presenter

Proposals should be submitted electronically (as a single Microsoft Word or PDF attachment) to the International Relations Office via email at intl@ala.org with a copy to jsolis@email.unc.edu and paromitabiswas7@gmail.com.
Deadline for submitting proposals is December 31, 2017 .

SELECTION PROCESS
Four proposals will be selected to present at the ALA Annual Meeting in June 2018. Notification of acceptance will be emailed by February 15, 2018.

PRESENTATION FORMAT:
The International Papers and Projects Program is 1.5 hours total. Presentations should run about 20 minutes each, followed by a question-and-answer session. Presenters are encouraged to prepare a dynamic and interactive presentation, incorporating visual prompts, technologies, games, questions for the audience, etc. PowerPoints are common, but speakers who want to read a paper or refer to it are welcome to do so.

We would like to invite you to view previous presentation titles listed on IRRT’s International Papers and Projects Session Committee website,