One of the poster at the October 2013 European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) in Istanbul focused on the “Joy of Literacy” program in Finland (part of the Finnish “Joy of Reading” program. Helen Boelens noted the following recent publication, which is related to the poster session, may be of interest, especially in view of Finland’s excellent international reputation in reading and literacy.
Monthly Archives: October 2013
Irish reviewer’s list of best children’s books
The Irish Times book reviewer lists favorite Irish children’s books and his favorite children’s books reviewed over the last 25 years.
http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-book-reviewer-s-favourite-books-for-children-1.1562810
Library impact in New Zealand, Ghana, and Namibia
This article from LIANZA in New Zealand reminds readers of the importance of libraries by likening them to essential services, “like roads, health care and education.” The article conveys the ways in which libraries contribute to the economy and the fabric of society. This could perhaps be used as a model for writing to our own local newspapers to communicate the vital role of libraries. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1310/S00138/libraries-are-an-essential-service.htm
This article from Ghana Web notes: “Schools urged to engage qualified librarians” to assist in addressing the illiteracy rate of 43.4 percent:
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/regional/artikel.php?ID=288304
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The Finnish library Web TV called Kirjastokaista.fi visited Namibia’s capitol, Windhoek. There they shot a 30 minute long documentary film about two young persons whose liveshad improved because of the local library. The documentary is now available online and it’s published with Creative commons Attribution Non-Commercial license, so everyone can watch and share the video. Libraries, schools, etc. can even show it in their events.
The Greenwell Matongo library was initially founded in cooperation between the cities of Windhoek and Vantaa (Finland). The target was to bring the library services down to the grassroots level. The library was opened in 2005, and the public has embraced the library. The Greenwell Matongo Library also serves as an example library to the Libraries for Development project, which started in 2012 and is administered by the Finnish Library Association.
Documentary with English subtitles: http://bit.ly/17frfOd
Documentary with Swedish subtitles: http://bit.ly/1aFP5xB
Documentary with Finnish subtitles: http://www.kirjastokaista.fi/portti_maailmaan/
Middle East Book Awards
The winner is The Girl Who Fell to Earth: A Memoir, by Sophia Al-Maria (HarperCollins)
The co-winners are: The Compassionate Warrior: Abd el-Kader of Algeria, by Elsa Marston (Wisdom Tales) and The Arab World Thought of It: Inventions, Innovations, and Amazing Facts by Saima Hussain (Annick Press)
Manitoba School Library Day
The Manitoba Government Proclaims October 28, 2013 as Manitoba School Library Day:
“School libraries in Manitoba function as information-rich centres supporting inquiry and research in schools. They are active learning centres that provide instruction and access to a wide range of resources locally and globally. School libraries also foster student achievement and collaboration as well as the growth of traditional collections and electronic databases for the purpose of curriculum implementation in schools.” Hon. Nancy Allan, Manitoba Minister of Education (past)
Students from across Manitoba will be “Dropping Everything and Reading” throughout this day to celebrate their school libraries. They will be joining students from across the country as they celebrate National School Library Day on October 28, 2013.
Tweet what your students are reading on this day at: #canadadear2013
Library 2.013 Free Virtual Conference
The dates are set for the Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference. The third annual global conversation about the future of libraries is scheduled for October 18-19, 2013. The conference will once again be held entirely online around the clock in multiple languages and time zones. Everyone is invited to participate in this FREE forum designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among information professionals worldwide.
To be kept informed of the latest conference news and updates, please join the Library 2.0 network. You do not need to join this network to attend, but doing so will also allow you to correspond with the presenters and other members, and to comment on sessions and discussions.
NEW for 2013! The Library 2.013 conference will feature two additional themed conference strands: 1) Doctoral Student Research and 2) Library and Information Center “Tours.” We encourage doctoral students to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to present their research and hone their online presentation skills. We also heard that many of you want to “see” libraries from around the globe. Presenters will take conference attendees on virtual tours of their libraries or information centers. We will post more information soon on the format of these tours.
Altogether, there will be eight conference strands covering a wide variety of timely topics, such as, MOOCs, e-books, maker spaces, mobile services, embedded librarians, green libraries, and more! Presenters may also submit presentations that cover LIS-related topics not included in the themed strands. The Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference is a great opportunity for professional development and networking. View the Conference Strands. (As a reminder, recordings of the Library 2.012 Worldwide Virtual Conference presentations are still available for viewing at your convenience.)
Section Begins Revision of the IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines
The revision of the 2002 IFLA/UNESCO School Library Guidelines began with a workshop at the Singapore WLIC, held on August 20, 2013 at the National Library of Singapore. Dianne Oberg (Canada) and Randi Lundvall (Norway) began the workshop with a brief history of the development of the 1999 IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto and of the 2002 School Library Guidelines. Then Barbara Schultz-Jones organized five working groups, based on the content of the Guidelines: Introduction; Resources; Staff; Programs; and Promotion. The groups each gave a brief report at the end of their discussions, which were recorded on a flipchart. Dianne Oberg, incoming Secretary of the School Libraries Standing Committee, has transcribed the flipchart notes, and soon the group reports will be available as well.
Tentative Timeline for the Revision Process The process for the revision will involve a series of reviews and writing sessions as well as consultations with members of the IFLA School Libraries Standing Committee and with members of IASL. The joint committee anticipates considering feedback on the Guidelines during October and November in order to have a first draft of the revised document by December 2013. Further feedback and rewriting will continue throughout the first half of 2014. The plan is to have a final document ready for endorsement in August 2014 by the IFLA School Libraries Standing Committee and by IASL. Then the document will go for approval to the Governing Board of IFLA in December 2014, followed by approval by UNESCO. IFLA members are invited to participate in the revision of the School Library Guidelines as members of the “expert panel” to provide on-going feedback and advice to the joint committee. Interested individuals should contact Dianne Oberg doberg@ualberta.ca. Dianne will provide you with the information and resources that you will need to participate as a member of our “expert panel” over the next year. Dianne Oberg, |