Stay up to date with our latest developments, initiatives, and new resources!
IFLA's Governing Board meets in person in The Hague this week for three full days of meetings, as well as engagement with the Dutch library community. We're happy to share below the key points on the agenda.
The webinar presentations covered both the experience of using discovery tools in library practice and promising developments of commercial companies and non-profit organizations in the area.
The December 2024 IFLA Asia and Oceania Regional Division Newsletter includes editorials from the Chair of the Asia-Oceania Regional Division Committee, the Manager of the Regional Office for Asia and Oceania, and news from IFLA, the region and beyond. This covers work in Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
On November 28, 2024, IFLA's Europe Regional Division Committee, together with the Management of Library Associations Section (MLAS), in collaboration with the New Professionals Special Interest Group (NPSIG) and the Women, Information and Libraries Special Interest Group (WILSIG) hosted a webinar on the internationalization of Library Association's work. Webinar's recording is available.
The summit exposed me to the future evolution of libraries and information services and spurred my enthusiasm to be a part of this exciting transformation.
The library's women's forum is committed to improving the physical, mental, and social health of the community, especially women. They have partnered with the local family health center for continuous health awareness programs.
Located in the main lobby of the University Library, the Short Story Dispenser serves as an independent kiosk which offers an innovative way to encourage leisure reading and creative idleness while enhancing the waiting experience. In addition to the physical kiosk, a Short Story Portal for CUHK Library provides online access to the works curated in the Dispenser.
Data science uses advanced techniques to extract actionable insights from vast data sources, making it invaluable for National Library of Malaysia. With rich data from user demographics, borrowing histories, and digital resource interactions, NLM has a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of user preferences and trends, directly informing collection management and service optimisation.
Both NLP ePortal and OLA have effectively engaged in growing their user base, demonstrating their potential as valuable tools for enhancing library services, access to library resources, and fostering user engagement. The integration of these initiatives in providing virtual reference services and information resources embodies the essence of IFLA's "Library without Walls" advocacy, emphasising the responsibility of libraries to provide inclusive and equitable services to meet the diverse needs of its clients and fostering a digitally connected library experience for all.
The Beijing Library redefines the 21st-century library, forming emotional connections between people, books, and nature. It offers a lasting space for learning, social interaction, and knowledge-sharing in a once-underdeveloped suburban area, transforming Tongzhou into a vibrant cultural hub.
Improvement in the literacy rates among the youth is imperative for long-term success in education and has thus become a gap that libraries have risen to fill. Libraries are trying to make reading fun and engaging for young learners and get them to love reading through hosting storytelling sessions, book clubs, and other reading activities. Such initiatives go a long way in helping children inculcate early literacy habits in life, especially among people whose homes cannot afford books.
The online webinar, ‘Future Memory: Challenges and opportunities for rare books and special collections from conservation, preservation and discovery angles – projects from individual countries in the Asia – Oceania region’, took place on 2 September 2024.
The Universiti Malaya Library (UMLib) has reached a new milestone in its sustainability journey by securing first place in the inaugural Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Corner Competition, under the Academic Library category this year.
The Regional Office organised the Information Integrity hybrid session together with the Regional Division Committee on the side of the IIFS. The session featured presentations on libraries' role and efforts in promoting information integrity and literacy. Speakers from South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania shared insights on the efforts as well as challenges of advancing information integrity within their respective countries.
As 2024 draws to a close, the Asia-Oceania Regional Division Committee is glad to announce that we have strengthened partnerships through events such as the Management of Library Associations (MLAS) conference and the Chinese Library Annual Conference, and hosted webinars a variety of webinars on topics ranging from rare books and special collections to information integrity.