IFLA’s Science & Technology Libraries Section jointly with the Reference & Information Services Section and the Audio Visual & Multimedia Section issue a CALL FOR PAPERS

Theme: “Moving Beyond Traditional Collections & Services: Supporting Science in Innovative Ways”

Background: The Science & Technology Section invites proposals for papers to be presented at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Athens, Greece from August 24-30, 2019.  This two-hour open session is co-sponsored by the IFLA Reference & Information Services and the Audio Visual & Multimedia Sections.

As Science Libraries become more incorporated in centralized library service plans and organizational structures there are concerns about how the specialized information needs of scientists and science students are met. As science educates the public, influences new policies and ways of thinking, science librarianship at all levels is dedicated to providing accurate and informed content to a diverse citizenry.

Reference and outreach services are critical to that mission. Science librarianship requires a model for delivering relevant and critical services at time of need that are evidence-based and sufficiently documented. What that model constitutes in the future continues to change as science reference explores different models that are embedded, data driven, and emphasize information sources such as games, multimedia formats, makerspaces, eSports, patents, mapping (genomic and other spatially-based forms), and other ways of conducting STEM or STEAM activities and learning.

This session will promote innovations that support science knowledge acquisition and generation with creative service models and invites presentations that can share new visions from different types of libraries including public libraries, school libraries, all levels of academic and research libraries, where services for reference, outreach, instruction and collections are central activities advancing scientific understanding.

Please note:

• At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to deliver a summary of the paper during the program in Athens.  Abstracts to be submitted only with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.
• Full abstracts in any of the IFLA’s official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian, Spanish) of up to 500 words should be submitted for review
• Abstracts and presentation will be original, previously unpublished or not presented work
• All papers presented at the WLIC 2019 will be made available online via the IFLA Library under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
• Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.
• All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodations, etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters.  No financial support is provided by IFLA, but a special invitation letter can be issued to author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers. 

Important Dates & Deadlines

28 February 2019 - Deadline submission of 500 word maximum abstract/proposal containing: contact information for first author, all authors &  institutional affiliations, language in which presentation will be delivered, confirmation of understanding that presenter is responsible for conference registration and all expenses associated with attendance and that they can meet all future deadlines. 

Please send all submissions via attachment in MS Word to:

Julia Gelfand (jgelfand@uci.edu) – receipt of all submissions will be confirmed

1 April 2019 – Notification to authors about status of submission

1 June 2019 – Submission of full text of paper

28 July 2019 – Submission of accompanying powerpoint slides for presentation

IFLA has interviewed Sharon Day, who is leading a campaign in Canada to boost the availability - and affordability - of eBooks for libraries. The goal - to ensure that Canada's libraries can fulfil their mission of giving readers maximum possible access to knowledge and culture.

For many libraries and library associations around the world, eLending is a a major issue, with a difficult balance to be found between the demands of readers, the requirements of publishers, and libraries' own budgets. In our latest interview, we've talked to Sharon Day, Director of Branch Services and Collections at Edmonton Public Library, Canada, and Chair of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council's e-Content Working Group:

What role do eBooks and eLending play in fulfilling the mission of Canada’s libraries?

Without the freedom to lend eBooks, public libraries will not be able to fulfil their core mandate of providing universal access to information to all. We will not be able to buy sufficient copies of popular titles to meet demand, or offer access to all titles in the formats people desire.

Digital content is the fastest growing area of borrowing for public libraries. Spending by Canada’s largest urban libraries increased by over 45% since 2014 and continues to grow. It’s worth noting that eAudiobook sales in particular are increasing by double digits each year and, in the last three years, use at six of the largest Canadian libraries grew by 82%. Overdrive, the leading provider of eBooks and eAudiobooks to libraries, reported a 24% increase in eAudiobook circulation in Canadian libraries from 2016 to 2017 alone.    

How effectively are libraries able to fulfil this mission under the current system? Does current pricing work? What about licensing models?

While both Canadian multinational and independent publishers are starting to produce their own eAudiobooks, rights to their titles are often sold to U.S. producers who do not make them available in Canada. If they are sold to Audible, the U.S. eAudiobook subscription service that moved into Canada in 2017, they cannot ever be purchased by libraries. These include Giller Prize nominees and Canada Reads titles.

