IFLA Conference – Cape Town - 2015

Alison Mackenzie

Session Snippets

"The Global Picture - Session Snippets from IFLA"

A presentation based on perspectives from around the world - from the Library of Congress in Washington to the Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town.

IFLA

International Federation of Library Associations

81st Congress – Cape Town

The Global Picture

This conference was international in scope and looked at the global picture in the sense of the role libraries play in literacy and economic development.

These are just a few of things which stuck in my mind!

Library of Congress – Washington

Libraries are all about the preservation of culture. The internet is not necessarily the answer. We are only 10 – 15 years into the ‘experiment’ and we don’t know how long the internet will be around, what form it will take and will the information that is here today, still be there tomorrow.

Libraries are the preservation of cultural understanding.

The Lyon Declaration

The presenters suggested that all initiatives in libraries should be linked to the Lyon Declaration – numbers and narratives are no longer enough.

The Lyon DeclarationThe Lyon Declaration identifies the crucial role of access to information in supporting development.

Access to information supports development by empowering people:• Exercise their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.• Be economically active, productive and innovative.• Learn and apply new skills.• Enrich cultural identity and expression.• Take part in decision-making and participate in an active and engaged civil society.• Create community-based solutions to development challenges.• Ensure accountability, transparency, good governance, participation and empowerment.• Measure progress on public and private commitments on sustainable development.

The obvious role that libraries around the world and at every level play in the access to information. 179 targets lay out a plan for a better world for all countries.

(August 2014, 585 signatories)

The Lyon DeclarationAccess to information-The availability of information.The skills and means to access it.

Global and national indicators –The importance of libraries in developing communities.

The need to teach all young people universal basic skills by 2030 as a way to boost GDP.

Interesting Question:

How many libraries in the world?

At least 320,000 but there is actually no good measurement at the moment.

Over 750,000 professional librarians and archivists worldwide manage libraries and archive services.

Every day, libraries and archives in all parts of the world help hundreds of millions of people meet their work, study, research and leisure needs.

South Africa

“This space is an incubator for thought and planning”

(a quote from a client survey in Harare Public Library – a library in the Khayelitsha township, Cape Town).

Should this not be true of every library regardless of wealth and location?

• Opened June 2011• Grants from: Carnegie Corporation of New York• Partnership with VPUU: Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrade• The library forms part of a broader intervention under the VPUU in

Khayelitsha• The ultimate aim being to contribute to community safety in the township• Fast becoming a landmark in Khayelitsha

Harare Public Library

French Delegation

Anne Ballarin – Regional Inspector of National EducationChristophe Poupet – Librarian TeacherDidier Vin-Datiche – General Inspector of National Education

They spoke about national policies for French Education standards and also the role the school library and teacher librarians play in this and the national appraisal scheme they have in place for the profession.

Book Launch – Global Action on School Library Guidelines

This book celebrates the new IFLA School Library Guidelines and shows how the Guidelines can be used in improving school library services. Each chapter describes innovative initiatives for developing, implementing and promoting school library guidelines. The book provides inspiration and guidance for the creation of national school library standards and for the development and use of standards and guidelines to change school library practice, to define the teaching role of school librarians, to guide the initial preparation of school librarians, and to advocate for school library services. Their work illustrates the shared commitment of school librarians around the world to "teaching and learning for all", as envisioned in the IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto.

The Five Key Challenges

Library of Congress – Washington

1. Confronting the fundamental demand for information.

2. Knowledge of innovative processes.3. Copyright restriction and fair use.4. Preparing the workforce for digital curation.5. Use of technology to reduce labour using digital

formats.

The IFLA Trend Report

Trend1: New technologies will both expand and limit who has access to information.Trend 2: Online education will both democratise and disrupt global learning.Trend 3: The boundaries of privacy and data protection will be redefined.Trend 4: Hyper-Connected societies will listen to and empower new voices and groups.Trend 5: The Global Information Economy will be transformed by new technologies.

Environmental Sustainability – Green Libraries

International Panel

Looking at how libraries (new and existing) can work towards a green footprint with environmental sustainability as the key driver in design, construction and interiors.

Working together across international borders to create guidelines and certification for ‘Green Libraries’.

Yarra Plenty Regional Library

The Reading Rover Van - The purpose of the program is to take the library out of our buildings and into the community to equip children with pre reading skills so they are ready for kindergarten and school. The Reading Rover program provides services at various community places and is delivered through a specially equipped small van.

How could this idea be used in schools?

Deputy Director of UNESCO

Mr Getachoew Engida

The link between libraries and life-long learning and the important role that libraries play.

Fundamental to peace through mutual understanding and crucial in bridging the information divide.

Libraries are the storage place of our culture.

Geospatial Literacy as Digital Literacy

Raymond Pun – NY University, Shanghai

How you make use of data through mapping and GIS (Geographic Information Systems). GIS programs are available free online:

New York Public LibraryMapwarper http://maps.nypl.org/warper/

The NYPL Map Warper is a tool for digitally aligning ("rectifying") historical maps from the NYPL's collections to match today's precise maps.

Help bring the past into the digital present.

Literacy as a Foundation for Lifelong Learning

Ingrid Bon – Netherlands (Senior Advisor for Public Libraries)

The Dutch do not have school libraries, except as voluntary services. This has led to a lack of ‘library’ / research skills amongst the student population in the country.

In 2015, a national law was introduced. The core function is the promotion of reading and an introduction to literature for young people dictating that public libraries support local education.

Langa Township

One of the conference tours took us to Langa Township – the oldest of Cape Towns townships (informal settlements) established in 1923.

Langa is one of the many areas that were established prior to the apartheid era designated for Black Africans.

The name Langa means “sun” in the Xhosa language, but the name of the township is actually derived from the name Langalibalele – a famous chief who was imprisoned on Robben Island for rebelling against the government.

Langa Township

By accident of birth – we can all be grateful.

Langa Township

Pre-School Sing Song.MOV

By accident of birth – we can all be grateful.

Langa Township

By accident of birth – we can all be grateful.

Farmerfield School

The main classroom block at Farmerfield School.

• No electricity• Broken Chairs• Broken Windows• The staff share the toilet block with the

students.

This block had the Reception class (far left); the Grade 3 class (middle); and the Grade 5 and 6 class (right).

Farmerfield School

The Reception Class – 4 Year olds.

The Grade 3 class – with Fezi (the Headmistress).

Farmerfield School

Just been out for a little walk to the toilet – some things don’t change!

Temba and Fezi with the suitcases full of stationery. Fezi was concerned she was being given another lot of XXL tracksuits!

Conclusion

Although school libraries were not the focus of this

conference my colleague and I realised a few days into the

conference that what we all do in schools and in school

libraries are the grass roots of the initiatives and the hopes

and aims of this international gathering.