JA to Host Int’l Conference for School Librarians – August 5-11

KINGSTON — Two hundred and fifty librarians and educators from more than 20 countries across the globe are expected to converge at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona from August 5 to 11 for the 40th Annual Conference of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL). 

The role of school libraries in empowering the 21st Century learner will take centre stage. 

Hosted by the Library and Information Association of Jamaica (LIAJA), the conference is geared towards sensitising educators, policy-makers and administrators and exposing school librarians to information sharing, best practises, and promoting research techniques both locally and globally.

Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Grace McLean is the keynote speaker for the opening ceremony, which will be held at the UWI's Assembly Hall on Monday, August 8 at 9:00 a.m.

President of the International Federation of Libraries Association (IFLA), Mrs. Ellen Tise from South Africa; and President of IASL, Mr. Diljit Singh from Malaysia, will also address the opening.

Chairman of the planning committee and Lecturer in the Department of Library and Information Studies, UWI, Dr. Paulette Stewart, said that Jamaica is honoured and pleased to host the conference this year, as the IASL was founded in Kingston in August 1971.

She noted that Jamaica has had an enviable history of strong school libraries with more than 1,200 in the island.  She added that it was critical for school librarians to incorporate information technology in the offerings available in order to remain relevant and on the cutting edge.

A Pre-Conference Satellite Meeting is scheduled for Friday, August 5 at 9:00 a.m. at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge, UWI. Chief Executive Officer of E-Learning Jamaica Company, Mrs. Avril Crawford, will deliver the keynote address on the topic: ‘School libraries: Best practises for e-Learning’.

Chairman of the Broadcasting Commission, Professor Hopeton Dunn, will deliver the keynote address on Wednesday, August 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Assembly Hall.  

The conference will include concurrent workshops and plenary sessions with delegates from Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Europe, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Portugal, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Netherlands, Taiwan, Namibia, Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and other countries in North and South America and the Caribbean.

An Authors' Breakfast for writers of children's literature will also be held.

Persons interested in registering for the conference may contact Dr. Paulette Stewart at 891-5640 or liajapresident@yahoo.com for more information.

By DAWN REYNOLDS SMITH, JIS Reporter