Current licensing models are not sustainable.  We are paying excessively high prices, and purchasing models for eAudiobooks and eBooks are restrictive. Libraries lend digital versions of books in the same way as physical ones— on a one-to-one basis. But the prices we pay for digital versions are exponentially higher.

We have attempted to work with the multinational publishers to develop a purchasing model that works for both sides, but with little success. Public libraries have responded by reallocating budgets and opening conversations with publishers to resolve issues with supply and discoverability. Public libraries have had to reallocate budgets to digital content while continuing to fund their physical collections. This puts pressure on finite resources, and is not sustainable.

Why act now, rather than earlier or later?

Advocacy efforts for fair pricing and access have been underway in Canada since 2010. There has been significant progress with much improved access to eBooks for public library customers. Many Canadian independent publishers make their content available as do the major publishers. However, multinational publishers continue to limit access to eAudiobooks and impose terms such as unreasonably high prices.  

Has any evidence of a negative impact of eLending on sales been shown? How much is there in the argument that eBook prices are higher because the impact of eLending is higher also?

We are unaware of any evidence to prove that claim.

For example, the 2014 Pew Research Centre study that cited “…those who use libraries are more likely than others to be book buyers and actually prefer to buy books, rather than borrow them,” We know that library patrons in Canada who are book-buyers buy more books than non-patrons at a rate of 2.3 vs 2.1 per month.

I would also refer you to a very recent report from the Panorama Project that provides data on the retail impact of a library eLending campaign, whereby libraries were enabled to give access to one eBook without limits for a two week period.

The results were spectacular, with a 818% growth in sales of the eBook from March to April 2018, and a 201% growth in print sales.

These results were not just a one-off – there were sustained retail sales above pre-­campaign (January–March 2018) volumes, with eBook sales continuing at 720% above pre­campaign volumes over the following two months. Meanwhile, April–June 2018 print sales continued at 38% percent above pre­campaign volumes.

A review of select local markets also showed a marked increase in sales in areas where the local library system actively promoted eBook and a more limited sales impact where the local library system did not promote it. The publisher reported that the increase in national retail print sales volume was significant enough to prompt an additional print run to meet ongoing demand.

At least from this one study, it seems pretty clear to me that allowing libraries to acquire and lend eBooks can have a major positive impact on sales!

Why else might publishers be refusing to offer eBooks to libraries?

In a word - Fear.

We recognize publishing in Canada and around the world is undergoing great change, but limiting access and imposing unreasonably high prices for libraries seeking to acquire and lend eBooks is not the answer.  

Does the same go for audiobooks?

You bet it does.

What information do you have about how much authors are making from the money paid by libraries for eBooks?

Very little – this sort of information is not released by publishers. Of course we support fair compensation for authors and we are not suggesting we should only be paying the consumer price.

What we are saying is that unreasonably high eBook and eAudiobook prices mean we are increasingly limited in what we can purchase. We have to spread our budgets across both print and digital purchasing, which means buying popular material in both formats.

In turn, this impacts authors, as we are buying fewer titles, especially those by new or lesser known writers. 

Would a change in the law help, or do you think a solution can be found only through the market?

As regards copyright law, we are exploring this question with a number of different lawyers. We’re still working to identify what changes would have the biggest impact.

In the meanwhile , the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) has encouraged the Government of Canada to seek opportunities beyond the Copyright Act to support the creation and sharing of Canadian stories and ideas.

For example, the Government of Canada could ensure access to eBook content from all publishers by identifying a policy solution that prevents restrictive licensing and pricing practices, or could seek alternative ways to support the earnings of creators outside of copyright, through increased publicly available research on publishing and reading, and through other forms of cultural heritage support.

What would the ideal result of this campaign be for you?

We want as many people as possible to visit econtentforlibraries.org to learn about the issues public libraries face with respect to access to eAudiobooks and pricing for eBooks and eAudiobooks.

We’re asking people to spread the word on social media with the hashtag #eContentForLibraries so we can track the conversation and voice their concerns to the publishers.

