During the visit of the first floor, I noticed a study room with glass walls. Inside a man sat, concentrated, in front of a notebook and a large, colorful candy jar which immediately caught my attention. Our guide explained that he was Mathieu Blais, the current “writer-in-residence”[2]. Writers who participate in this project “find the library and its users to be very inspiring for their writing,” said Martin Dubois, manager of library services of the City of Longueuil. “The residence also prompts them to be very disciplined because they have to respect the agreed schedules and to be in the room. They are less distracted than being at home” [3].

Mathieu Blais, writer-in-residence at work. Photo Courtesy of Corrado Di Tillio.

The project was launched five years ago by the Conseil des Arts de Longueuil, an institution which supports the development and promotion of arts (literature included) in Longueuil. The Raymond-Lévesque Public Library is a natural partner, together with a local bookstore, ALire, which provides a grant to the author. By the way, “partnerships” was the topic of this year’s MetLib Conference. After attending many presentations which explored how “almost anyone can be a partner” in Québec and in other regions of the world [4], I could then see with my eyes a real ongoing partnership.

Writers respond to a call for proposals which are examined by a jury. In addition to the 25 hours per week in the library during a two month period, the writer also commits to a series of activities, such as seminars about literary writing. “Not all the authors are comfortable interacting with people […]” Dubois said. “Users are often shy to meet the author because they are afraid of bothering him”. [5]

And the candies? “They are my source of inspiration,” Blais said to me.

References

[1] Regarding its space for teens (“Soda”) read Sarah-Ann Brisson, Teens at the Brossard Public Library: A Necessary Adaptation of Space and Services, in “Feliciter”, Issue #6, December 2014, vol. 60, p.23-25.

[2] Mathieu Blais was born in Montréal in 1979. His website is http://mathieublais.ca

[3] Martin Dubois’ e-mail to the author, July 19, 2017.

[4] Quotation by Kimber L. Fender, from her presentation Howdy partner! Developing library/community partnerships, delivered on May 2, 2017. All the presentations are available at http://metlib2017montreal.org/en/downloads/ . The IFLA MetLib Conference is the annual conference of the IFLA Section on Metropolitan Libraries.

[5] Martin Dubois’ e-mail to the author, July 19, 2017.

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One session that I really enjoyed was “Preparing Library Services 3.0 for Children and Young Adults.” This session included five presentations relating to the title. One duo, Marina Alexiusson from Sweden and Robin Gibsen from Ohio, talked about their Sister Library program, in which they exchanged programs and ideas for over the course of five years, leading to growth and improvements at both libraries. Sister Libraries are open for everyone to participate in, not only IFLA members. I hope to set up a Sister Library program for Pikes Peak Library District.

With librarians from 147 countries, language can be a barrier to many people getting an in-depth understanding of the event. Though the business language of IFLA is English, some of the sessions offered simultaneous translation in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Spanish. This type of inclusion provides for greater understanding and opens up more opportunities for collaboration for librarians.

The week was an amazing and engaging experience. I met so many people from all over the world who are doing innovative and exciting programs and initiatives. As so many IFLA members said, I’ve been “bitten by the IFLA bug” and want to attend again!

The post An IFLA Congress Experience first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The 2016 contest is still open, and the deadline for entries is April 30, 2016. The award ceremony will take place in May at the 29th International Book Fair in Turin, Italy. Read more about the contest and its rules for submission here.

The three categories for entry are fiction, documentary, and advertising. Below are some notable selections from previous years.

Fiction

Non parlate (dir. Davide Pettarini), which won the first year, tells the romantic story of a librarian and a patron who communicate only through the titles on book covers. Some films can be funny in describing the various types of patrons and their behaviors. This is the case of I lettori (dir. Francesco Minarini), A biblio life (dir. Edoardo Orlandi) and La biblioteca dietro le quinte (dir. Lisa Contini e Alessandra Gaias). Patrons, especially young students who usually spend the whole day in public libraries, are depicted while eating secretly, sleeping, freezing for air-conditioning, looking desperately for a seat, even having sex! Librarians, too, are described in their typical commonplaces and traits. In Lib(e)rando libri (dir. Lorenzo Debernardi), characters from classic literature come to life in front of a patron who is walking around in a public library.

