The newest edition of International Leads is out! We have lots of information for our readers this quarter. We hear from a Panamanian librarian about his time in American libraries. In Ukraine, a book drive helped librarians establish Little Free Libraries. We hear about Korea and the Korean delegation to IFLA, and Julia Gelfand being awarded the John Ames Humphry/OCLC/Forest Press Award for International Librarianship. Have you considered joining an interest group? We have more information on that and the $75 x 75 years campaign. Finally, we remember Professor Pat Oyler and hear from one of her former students in Vietnam. Happy reading!

ALA 2023 Annual International Papers & Projects Session

 Finding a New Normal: Library Policies and Practices
Saturday, June 24, 2023 
11:00 - 12:00 CDT
McCormick Place, W179 A/B

International presentations include: 

• Teaching Library Management in a Post-COVID World Catherine Barnes, University of South Australia, Australia
• Changing Practices to the Pandemic’s Impact: Actions and Reflections of Filipino Librarians Danilo Madayag Baylen, West Visayas State University, Philippines/ University of West Georgia, United States Elra Madalogdog, West Visayas State University, Philippines 
• Practices to Implement and Champion a Blended Learning Approach to Information Literacy at an Academic Library Magdeline NG Tao Tao, Suei Nee WONG, and Siu Chen LIM, National University of Singapore Libraries, Singapore 
• EDI Initiatives & Canadian STEM Academic Librarianship Shiyi Xie, Western Libraries, University of Western Ontario, Canada Guoying (Grace) Liu, Leddy Library, University of Windsor, Canada 

Moderated by Michele Fenton, Co-Chair of IRRT International Papers & Projects Session Committee 

 

IRRT Papers & Projects Session

ADVANCED CALL FOR PROPOSALS

at ALA Annual 2023

The American Library Association's International Relations Round Table (IRRT) Papers and Projects Committee invites proposals for a presentation at the 2023 American Library Association Annual Conference, scheduled to take place in Chicago, IL from June 22-27, 2023.

The International Papers and Projects Session provides librarians with an opportunity to exchange information about library services, collections and projects throughout the world. The program also serves to stimulate the interest of U.S. librarians in international library matters. The 2023 International Papers and Projects theme is Finding a New Normal: Library Policies and Practices.

The world continues to navigate the changing landscape shaped by three years of living with the pandemic, political upheaval, and environmental crisis. Organizations must find balance among traditional, pre-pandemic policies and practices, pandemic-related policies and practices that changed how and where libraries provide service, and the “new normal” of returning to more traditional policies and practices while the pandemic continues. At the same time, organizations must take special care in how they support and validate their employees as well as take strides in leading inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility efforts in their communities.

The aim of this session is to explore the role of library policies and practices that balance the needs of the organization, the needs of the employee, and the need of the patrons. The balance between policy and practice may also be a delicate framework of expectations and understanding new to the landscape of leadership as libraries seek a new normal. This session hopes to showcase the considerations of developing policies to

1.    sustain collections and services,

2.    provide for employees, and

3.    lead inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility practices

as well as

4.    methods of implementation,

5.    successes and failures, and

6.    revisions after implementation.

This session seeks stories of challenges, successes, and failures of getting buy-in and communicating change to library employees and patrons. We are looking for speakers to share on international and U.S. library projects and issues relating to how they have managed this process and what they have learned from it.

Possible questions related to this theme may include, but are not limited to:

1.    How have “post-Covid” policies and practices affected librarians psychologically and physically?

2.    How can we most effectively support librarians in their workplaces, as library policies and practices adapt so that they can continue to provide services to the community?

3.    How are library administrations creating new policies to transition libraries into a post-Covid era? What practices do employees take to implement them?

4.    What obstacles are libraries facing in creating policies and practices to keep buildings open during times of labor shortages, demands for improved EDI focuses, and calls for greater social justice efforts in their organizations?

5.    How have your library’s policies impacted the kind of back-to-work model that your institution has adopted in the post-pandemic era? (in-person, hybrid, fully remote work). What factors influenced these decisions?

We encourage submissions that reflect the diverse approaches of the public sector, the academic environment, special libraries, or other types of information organizations. International library schools may also share how they are preparing their students to think about policy and practice. International submissions will be given priority, but submissions from the U.S. will be considered as well, especially if they may be of interest to the international community. To ensure representation from around the world, the IRRT Papers and Projects Committee aims to accept one presentation per country though exceptions may apply.