And of course we also want people to keep borrowing eBooks and eAudiobooks from public libraries. The booming popularity of this content is one of the strongest arguments for increased access!

Call for Papers: Satellite Meeting

Theme: Grey Literature

Sponsored by: IFLA Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section

Co-sponsored by: IFLA National Libraries Section

Date: August 23, 2019 (9:00 am to 4:00 pm)

Venue: National Library of Greece @ SNFCC(Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center), Athens, Greece Https://www.snfcc.org/default.aspx

Call for Proposals and Papers:

The Internet has dramatically altered how grey literature is defined. The importance, the availability, the access, and the types of grey literature have significantly increased since the days of keeping pamphlets and newspaper clippings in a vertical file. Deciding if a resource is commercially published or if it is grey literature has become more complex and requires judgement. Knowledge of a field of study is helpful in knowing where to find or to gain insight into grey literature. This satellite will address how libraries and others are meeting the challenges of grey literature. It will explore strategies for discovering and identifying grey literature; managing both the grey literature and its metadata; and ensuring the long term preservation of grey literature. 

Librarians, information professionals, researchers, editors, publishers and others are invited to submit paper proposals relating to the following topics:

Discovering and identifying grey literature within a particular field

Metadata for grey literature

Promoting and marketing grey literature

Institutional repositories and long-term preservation solutions

National libraries and grey literature

Data mining and grey literature

Research data and grey literature

Submissions and Selection Process

If you are interested in submitting a paper proposal, please provide the following in English:

●     Name(s) and affiliation(s) of author(s)/presenter(s)

●     Proposed title of the paper

●     Proposed abstract of the paper (no more than 500 words)

●     Brief biographical information of all author(s)/presenter(s)

●     Contact information, including email, of all author(s)/presenter(s)

The deadline for proposal submission is March 1, 2019.Please email proposals in .PDF or .DOCX format to Meg Mering, Chair of the IFLA Section on Serials and Other Continuing Resources, mmering1@unl.edu

All proposals will be reviewed by members of the IFLA SOCRS and the National Library Section Satellite Conference Organizing Committee. Selection will be based on proposal content and fit to the conference theme. Proposal authors will be notified via email by April 1, 2019.

Authors should submit proposals only if they are able to attend the Satellite Conference. 

The deadline for final papers is June 1, 2019.Papers should be original work writtenin English, not published elsewhere, and should be no longer than 10 double-spaced pages using a standard 12-point font. Authors will be required to present their papers at the Satellite Conference. At least one author for each accepted paper must attend. This requirement ensures that the author(s) of the papers and attendees of the conference have the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion with colleagues about the presentations and other related topics, leading to a more robust professional experience.  Presentations should last about 15-20 minutes and time will be allotted afterwards for questions and discussion. Presentations should be engaging, interactive, and designed to elicit thoughtful discussion from the audience. Use of PowerPoint or other visual program is encouraged for the benefit of the entire audience. The official language of the Satellite Conference is English.

In accordance with IFLA's Open Access Statement, all papers presented at the Satellite Conference will be available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported (CC BY 4.0) license. Authors of accepted papers will need to sign IFLA's author form upon notification. Papers and presentations will be freely available online. 

Important Dates

●      March 1, 2019 Proposal submission deadline

●      April 1, 2019: Notification to submitters

●      June 1, 2019: Deadline for authors to submit completed papers

Contact

For questions about the Call for Papers, please contact Meg Mering, Chair of the IFLA Section on Serials and Other Continuing Resources,mmering1@unl.edu

Additional information about the IFLA Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section and the National Library Section can be found online via the Websiteor Facebook

Notice

All expenses are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA or the IFLA SOCRS and National Library Sections. 

Satellite Planning & Program Committee

Meg Mering, Chair, IFLA Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section

Theron Westervelt, Information Coordinator, IFLA Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section

Genevieve Clavel, Secretary, IFLA National Libraries Section

Sharon Dyas-Correia, University of Oxford, United Kingdom,

Christina McCawley, West Chester University, United States

Andrea Wirth, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States

EIFL webinar: The EIFL Open Access Programme is starting 2019 with a series of webinars highlighting new developments in open repositories platforms. Join us for the first webinar in the series, to learn about a new open source repositories platform that Ubiquity Press will be releasing in early 2019.

