8th Sharjah International Library Conference guiding 300 librarians from around the world

A global community of more than 300 library and information professionals from the region and around the world have reinforced their commitment to sharing ideas and expertise to learn from one another and to advance libraries to serve societies better at the 8th Sharjah International Library Conference (SILC), which opened Wednesday, November 10, on the sidelines of the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA), the two-day annual conference is fostering the professional excellence of participants through insightful discussions on new trends and technologies and exploring ways to enhance resources and services to support learning, literacy, and education to shape creative and innovative societies.

The conference also addressed the ongoing challenges facing libraries worldwide and served as a networking platform for participants.

The 8th edition of SILC opened in the presence of HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA; Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, USA; HE Meghan Gregonis, US Consul General in Dubai, UAE; Patty M. Wong, President of ALA; Sean Murphy, Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy Abu Dhabi, UAE; Julius Jefferson Jr, Immediate Past President of ALA; and Eman Bushulaibi, Director of the Sharjah Public Library (SPL).

Other dignitaries at the opening session included Tracie Hall, Executive Director, ALA, and Michael Dowling, Director, International Relations Office, Chapter Relations Office, ALA.

Welcoming guests and participants at the start of the two-day conference, HE Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, shared his joy at the historic achievement of SIBF as the world’s largest book fair in terms of buying and selling copyrights for this year, and underlined how the 2021 edition marked the rebuilding of the post-pandemic growth of the book industry.

The SBA Chairman said: “Under the guidance and vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, investments in knowledge, books and culture are steering progress in the emirate and advancing research and human development. As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries have preserved and strengthened the arts, sciences, poetry, humanities, and the world’s collective cultural heritage for future generations.”

He added: “Sharjah is the only city outside of the US, where a conference of this stature is held, and that gives us every reason to be proud. Libraries are the backbone of human development and organising the Sharjah International Library Conference reinforces our commitment to enhance the capabilities of libraries in both managing and strengthening operations, and enhancing services to empower communities to discover, access, and use of information.”

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Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Carla Hayden – the first woman and the first African American to lead the national library of the United States, commended the emirate of Sharjah for its pioneering initiatives to develop a knowledge community and nurture a culture of reading.

Pointing out that visibility, engagement, impact, and collaboration are at the heart of what libraries do worldwide, she said: “Librarians are the original search engines; and it is our universal mission to expand access to trusted information and deliver superior services to bridge the gaps in technology and literacy by providing the essential tools that our communities need.”