IMG 6804 300x225 The 2024 MLAS Midterm in Astana, Kazakhstan, was presented under the theme “Connect, Collaborate, Create: Advancing Library Associations and Partnerships to Future-proof our Profession.”

Big recognition and Thanks:

To the Nazarbayev University Library, its Director Jerald Kavanaugh, and the staff members for their amazing collaboration. MLAS was honored to be part of the annual library conference.

The midterm was presented as part of Kazakhstan’s annual library conference, the  13th Eurasian Academic Libraries Conference (EALC), coordinated by The Nazarbayev University Library, in collaboration with IFLA Management of Library Associations and with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Association of University Libraries in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Management of Library Associations of IFLA was delighted to collaborate with the Nazarbayev University Library and the Association of University Libraries in the Republic of Kazakhstan to present a joint conference. The goal: to bring information, experiences and recommendations to contribute to strengthen library associations worldwide.

Photo Gallery 1

Here, MLAS themes of the conference:

  • Information Integrity; 
  • library advocacy;
  • library association’s financial sustainability; 
  • library associations’ strategic forecasting; 
  • library association membership management. 

 Keynote Speakers:

  • Sherri Aldis, Director, United Nations Regional Information Centre in Brussels, UN Department of Global Communications
  • Ismail Serageldin, Co-Chair of the Board of Nizami  Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria, Former VP of the World Bank
  • Professor Judy Broady-Preston, Professor Emerita, Aberystwyth University
  • Emily Drabinski, President American Library Association
  • Gaziza Nurgalieva, Director of the National Academic Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan

MLAS Conference MAY2024

Conference website: https://nu.kz.libguides.com/ealc2024/home

MLAS contributions to the program: (note that where available, presentations are hyperlinked)

Conference Opening Keynote: Sherri Aldis, United Nations Regional Information Center in Brussels, Belgium. “Information Integrity for a Better World: Libraries Collaborating with the United Nations”

May 29, 2024

Stephen Wyber (Netherlands), IFLA, Director External Affairs. Theme: Information Integrity

Loy Jyoon Chin (Malaysia), IFLA MLAS Secretary. PastVice President of the Librarians Association of
Malaysia
Theme: Financial Sustainability. “Librarians Association of Malaysia: Financial
Sustainability”

Emily Drabinski (USA), ALA President.
Theme: Financial Sustainability. “Best practices and innovations from ALA”

Sara Martinez (USA), REFORMA, Chair of
Organizational Development and New Chapters
Committee.
Theme: Strategic Planning. “REFORMA Strategic Planning”

Gulzhan Irzhanova, President, Association of Higher Education Libraries of the Republic of Kazakhstan
“Main activities of the Association of Academic Libraries of Kazakhstan: problems, results and
prospects”

May 30, 2024

Dijana Machala (Croatia), IFLA MLAS Member. Past President of the Croatian Library Association. Leader, MLAS Advocacy Impact Evaluation Project. Theme: MLAS Advocacy Impact Evaluation Project

Irina Trushina (Russia), IFLA MLAS Member. Executive Director of the Russian Library Association.
Theme: Library Advocacy. “The Role of Library Association in Social and Normative Regulation of Librarianship in Russia”

Julia Demasi (Uruguay), IFLA MLAS Member. President of the Board of the National Association of
Graduate Librarians from Uruguay. Theme: “Membership Retention”

Loida Garcia-Febo (USA/PR), MLAS Chair. IFLA Governing Board Member. Past President of the ALA.
Theme: Membership Retention. “Creative and Systematic strategies for membership retention for associations, organizations and institutions”

Juha Maninen, Secretary General Finland Library Association.  Theme: Strategic planning. “Finnish Library Association: strategy and its formulation”

May 31, 2025: MLAS Business Meeting

Photo Gallery 2: Nazarbayev University Library