Government Libraries Section joint with Library and Research Services for Parliaments Section invite presenters to share views and implementations on Government/Parliamentary libraries/librarians helping to provide information and evidence related to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Theme: "Libraries: dialogue for change - From gatekeeping to advocacy"

Conference Date: 24 – 30 August 2019

Government Libraries Section joint with Library and Research Services for Parliaments Section invite presenters to share views/stories and implementations on Government/Parliamentary libraries/librarians helping to provide information and evidence related to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The selected speakers will deliver short presentations lasting 10 minutes (maximum) and participate in an interactive session with a Knowledge Cafe format.

Deadline for Submissions: 08 March 2019

Full details are available at Conference Website

The IFLA Audiovisual and Multimedia Section, joined by the IFLA Preservation and Conservation Section and the Strategic Programme on Preservation and Conservation (PAC), invite interested professionals to submit proposals for the open session to be held during IFLA WLIC in Athens, Greece, from 24-30 August 2019.

Theme: "It's good to preserve, it's even better to share: Sound and visual cultural heritage in local communities"

Full details available on the WLIC 2019 website

Seventeen trainers from public libraries in Namibia will attend a four-day EIFL workshop on design thinking for public libraries and project management.

The 17 trainees were selected by Namibia Library and Archives Service (NLAS) to become trainers within the NLAS network of 65 public libraries. They will pass on their learning and skills to other librarians in the NLAS network.  

During the Closing Session on 29 August 2018, Marie Sophie Dibounje Madiba, Former Director of IFLA PAC for French speaking africa, recieved the IFLA Scroll of Appreciation.

The IFLA Preservation and Conservation Standing Committee is pleased to share this information with all its members.

The CPDWL section, in partnership with the Croatian Library Association, will host their Satellite Meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, 20-21 August 2019.

Conference theme: Librarians and information professionals as (pro)motors of change: immersing, including and initiating digital transformation for smart societies

Call for papers: now inviting proposals for papers and presentations: deadline 25 February 2019.

For more details,  visit the conference website.

CPDWL Satellite Meetings

We invite you to ready about our latest news in the January 2019 CPDWL Newsletter.

LIBER is Europe’s largest research library network. We help our university, national and special libraries to support world-class research. Founded in 1971 and based in The Hague, LIBER is involved in a range of European projects addressing the barriers on the path towards Open Science. LIBER is seeking a Community Engagement & Communications Officer to…

The post Job Opening: Community Engagement & Communications Officer appeared first on LIBER.

Twenty public librarians from libraries in the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) network will attend a four-day workshop on design thinking and project management for public libraries.

In keeping with the thematic focus of the next World Library Information Congress, “Libraries: Dialogue for Change”, the IFLA SIG Relindial propose a session. It will be organised on the theme:

"Document religious conflicts without sustaining resentment"

Please follow this link to discover the complete call for papers in english, german and french:
https://2019.ifla.org/cfp-calls/religions-libraries-and-dialogue-special-interest-group/

We very much look forward to receive your proposals by 18 February 2019!

The Parliament of Kenya will be hosting the Inaugural Annual African Parliamentary Researchers Conference 2019 from 18th to 22nd March, 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya. The Conference will be based on the theme: “Realizing the potential of Parliamentary Research Services in African Parliaments”. 

Further information about the conference is available here while the registration form can be downloaded here. Please note that completed registration forms must be submitted by 15th February 2019.
 

Missed the Award deadline? Good news - the cut off for applications is now 18 JANUARY!!

If your library has #marketinggenuius, get your entry in for the IFLA/PressReader International Library Marketing Awards and go for gold.

https://www.ifla.org/node/91708

Missed the Award deadline? Good news - the cut off for applications is now 18 JANUARY!!

If your library has #marketinggenuius, get your entry in for the IFLA/PressReader International Library Marketing Awards and go for gold.

https://www.ifla.org/node/91708

The draft minutes of the two Standing Committee meetings held in Kuala Lumpur on 24th and 27th August 2018 are now available here.

Any corrections or suggestions should be submitted to Karin Finer or Steve Wise by the end of January 2019.

