Sharjah International Library Conference to offer networking, development opportunities to industry professionals

The 9th Sharjah International Library Conference returns on November 8-10 with exciting new learning and networking opportunities for library industry professionals worldwide.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), this edition of SILC will be hosted on the sidelines of the 41st annual Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) with both on-site in-person and remote participation options to maximise people's access to the conference's packed three-day programme.

A collaboration between SBA, the American Library Association (ALA) and the Combined Book Exhibit, SILC 2022 will offer a premier global opportunity for networking and professional development through offerings like the Librarians' Lounge Library exhibits and meetings with exhibitors who will be showcasing their books and services.

The conference agenda also features a full-day pre-conference workshop followed by two full days of presentations and discussions with an international roster of expert presenters on November 9 - 10 to train library professionals from all types of libraries - public, school, academic, and special - in leadership development, best practices, current readership trends, latest library technologies, and more.

Pre-conference workshops, November 8

SILC 2022 will begin with two pre-conference workshops on November 8. The first will teach participants about the importance of creative thinking and collaboration to boost sector-wide innovation and meet the library community's constantly changing needs.

The second workshop has been designed to upskill librarians and library staff responsible for cataloguing manuscripts and archival collections, including government documents. It will be introducing the latest RDA Toolkit, which was introduced in September 2022. The workshop's participants will also be offered vital insights into the Dominican Institute (Ideo) 's experience in cataloguing Arabic-Islamic heritage.

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Day 1 agenda: November 9

The first day will open with a keynote by Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, ALA President, Adult Services Manager, Palos Verdes Library District, California. This will be followed by four insightful discussions on varied topics like how libraries can inject joy into learning, exploring and exchanging as readers return to these institutions post-pandemic and the teaching strategies and digital tools libraries can adopt to promote game-based learning.

The National Library Board of Singapore will share how they make a difference for young and old with their Early Read Programme, which has been helping parents and preschool educators nurture a love for reading among young children aged 0 - 6; and how librarians and their partners in faculty can collaborate to design assignments for authentic learning and upskilling students in multimedia production.

In another interesting session, librarians will share their challenges and success stories in connecting with hard-to-reach upper-grade students and convince them and their peers to participate in library activities.

Day 2 agenda: November 10

Second-day discussions will turn the spotlight on the reality of academic libraries in the post-knowledge society; demonstrate how libraries and librarians can be engines of economic growth by partnering with the local business community by creating business incubators, co-working and maker spaces, introductory business classes, and more; and showcase the successful school library programmes created by this year's recipients of the School Librarian of the Year Awards organised by the Emirates Literature Foundation.

SILC 2022 will also convene the Chairs of IFLA's Regional Division Committees of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and North America to discuss their action plans and how individual libraries and associations can contribute to the global effort of libraries to impact the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

• Sharjah