Congress
10 August 2007
The Department of Arts and Culture invites media to the World Library and
Information Congress that will take place from 19 to 23 August 2007 at the
Durban International Convention Centre. In 2002 the Library and Information
Association of South Africa (Liasa) won the right to host the 73rd edition of
the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
Congress.
The then Department of Arts, Culture Science and Technology pledged its
support to the bid on behalf of the South African Government. IFLA presents the
World Library and Information Congress in different countries every year. It is
the most prestigious event in the international library and information
services (LIS) sector and it is a great honour for South Africa to host the
Congress. It is the leading international body representing the interests of
LIS and users.
The congress provides a kaleidoscope of networking opportunities for
librarians from all over the world and the sharing experiences. Previous hosts
include Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Jerusalem, Boston, Glasgow, Berlin,
Buenos Aires, Oslo and Seoul 2006.
The 2007 Congress to be hosted by Liasa in Durban will only be the second
ever held in Africa. The first was in Kenya in the 1987. The average number of
delegates who attended the World Congress in the past ranged between 3 500 and
5 000 from over 100 countries. The Congress will discuss the following topics:
information technology and research, library frontiers, multicultural library
services, best practices, managing e-resources, preservation management, north
umbria international, managing technologies, continuing professional
development, African libraries, information literacy, freedom of access to
information and freedom of expression, library and information services for
print disabled and parliamentary libraries.
In addition to the closed meetings and discussions, there will be various
other events. The main events include a media briefing on 17 August, an opening
ceremony on 19 August, Minister Z Pallo Jordan's gala cultural evening on 22
August, library visits on 22 August and the closing ceremony on 23 August.
Enquiries:
Mack Lewele
Cell: 082 450 5076
Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
10 August 2007
Source: Department of Arts and Culture (http://www.dac.gov.za)