Documentary

Marius (dir. Chridtine Pawlata and Nicola Moruzzi) is based on an interview to a Roma teenager who learned to read and write Italian thanks to the lessons provided by volunteers in a public library. The public library is “the best place I’ve ever known,” he says—because he does not have to feel ashamed there. It is a story of how public libraries, as nonjudgmental and neutral places, change lives. Paradisi Project describes a group of high school students looking for books and information about the fourteenth century paintings in a chapel in Terni, Italy. The film shows their visits to the city library and archive and their final discovery that art scholars had different interpretations of the paintings through the years.
In the films of this category, public libraries are often presented with interviews to patrons and staff.
Non pago di leggere (dir. Christian Biasco and Francesca Terri) is about the campaign against public lending right introduced by a European Union directive.

Advertising

In this category, films must be a maximum of two minutes. La biblioteca è +teca (dir. Andrea Pecora) was shot in some of the best Italian public libraries, located in the metropolitan area of Milan. The film effectively represents what you can experience in today’s public libraries: drink coffee, play chess, learn to dance, attend a concert, read while biking, etc. Scegli la tua storia (dir. Nicolò Favaro) featured a book domino chain as an original way to promote the library space.

Watch more submissions from previous years to get inspired. Because IFLA is a partner, the contest’s judge panel is international. One judge is Siobhan Reardon, President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia and Secretary of the Standing Committee of the IFLA Section on Metropolitan Libraries

Note: The Italian Library Association runs Librariana, a unique virtual reference desk about libraries and librarians in arts and literature. One of the founders of the contest, Gabriele De Veris, a passionate librarian in the city of Perugia, Italy, contributed to the subtitling in Italian of Ann Seidl’s The Hollywood Librarian, which became popular in the Italian library community after its first screening in 2010.

The post Apply for the 2016 AIB/IFLA Short Film Contest first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

At the end of 2015, IFLA released its Annual Report 2014, a good tool to get a look at the organization’s accomplishments, alliances, and strategies.  It also provides an overview of global libraries’ most pressing issues and how other governing organizations view libraries. IFLA’s 2010-15 strategic plan “focused strengthening the library and information field and positioning libraries as a force for change.”^[1] The report presents IFLA’s four Key Initiatives for 2013-2014 and describes how the organization worked on them over the past year.

Key Initiative 1: Driving Access to Content and Digital Resources

This initiative probably has the most relevance for the work you do in your library. IFLA’s Trend Report, also a fascinating read, states that new technologies will both limit and expand access to information.^[2] After the launch of the Trend Report, IFLA hosted workshops, discussions, and virtual meet-ups pertaining information access and digitization.

One interesting piece of this initiative is IFLA’s involvement in the copyright and intellectual property (IP) fields. IFLA advocated on behalf of libraries and archives at the World International Property Organization (WIPO). IFLA, however, was frustrated by the stance the EU took on IP issues, so it issued a joint letter signed by more than  one hundred library, archive, and research institutions.

Another hot issue IFLA tackled was communications surveillance. At the regional Internet Governance Forum in Istanbul, IFLA represented the library community by advocating for clear guidelines on government surveillance and human rights.

Key Initiative 2: International Librarian Leadership Development

One of IFLA’s major focuses is to raise awareness for the library profession and elevate voices in the field on a regional, national, and international level. Key Initiative 2 was focused on the International Leaders’ program and the Building Strong Library Associations (BSLA) programs, which focused on developing individuals within the programs’ skills in advocacy, planning, and collaboration skills.

Key Initiative 3: Advocacy and Advancement of the Librarian and Information Sector

The new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which succeed the UN’S Millennium Development Goals, include Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and much more. It seems logical that libraries should play a big role in helping the UN meet these goals along with other philanthropic and charitable organizations. IFLA’s made it a priority to “ensure that the new UN Sustainable Goals recognize the importance of access to information for development, and that libraries are able to play a key role in implementing the goals.”

Throughout 2014, IFLA was active in the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and released a call for action, the Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development, urging UN Member States to commit to information access.

Key Initiative 4: Cultural Heritage

“Culture is a basic need. A community thrives through its cultural heritage; it dies without it,” states the fourth and final Key Initiative. IFLA has worked with UNESCO in several areas including solutions for long-term sustainable digital preservation, action plans for preserving cultural heritage in area of conflict or natural disaster, and the preservation of documentaries.

