The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), is hosting its sixth annual Sharjah International Library Conference from November 6 – 7, 2019 at Expo Centre Sharjah. More than 400 librarians, archivists and industry professionals from across the globe will share their expertise on a host of pressing issues, challenges and opportunities for the entire industry as they outline strategic shifts that will define the next generation of library services.

The 2019 edition of the SIBF/ALA includes three preconference workshops on November 5, and a packed two-day conference on November 6 and 7.

Preconference workshops will inform participants on important topics like setting concrete standards for libraries in higher education and putting them into action, shine light on new cataloguing concepts and applications, and building empathy and understanding through curriculum and VR.

Held on the side lines of the 38th edition of SIBF, key topics discussed on November 6, the first day of the SIBF/ALA conference will include the virtual expansion of library services, ways to encourage people to use public libraries, and others. One discussion titled ‘School Librarians of the Year: Sharing Stories, Lessons, and Keys to Successes’ has been included on the discussion agenda to present leading best practice examples that can benefit librarians across the region. Collaboration between public and school libraries and transforming Library Science Education (LIS) for a global marketplace will also feature among Day 1 discussions.

On November 7, the conference’s deliberations will go deeper into analysing digital transformations and their impact on both library science and services. Topics will include AI and machine learning in libraries, blockchain and libraries, and digital preservation. Another best practice example will be presented at the ‘Malaysia Public Libraries: Connecting to Community Needs’ forum, before the conference dives into a more literary discourse with topics like ‘Graphic Novels and Graphic Non-Fiction in Libraries’ and ‘Oral Histories: A Role for All Libraries’.