Qatar National Library (QNL), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), will host the Metropolitan Libraries (MetLib) conference from April 23 to 28.
Brought to the Middle East for the first time in the history of the conference’s 47 years, MetLib is organised by the Metropolitan Libraries section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).
To be held under the theme ‘Pearls in the desert: unleashing potential’ MetLib 2016 Qatar supports Qatar Foundation’s mission to unlock human potential and shall further boost Qatar’s library and information sector which supports Qatar on its journey from a carbon based to a knowledge-based economy by providing the necessary information that contribute to the nation’s development.
Engineer Saadi Al Said, Director of Administration and Planning at QNL, described the event as an opportunity to showcase the progress Qatar has made in the information services sector in recent years.
Academic researchers, librarians and industry professionals are invited to submit their English abstracts addressing one of three themes provided; how libraries support personal development, how libraries support training or how libraries develop their staff.
Topics can include partnerships or collaborative activities that extend services into the community, the impact of innovative library programmes that develop literacy, lifelong learning, IT skills, employment skills, second language learning, creativity and imagination, programming and service to underserved populations, programming and service to patrons with disabilities, nurturing and developing library staff to deliver best library services, how libraries are managing changing user expectations through strategy, planning, process, training and recruitment and lastly using emerging technologies in effective delivery of services and communications.
The deadline for sending the paper proposals is December 31. The paper submission guidelines and other important dates can be viewed on the MetLib 2016 Qatar website (www.metlib2016qatar.org).
There will also be an opportunity for attendees to participate in a ‘PechuKucha’- a presentation technique where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds, in efforts to deliver presentations efficiently.
Corrado Di Tillio, standing committee chair at IFLA, said: “The IFLA MetLib 2016 Qatar conference is a milestone in the development of public libraries and the information services sector worldwide. Bringing the conference to the Middle East for the first time, cements Qatar’s role within the public library global alliance.”
The annual conference is aimed at providing an ideal platform for metropolitan and public libraries to share progressive ideas for the enhancement of the worldwide information services sector to create an extensive and long-lasting knowledge-sharing network. Participants will be introduced to informative research findings in the field and have the opportunity to explore the impact of the development of human potential through libraries and attend industry-focused presentations throughout the conference.
Commenting on the conference, Dr Claudia Lux, Project Director of QNL, said: “Qatar is on its way to becoming a thriving knowledge-sharing hub. MetLib 2016 Qatar will present an ideal opportunity for metropolitan librarians from across the world to receive in-depth professional development and witness Qatar’s emerging information services sector.”
QNL is one-of-a-kind in that it encompasses characteristics of a National Library, University and Research Library, and a Metropolitan Public Library of the digital age.