ADVANCED CALL CONDITIONS

This call for proposals has been released in advance of program acceptance by ALA in hopes that interested international applicants will have more time to seek funding and visa approvals for conference travel. ALA accepts programs between December and January. If ALA denies the IRRT Paper and Projects Session program, the Committee will organize a webinar with selected speakers.

ALTERNATIVE PARTICIPATION METHOD OPTION
DUE TO COVID-19

Considering the uncertainty of COVID-19 and its impacts on international travel, we want to ensure the inclusivity of diverse experiences and wide-ranging perspectives on the challenges of policy and practices that our international community continues to face. Thus, we are also welcoming proposals for short 5-minute interview-style videos, in addition to the traditional conference presentations. These videos will be played at the beginning of the conference session prior to the full-length presentations.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Proposals and presentations must be written and delivered in English, which is the working language of the program. By submitting a proposal, the presenters acknowledge that the policy and practice information can be shared widely in a public setting and the speakers are comfortable and able to address aspects of the policy and practice. There are two submission types for this conference:

Proposals for In-Person Conference Sessions

Proposals for in-person conference sessions should include:

1.    Title of the presentation

2.    Abstract (500-800 words)

A good abstract will

§  describe the library, its community, the policy and practices, and the situation requiring policy and practice change,

§  describe how the policy and practice relates to one or more of the suggested possible questions or the vision of the session,

§  describe how the policy was drafted, what stakeholders were involved, how it was implemented, and what practices resulted from it,

§  describe how the library addressed the situation through leadership or advocacy in relation to the policy and practice

§  discuss the impact of the policy and practice on the library, employees, community, and its effect on the situation, and

§  address overall if the policy and practice was successful in relation to the situation or if the policy or practice will be adapted or changed in the future.

3.    Presenter’s name, title, institutional affiliation, and full contact information (including a valid e-mail address)

4.    A short biographical profile of each presenter (100 words each. If the program is accepted, biographies will be used in program advertising).

Proposals should be submitted electronically (as a single Microsoft Word or PDF attachment) to the International Relations Office via email at intl@ala.org with copies to brea.henson@unt.edu, and mfenton@library.in.gov.

Proposals for Introduction Video Clips

If you are interested in sending a video clip, please include:

1.    Type of policy change

2.    A statement (250-500 words)

A good statement of interest will  

§  include a summary of the policy and practice, and

§  describe how the policy and practice relates to the suggested possible questions or vision of the program.

3.    Presenter’s name, title, institutional affiliation, and full contact information (including a valid e-mail address)

4.    A short biographical profile of each presenter (100 words each)

Proposals should be submitted electronically (as a single Microsoft Word or PDF attachment) to the International Relations Office via email at intl@ala.org with copies to brea.henson@unt.edu, and mfenton@library.in.gov.

The deadline for submitting proposals is February 28, 2023.

PRESENTATION FORMAT

Proposals and presentations/interviews must be written and delivered in English, which is the working language of the program. There are two submission types for this conference:

Format for In-Person Conference Session
Each panel presentation is between 10-15 minutes. Applicants are encouraged to consider creative and effective presentations to connect attendees with the topic and to share information that will let attendees know how they could implement similar solutions/programs for their library communities.  Slides will be edited and vented by the IRRT Paper and Project Committee. Since ALA has announced Annual 2023 is going to be an in-person conference, we are looking for proposals and panelists who are comfortable traveling to Chicago, IL to present.

Format for Introduction Video Clips

If selected the IRRT Papers and Projects Committee will send the presenters a list of questions and schedule an interview over Zoom. This interview will be recorded, edited, and combined with other interviews to create an introduction video to be played at the beginning of the conference session. The IRRT Paper and Project Committee will post the video for public viewing on its platforms.

SELECTION PROCESS

Up to four in-person proposals will be selected to present at the ALA Annual in June 2023. The IRRT Paper and Project Committee will aim to use as many interview clips in the video as they are able. The video will not exceed 10 minutes of content. Notification of acceptance for proposals and videos will be emailed in March 2023.

