[IASL] Fwd: [IFLA-L] Leading the Way: IFLA President’s Meeting Opens New Perspectives

From: Albert Boekhorst <albertkb@xxxxxxxxx>
To: IFLA School Libraries <school-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "ENSIL-list: European Network for School Libraries and Information Literacy" <ENSIL-LIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, iasl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2018 16:17:15 +0000

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From: IFLA Communications <communications@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, Mar 21, 2018, 16:23
Subject: [IFLA-L] Leading the Way: IFLA President’s Meeting Opens New
Perspectives
To: ifla-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <ifla-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

[image: IFLA President's Meeting 2018]

Leading the Way: IFLA President’s Meeting Opens New Perspectives

Libraries have long been drivers of pioneering ideas and innovation. From
support for cutting-edge research to making a reality of literacy for all,
they have shown a capacity for leadership in their communities and
worldwide.

Under the theme 'Leading the Way: Libraries as Motors of Change', IFLA
President, Glòria Pérez-Salmerón welcomed over 300 library professionals
from all over the world to her first President’s Meeting
<http://president2018.ifla.org/> on 19 March 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.
Echoing the theme of her presidency, she called on libraries everywhere to
continue to realise their potential.

*Libraries do not need to be the victims of change. They do not have to
sprint to keep up with change. They can drive change. *
*Glòria Pérez-Salmerón*

As fuel for the journey ahead, a programme of speakers from academia and
politics, journalism and publishing, technology and story-telling provided
ideas, experiences and insights. As a climax of the day, IFLA
Secretary-General Gerald Leitner presented the summary report of the IFLA
Global Vision discussion's first phase.
*FUTURE LIBRARIES, FUTURE CITIZENS*

The keynote speaker, Rafael Ramirez, set the scene. The only certain thing
about the future is that it is coming at us. By coming together, sharing
perspectives, and developing plausible scenarios, we can develop strategies
that give us the best chance of succeeding.

*Your libraries focus on building citizens, not consumers. But what are the
characteristics of the citizen of the future? What is the society that you
will be serving?*
*Rafael Ramirez*

Mercè Conesa i Pagès, President of Diputació Barcelona
<http://www.diba.cat/es>, spoke of her region's efforts to deliver smarter
and more inclusive growth. In addition to unprecedented efforts to give
access to public data and information, they were investing in making sure
that everyone had the possibility and skills to use it.

*Our citizens are demanding libraries — spaces for learning, creativity &
innovation, to create ideas that open minds, that open doors to
collaboration, to transformation & to changing the world.*
*Mercè Conesa i Pagès*
*POWERING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ON AND OFFLINE*

Libraries power sustainable development, both on and offline. Iskra
Mihaylova MEP, chair of the Regional Policy Committee
<http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/es/regi/home.html> at the
European Parliament, underlined how information fed into smart regional
growth strategies. She called on libraries to be proactive, to tell their
representatives about the great work they are doing.

*When authorities need to make informed decisions, they can rely on
libraries as partners. In sustainable development libraries are key
players: without them it is not possible!*
*Iskra Mihaylova*

*Libraries make the Internet more useful, they curate knowledge that
equalises power. By building up digital skills, libraries legitimise and
build public trust in the Internet. **Cassie Robinson*

Cassie Robinson, Strategic Design Director at doteveryone
<https://doteveryone.org.uk/>, argued that libraries could lead the
response to growing scepticism about the Internet. Their social mission,
trusted status, and dedicated staff gave them a key role in ensuring the
web works for all.
*OUR SKILLS AND VALUES: A BASIS FOR PARTNERSHIPS*

Libraries are unique, but they should not be isolated. At a time that IFLA
is looking to develop collaboration internally, the speakers in the second
session underlined the potential for libraries to build alliances outside
of the field. Our values are shared by many others, and should be a basis
for partnership. Matt Finch, library storyteller, set out how the skills
and engagement of librarians was already improving how hospitals were
helping patients. Roger Baig Viñas presented his work to create
community-based Internet service providers, and underlined how libraries
could help.

*For me, discovery, surprise, exploration, and the ability to do something
the authorities didn't predict, lie at the heart of a user's encounter with
a librarian. **Matt Finch*

*To bridge the Internet affordability gap, libraries can play a role as
hubs for community networks. Openness, freedom & neutrality are
characteristics of community networks, just like libraries. **Roger Baig
Viñas*

Digital technologies have led to rapid changes in the way we create, share
and access information. They have brought many advantages, but also require
new ways of working – and thinking – in order to protect against the
potential negative consequences the Internet can bring. Glyn Moody,
journalist, underlined that we risked facing a new dark age, with truth,
expertise, knowledge, sharing and privacy all under attack. Libraries could
lead the fightback.

*Knowledge is under attack: academic publishers are trying to turn it into
a luxury product. As librarians you should promote open access: libraries
are expertise made visible.*
*Glyn Moody*

Toby Green, Head of Publishing at the OECD, talked about his efforts to
build new platforms and services to survive. Collaboration offered a great
means of preserving and promoting what matters.

*Let’s get ourselves online, and create a platform to get the others
online. Working together, pulling resources, takes us further. We can help
other organizations to publish the way users expect.*
*Toby Green*
*30000 VOICES – ONE REPORT*

The climax of the day was the launch by Gerald Leitner, IFLA
Secretary-General, of the summary report of the first phase of the IFLA
Global Vision Discussion. This brings together the results of over 30 000
contributions, and represents an essential step towards turning the Vision
into reality. You can read more in our press release
<https://www.ifla.org/node/34321>.

The launch, as well as the opening by the IFLA Secretary General, Gerald
Leitner, and President, Glòria Pérez-Salmerón, was live streamed. Both
videos are now available in IFLA’s YouTube channel
<https://www.youtube.com/user/iflahq>. Where available, slides from the
presentations will be made available in the President’s Meeting website
<https://president2018.ifla.org/>.

IFLA is grateful to its partners, the Diputació Barcelona
<http://bibliotecavirtual.diba.cat/>, FESABID <http://www.fesabid.org/>,
and L'Ateneu Barcelonès <http://www.ateneubcn.org/>, for their support in
organising this event, under the auspices of Diputació Barcelona
<http://bibliotecavirtual.diba.cat/>*.* This event was made possible thanks
to the sponsoring of e-Libro <http://www.e-libro.com/>, and the support
provided by the following organisations: IE Library <http://library.ie.edu/>
, Col·legi Oficial de Bibliotecaris-Documentalistes de Catalunya
<http://www.cobdc.org/>, Universitat de Barcelona
<http://www.ub.edu/>, Biblioteques
de Barcelona <http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/biblioteques/ca>*,* Biblioteca
de Catalunya <http://www.bnc.cat/>, and the Facultat de Biblioteconomia i
Documentació <http://www.ub.edu/biblio/>.

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VIEW ONLINE: https://www.ifla.org/node/35480

[IASL] Fwd: [IFLA-L] Leading the Way: IFLA President’s Meeting Opens New Perspectives

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