Write up about the Conference
The IFLA 2014 in Lyon (France) gathered thousands of librarians and information professionals from 122 countries to share best practices, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. The theme, Libraries, Citizens, Societies: Confluence for Knowledge, is indeed a coming together, a meeting, or convergence of the great practices and ideas of all the participants from all over the world. It was a great opportunity to discover outstanding projects, activities, and researches, in libraries and information centers in other parts of the world, and how these made a difference in their respective organizations and countries. It is also a good opportunity to collaborate and network with fellow professionals in other countries.
Feedback on paper presented
Our paper was presented on the 19th of August 2014, 4:00pm, at the Auditorium Lumiere of the Lyon Convention Center. It was the 150th session in the Conference on US Education in developing Countries for strong Libraries and Strong Societies. It was handled by the LIS Education in developing Countries Special Interest Group. There were six (6) papers presented in the session, ours included. Simultaneous Interpretation (in English, Arabic, Chinese, German, French, Russian, and Spanish) was provided for in the session for there were participants coming from different countries.
Our presentation was well received by the audience. They admired the methodology employed in the research and appreciated the efforts of the researchers to cultivate the culture of research among Filipino Librarians. One question asked was “What’s next after the research” or the “future directions” after research.
Future directions of research presented
Our research recommends the creation of a digital repository or portal for Filipino librarians’ research outputs. For copyrighted materials, only citation and link to full text articles will be provided. On top of that, our research intends to encourage the culture of research among Filipino Librarians by collaborating with library schools and professional library associations in the Philippines to advocate conducting research among librarians, engage them, and train them on how to enhance their research skills.
Potential foreign collaborators
There is a possibility of research collaboration among Chile, Mexico, United States, and the Philippines about LIS Education in the said countries.
Also, fellow information professionals from Chulalongkorn University who are now studying Library and Information Science doctoral program in the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom also wanted to learn from the practices of Philippine Library and Information Science schools. Thus, the Asia-Pacific Library and Information Education and Practice Conference (A-LIEP) 2015 that will held here in the Philippines on 21-23 October will be the venue to discuss best practices in Library and Information Science Education in the region.
Other important contacts and insights
I was able to meet some PhD students and teachers from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the i-School of Illinois and I mentioned to them my intention of applying in their Library and Information Science Doctoral Program. The reception was positive and they already advised me to write Dissertation proposal and consult with a teacher who shares the same interest. There are scholarships offered as well.
There is also possibility that the flexible strategies in LIS Education employed in the Middles East and North Africa be brought to the Philippines. But this is still in the pipeline. Talks are still ongoing.
Short write-up of one’s participation (to be used to feature/publicize the grantee’s participation in the conference)
Prof. Rhea Rowena U. Apolinario from the University of the Philippines School of Library and Information Studies (UP SLIS) recently presented a paper entitled, “Librarian as Researcher and Knowledge Creator: Examining Librarian’s Research Involvement, Perceived Capabilities, and Confidence,” at the International Federation of Library Association World Library and Information Congress (IFLA WLIC) held in Lyon, France last 16-22 August 2014. The congress was attended by thousands of librarians and information professionals from over 122 countries in the world.