The Management and Marketing Section, in collaboration with Samos Public Library are organizing a satellite meeting in Pythagorion, Samos, Greece 22 – 23 August 2019. The event will precede the annual World Library and Information Congress: 85th IFLA General Conference and Assembly in Athens 24 – 30 August.

Recruiting and Managing the New Generation of Employees to Attract New Markets and Create new Services

The Conference will explore and discuss management and communication skills libraries and other cultural institutions need to recruit a new generation of employees, attract new markets and create new services. Which communication strategies and media are best for reaching new employees and customers? Do we have the right communication skills?  What additional skills may all employees need to better serve the new generation?

1. New services and new skills
2. Recruitment strategies
3. Matching media to markets
4. Identifying and serving the unserved
5. OJT (on the job training):  Updating outdated skills, mentoring
6. Research on market trends for libraries and cultural institutions
7. New markets for libraries and cultural institutions
8. Expanding the Library’s reach through public engagement
9. Creating new positions which align with the mission of the institution
10. Best practices on any of the subjects

Interested parties are invited to submit an abstract (maximum 350 words) in English for a proposed paper or poster.

Each presentation will last approximately 20 minutes. Posters should display questions, hypothesis, data, and results that highlight research within the conference subjects.

The abstract should be in English and include the title of the paper; author/presenter’s name, position and employer; author/presenter’s email address and telephone number.

Please submit proposals to: Ruth Ornholt, E-mail: ruth.ornholt@hfk.no

Proposals will be reviewed by a sub-committee of members of the Management and Marketing Section.

• Abstract submission deadline: 16 February 2019
• Notification of acceptance: 15 March 2019
• Deadline for Paper submission:15 June 2019

Papers must be in English and include the abstract 

​

After 21 years, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Libraries Programme has closed its doors. IFLA, on behalf of the entire global library field, would like to give thanks not only for its contributions to date, but for the immense impact it will continue to have into the future.

We believe that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s 1997 decision to establish a dedicated programme for libraries will be seen by future historians of our field as a major moment.

At a time of political, economic and technological change, it represented a clear statement of the enduring place of libraries in society. It affirmed their role as accelerators of progress, community anchors and guarantors of equity, and challenged other stakeholders to do the same.

After implementation across the United States, the Global Libraries programme took this message around the world, with immense success. They have given librarians the tools and inspiration they needed to realise their potential. They have shown the difference that effective libraries with engaging services can make to their communities.

Thanks to its visionary leadership and dedicated staff, Global Libraries has done so much to deliver on its mission to improve lives and strengthen libraries. IFLA acknowledges Deborah Jacobs as the driving force, not only of the Global Libraries team, but for change across the library field. IFLA itself was a beneficiary of funding that allowed it to develop the Building Strong Library Associations programme and pursue advocacy at the highest levels.

Now, we are at another major moment. With the closure of the Global Libraries programme, we say goodbye to one of the greatest allies our sector has ever known.  IFLA President, Glòria Pérez-Salmerón said, "While the closing of the Programme marks the end of an amazing phase in the development of libraries, I am confident that its missions, vision and energy will live on, and make a lasting difference to our institutions and the people they serve."

With the energy and example they have provided, and the most generous grant in IFLA’s history, IFLA has never been in a better position to work towards a globally strong and united library field.

IFLA will seek to transform the global library field, with a transformed IFLA at its heart. Our federation is better able to listen to the voices of our members around the world, and join together in advocating for library services that improve lives. 

IFLA is already enabling a qualitative change in the way the library field collects data and measures its impact through the Library Map of the World. With our International Advocacy Programme, we have placed libraries at the heart of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.

With IFLA’s Global Vision, we are firmly on the way to a truly united global library field. Across the global culture, science and education sector, there has never been such an ambitious and inclusive initiative. 

These successes have only been possible due to our outstanding partnership with Global Libraries, and to the inspiration Deborah Jacobs and her team have provided. The legacy of their work has given IFLA and its legacy partners an unparalleled opportunity and an unparalleled responsibility.

IFLA believes that, together, we are up to the task, and we can help stronger libraries build better lives the world over.

Gerald Leitner
IFLA Secretary General