We would like to invite you to view previous presentation titles listed on IRRT's International Papers and Projects Session Committee website.

Call for Nominations for IRRT Executive Board

 Dear IRRT member:

The ALA International Relations Round Table Nominations Committee is looking for members who are passionate about international librarianship and are willing to serve as Executive Board members.IRRT is pleased to solicit nominations (and self-nominations) for the positions of:

● Vice Chair/Chair Elect -- Chair-elect (2023-2024), becomes Chair (2024-2025) and

serves as immediate Past-Chair (2025-2026)

● Member-at-Large -- serves a two-year term (2023-2025)

● Secretary/Treasurer -- serves a two-year term (2023-2025)

According to IRRT bylaws, the position of Chair-elect is a three-year commitment in which one serves as chair-elect, chair and past chair. In the first year, one learns about the work of the Executive Board under the tutelage of the Chair and the past-Chair. The Member-at-Large and Secretary-Treasurer positions are two-year commitments and these positions are responsible for contributing informationand wider perspectives from the field.

For a full description of responsibilities of these office holders, please visit IRRT website. Executive Board of the IRRT meets monthly through virtual meetings to discuss IRRT-related issues, which include those that arise through the various committees and the ones related to international aspects of ALA work as a whole, and to work on solutions. Face-to-face meetings take place whenever the ALA Annual conference is held in person, and the vice chair/chair elect is expected to attend these meetings.

Requirements:

1. Candidates must be current ALA and IRRT members.

2. Candidates need to provide their CV and a short statement of interest (approx. 100

words) by October 14, 2022.

Nominate yourself or someone you know by sending an email to the Nominating Committee Chair, Sandy Hirsh, at sandy.hirsh@sjsu.edu.

Preference is given to candidates with prior committee experience within IRRT and a track record of contributing to the IRRT mission.

Thank you for your consideration.

The Nominating Committee

9th Annual Sharjah International Library Conference

 9^th Annual Sharjah International Library Conference

 

The American Library Association, in collaboration with the Sharjah International Book Fair, is pleased to announce that  registration is now open for this

year’s Sharjah International Library Conference which will take place November 8-10 during the Sharjah International Book Fair. 

 

Sign up now and save on on-site registration costs!  Pay now or pay onsite after registering in advance. 

 

This year’s conference includes two preconference workshops on November 8, and a fully packed two-day conference, November 9-10.

 

This year participants can propose to present a Poster.  Deadline for proposals is September 18.

 

Main 2-Day Conference, Nov 9-10, programs include:

 

American Library Association President Lessa Pelayo-Lozada will keynote. Program topics this year include:

• Finding Joy: Library as Space for Playful Learning and Creativity
• Gamification and Game-Based Learning: Benefits and Tools for Libraries
• Libraries Key Role in Infodemic Management
• Raising Readers for Life and Services Supporting Seniors: Programing for Patron Stages of Life
• Student-Created Media: Designing Research, Learning, and Skill-Building Experiences
• Academic Libraries and Student Workers as Success Agents
• Engaging Hard to Reach Teenagers

For Book Buyers- The Sharjah International Book Fair offers reimbursement for your hotel nights if you purchase $10,000 at the Fair, and if you purchase $20,000 reimbursement for economy airfare and hotel nights.  

 

Please contact us at intl@ala.org, if you have any questions or to request an invitation letter.

 

Michael

 

Michael Dowling

Director,Intl and Chapter Relations Offices

American Library Association

225 N Michigan Ave, Suite 1300

Chicago, IL 60601

p +1 800-545-2433 ext 3200

 

 

 

 

2022 IRRT Papers and Projects session

Library Policies in a Time of Uncertainty and Controversy

Date and Time: Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 11:00am 12:00pm EDT
Location: Washington Convention Center, 147B

International presentations include:

The Evolution of Course Policies and Library Instruction at the American University in Cairo during COVID-19 Presented by Meredith K. Saba, The American University, Cairo, Egypt The presentation will examine how the AUC Library handled different instructional challenges over the past two years as the campus policies on COVID-19 shifted, and also what lessons were learned throughout the process while transitioning from an in-person model to all-online to a current hybrid/DD model. Policy successes, challenges, and suggested changes for the future will be discussed – specifically changes in AUC’s COVID policies overall and in the online learning policy that was developed for all courses.

