Mohammed Bin Rashid Library to host the First Dubai International Library Conference 2024
An elite group of specialists and experts will shed light on the future of libraries
Dubai: More than 60 speakers from over 25 countries will gather in the UAE for the first Dubai International Library Conference 2024 slated for November 15 to 17.
They will talk about how libraries can keep up with the times in what the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library (MBRL) described as “one of the most prominent and prestigious events of its kind” in the region.
Around 45 panel discussions, workshops, lectures, and interactive round table talks will be part of the conference that will be held under the slogan, “Our Libraries, Past, Present and Future”.
Topics include archive preservation, advancements in library systems and programmes, intellectual property, copyright laws, artificial intelligence, sustainable libraries, and the role of philanthropy in ensuring access to information.
MBRL said an “elite group of specialists, professionals and experts from all over the world” is set to enrich the conference. They will exchange ideas, experiences, and learning from the latest practices in the library and information sector, it added.
Some of the prominent names participating in the conference are:
- Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP)
- Sharon Memis, secretary general of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
- Leslie Burger, interim executive director at the American Library Association (ALA)
- Mohsin Al Musawi, from Columbia University
- Dr Sami Mobayed, historian at the Royal Historical Society in London
- Saif Aljabri, of the Omani Library Association and Chair of IFLA, Mena
- Dr Ahmed Zayed, director of the Library of Alexandria
- Dr Faiza Adeeb Al Bayati, president of the Iraqi Library, Information and Documentation Specialists Association
- Dr Heba Ismail, vice-president of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information
- Constantia Constantinou, deputy dean and director of Libraries at the University of Pennsylvania
The conference will underscore libraries’ significance as hubs for global knowledge exchange and celebrates their architectural and cultural heritage.
It will also highlight the diverse specialities of international libraries — from academic and scientific to national and private — by drawing specialists and professionals worldwide to define the future of libraries and showcase their technological prowess, including artificial intelligence and electronic databases. Discussions also address challenges posed by societal and technological changes.
The Supreme Committee of the Dubai International Library Conference comprises three members of MBRL Foundation’s Board of Directors — Isobel Abulhoul, Ibrahim Al Hashmi, and Jamal Al Shehhi.
Abulhoul said the conference would offer a crucial chance for delegates and speakers to meet in person and address urgent global library issues.
“The entire world, including the Mena region, must keep pace with the challenges of the digital age, and be a bridge between generations, combining the wisdom of the ancient past, the renewed vigour of the present, and the promising and, at times uncertain, future.”
Al Hashmi stressed that the inaugural edition of the conference is a key forum to explore libraries’ role as cultural and knowledge hubs.
“It also promotes exchanging experiences and knowledge within a global framework that embodies rich human diversity and highlights the prospects of libraries in the future, digital transformation, the concept of transforming them into museums of the future, and the latest practices in the library and information sector.”
Al Shehhi said the conference would be a unique opportunity to explore the latest technologies, innovations, and challenges in the world of libraries and information.
Access is complimentary and it is necessary to register as a delegate, to receive the necessary conference badge. For more information please visit: https://s1684998685.hs.eloqua.com/DILC2024ENG.