SHARJAH: Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) is curating the seventh edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair/American Library Association (ALA) Library Conference (SIBF/ALA). The event will be held virtually from November 10 – 12 on the Zoom platform along with sidelines of the ongoing Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2020, and see the participation of more than 400 librarians, archivists, and industry professionals from 39 countries.
‘Libraries and Librarians Meeting the Challenges in the New Normal’ is the theme of the conference. The conference is a platform for experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities that face libraries in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak and to share best practices.
On November 10, the conference will kick off with a welcome speech by HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, followed by an opening keynote titled ‘Meeting the Challenge in Times of Crisis’, by Julius C. Jefferson Jr., President of ALA and Acting Director of the Researcher and Reference Services at the Library of Congress.
The inaugural discussion of the three-day schedule is titled ‘Leading Staff Responding to the Challenge: Flexibility, Creativity, Reorganisation and Wellness Care.’ Shaikha Mohamed Almehairi, Director of the Libraries Department (LD), Abu Dhabi Department for Culture and Tourism, will shed light on challenges that libraries faced in the initial days of the pandemic, and offer insights into how the department reorganized and relaunched its programmes to meet the changing needs of the community.
‘What happens when a strategy meets a crisis?’ is the theme of the second session presented by Stuart Hamilton, Head of Libraries Development at the Local Government Management Agency, Ireland. The role of libraries in promoting information freedom, and share specifically the success Ireland’s libraries achieved across the country due to the concerted efforts of the local and central governments will be discussed in this session.
On the second day of the virtual conference on 11th November, Dr. Heba Mohamed Ismail, Libraries Technical Manager at Egypt’s Society for Culture, will best practices in continuing professional development and new opportunities available for librarians to advance their careers.
The second session of the second day is titled ‘Do’s and Don’ts for Successful Risk Management in Libraries’. Emad Saleh, Professor at Information Science Department, Helwan University, Cairo, and Vice President of the Arab Federation for Libraries & Information in Egypt, will introduce actionable insights into what practices librarians can adopt to assess, interpret and manage potential risks, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
The discussions on the third day, November 12, will begin with a session titled, ‘How to Keep Students Engaged’. Amanda Gintaut, Teacher-Librarian, Dubai American Academy will speak on how to enhance communication with students, enhance collaboration with teachers through lesson planning and making the most of school resources.
The next presentation under the theme, ‘Expanding School Librarians Role in Virtual Learning,’ Saeed Khalid, Librarian, National School, Bahrain, will present on the significant role of librarians in virtual learning, will highlight the importance of supporting and coaching teachers and students according to their needs, and introduce virtual library applications.
Registration is free for librarians, library workers, and exhibitors, and can be done at sibfala.com.