Why International Librarianship Matters

Getting a global perspective on library and information services can help us better understand how other international organizations, such as the United Nations and WIPO, inform policies and access. Additionally, having a better understanding on global library issues like surveillance, cultural preservation, and digital resources can help you prioritize and target your own library‘s goals.

References

[1] “International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Annual Report 2014.” December 1, 2015. Accessed January 13, 2016. http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/hq/annual-reports/2014.pdf.

[2] “Trend Report.” IFLA Trend Report. Accessed January 13, 2016. http://trends.ifla.org/.

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Brian Gambles

From August 12-13, 2014, the IFLA Public Libraries Section held a satellite conference, Public Library Futures in a Global Digital World, at the new Library of Birmingham, England. Its director, Brian Gambles, opened the conference with a keynote speech about change. “Leadership has to be hungry for change,” he stated. Small steps were made: a redesigned organization, a new dress code, shared desk space and welfare facilities, as well as new working practices. But change is not embraced by the whole organization: according to the 20:60:20 rule, 20% of staff agrees, another 20% is against. For Gambles, this last minority has to be left alone and “invited to exit the organization.”

The conference confirmed that these are the days of a “renaissance of space.” Here are four experiences of new spaces built by incredible staff and successful branding.

 Vera Binz and Sarah Dudek presenting the “Themenraum”

Themenraum

If you had an empty room in your library, how would you use it? 3D printers? The latest high-tech gear? Games? No way! Imagine a book display on a specific topic and let it explode in different dimensions. At the “Themenraum,” or “topic room,” at the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek (Berlin, Germany), web links are next to print bibliographies, while printed books sit next to a Twitter wall and news items. The topics, often inspired by the latest news or important anniversaries, change every month. The patrons’ favorite ones so far have been the Leipzig Bookfair, fairytales, the diversity of Islam, and “poor and rich.” The Themenraum shows how digital curating has emerged as a new skill required by librarians, as well as the public’s need for digital literacy.

Corinne Hill presenting the 4^th Floor

4^th Floor

“Transformation” is one of the main values of the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Public Library’s mission. The 4th Floor is a space in continuous transformation, thanks to a high performance staff. Before a chaotic repository of unused materials, now the 4^th Floor hosts programs and events about coding, genealogy, STEM, and makers. Print collections are still relevant though: “responsive collections” is another strong value of theirs.

Henriette Dybdal and Allan Thomsen Volhoj presenting the FolkeLab

FolkeLab

Public and academic libraries in Aarhus and Roskilde (Denmark) created a project with six temporary innovation spaces, such as TechLab, Wastelab, or GuitarLab. The lessons learned can be summed up in a decalogue: (1) people are not reduced to just guests; (2) people are more important than technology; (3) people have opportunities to engage at different levels; (4) people determine the clout of the maker culture; (5) people create together; (6) staff must be willing to change the frames and expand the ideas; (7) staff uses its own creativity and skills; (8) staff must assure different thresholds; (9) learning is something also done with the hands; (10) creativity comes from chaos and mess.

BiblioTech

BiblioTech in San Antonio (Tex.) went far beyond the library as a book repository, eliminating books completely. Despite being a recent pilot experience, BiblioTech enjoyed terrific global press coverage as the first “bookless library” [1]. The advancement of digital literacy, intended as something more than knowing how to use technology, is one of the main goals. The equipment includes 600 e-readers for external circulation, 45 iPads for internal use, and four surface tables. The library’s success is based on its programming (for seniors too), community partnerships (i.e. with the San Antonio Spurs Foundation), and an attractive brand.

Jens Thorhauge, the guru of the 4-space model, ideally closed the conference describing how the traditional role of public libraries has been challenged during the last 20 years. His provocative assertion that “access to information is not the librarian’s business anymore” hit the mark, considering it preceded by just a few days the launch of the Lyon Declaration on access to information and development.[2]. Thorhauge highlighted that nowadays libraries struggle to compete with fast-movers in the media market (i.e. Facebook), and with commercial media streaming services (Netflix or Spotify). He can’t see a new standard model for libraries though, so the discussion continues.

Table tennis at the Library of Birmingham

References

[1] BiblioTech – An Entirely Bookless Library, by Elena Rivera on February 21, 2013. BiblioTech opened in September 2013. Two satellite facilities were opened more recently.

[2] The declaration will be one of the main advocacy tools for IFLA in the next months.

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