Pathways to Practice Presented by Rae-Anne Montague, Chicago State University, Chicago, USA and Kuuleilani Reyes, Midkiff Learning Center at Kamehameha Schools, Kapālama, Hawaii, USA The presentation looks at examples of models and resources currently in use in school and public libraries and reviews recent information literacy initiatives that have been implemented to address critical concerns, provide strategic support for diverse informational needs including working directly with students and community leaders, and enhance educational leadership efforts. The presentation also considers ongoing challenges related to policies, representation, access, literacy, and misinformation - as well as some potential options for improving approaches and augmenting future engagement.

Moderated by Brea Henson and Felicia Chan, Co-Chairs of IRRT Papers & Projects Session Committee IRRT Paper & Projects Session Committee Website: https://bit.ly/3tIfX2L ALA Website: https://2022.alaannual.org

Upcoming LIS Talk: San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua) Biblioteca and the HJH Libraries for All Foundation

Interested in International Libraries? Join an upcoming talk about a unique library program in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua:

The San Juan del Sur Biblioteca & The HJH Libraries for All Foundation

Featuring Jane Mirandette and the HJH Team

Monday, June 27, 2022 at 11am-1pm EST

In-person: University of Maryland McKeldin Library Room 6137

RSVP by emailing Lily Griner: griner@umd.edu

Zoom Livestream registration: tinyurl/com/HJHLibraries

 

CIFNAL Speaker Series on June 10: "Preserving and Disseminating Medieval French Manuscript Heritage : Current Research Programs and Future Perspectives at the Bibliothèque nationale de France"

 

Join us on June 10 at 12pm EDT for the last session of the CIFNAL Speaker Series.

 

To register: https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUrcOCpqTkqGtyZGvwVCpRkJY4Us88EWBxL

 

 

Preserving and Disseminating Medieval French Manuscript Heritage : Current Research Programs and Future Perspectives at the Bibliothèque nationale de France

Heir to the collections of the kings of France, the Bibliothèque nationale de France holds one of the largest collections of medieval manuscripts in the world, with nearly 40,000 documents. This collection, which continues to grow through purchases and donations, covers all fields of knowledge and includes many illuminated manuscripts.  The BnF preserves and promotes this collection through its online resources (Archives and Manuscripts catalog, Gallica digital library, Mandragore database). The BnF also leads or participates in numerous national or international research programs and uses artificial intelligence technologies to exploit manuscript corpora in order to support new research practices and new appropriations of this French medieval heritage.

Charlotte Denoël is archivist paleograph and chief curator at the Department of Manuscripts of the Bibliothèque nationale de France where she is in charge of the medieval service. In 2019-2020, she was member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
Her research on the manuscripts focuses on the Early and High Middle Ages and addresses images in a transdisciplinary perspective. Manuscripts and their decoration are analyzed through the prism of cultural history, history of art, and iconography. Among her current projects are a survey of manuscripts illuminated in France during the 10^thand 11^th centuries (Harvey Miller) and a collective book about the links between medieval art and contemporary art (Brepols).
Charlotte Denoël curated four exhibitions on the art of the Early and High Middle Ages, “Trésors carolingiens” (BnF, 2007), “Les temps mérovingiens” (Musée de Cluny, 2016), “Make it New. Carte blanche à Jan Dibbets” (BnF, 2018), and “Chefs d’œuvre romans de Saint-Martial de Limoges » (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Limoges, 2019).
She participated in major research programs at the BnF which include digitization, scientific description, restoration, and/or dissemination of some corpus of manuscripts: Europeana Regia (2009-2012), Biblissima (2013-2019), and the Polonsky program “France-Angleterre, 700-1200: manuscrits médiévaux de la BnF et de la British Library” (2016-2018).

 

Best,

 

Hélène

 

 

----------------------

Hélène Huet, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

European Studies Librarian

George A. Smathers Libraries

University of Florida

hhuet@ufl.edu | (352) 273-2771 | 539 Library West

Mapping Decadence | Hélène Huet

Spring 2022 Newsletter 

Research Guides: European Studies; French and Francophone Studies; German Studies; Italian Studies; Portuguese Studies; Slavic, Central, and Eastern European Studies; Spanish Studies