IFLA Honors the Transformative Power of Libraries via American Libraries

IFLA Honors the Transformative Power of Libraries

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Global conversation comes to Kuala Lumpur

American Libraries: 8.26.2018 by Amy Carlton

Traditional mak yong and asyik dancers, accompanied by gamelan musicians, performed a royal welcoming dance to open the 84th International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This year’s conference, August 24–30, drew 3,516 delegates from 112 countries to the bustling and diverse Malaysian capital.

The congress theme, “Transform Libraries, Transform Societies,” includes the tagline “Reaching out to the hard to reach.” Many sessions and programs this year are emphasizing the role of libraries in national development. There are also strategies for increasing awareness of the value and impact of library services.

“Libraries must continually innovate and evolve to best serve the community around them. Transforming the library triggers a sense of urgency for libraries to reinvent themselves as the heart of the community,” said Nafisah Ahmad, president of the Librarians Association of Malaysia and director general of the National Library of Malaysia, at the August 25 opening session.

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In his keynote address, Ali Hamsa, Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia, tied the United Nations 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to the promotion of reading culture in Malaysia. “Knowledge is the most powerful transformative force that helps nations evolve, and libraries are the backbone,” Hamsa said. The country is investing in that backbone through digital library initiatives that reach the hard to reach—the urban poor, rural communities, people with disabilities, and people with low literacy.

Following all the speakers and stunning performances, Pérez-Salmerón and her fellow dignitaries beat ceremonial drums along with the musicians to officially open WLIC 2018.

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Another major focus of this year’s WLIC is IFLA’s Library Map of the World project and how it intersects with the United Nations SDGs. In the session “From Data to Advocacy: Using Digital Tools Like the IFLA Library Map of the World to Communicate Your Library Stories,” panelists gave examples of how their libraries and cultural organizations have demonstrated their impact on communities through storytelling.  READ MORE >>