SIBF Participates In American Library Association Annual Conference

 

Headed by Ahmed Al Ameri, SIBF Director, and including Salim Omar Salim, Head of Sales and Marketing at SIBF, the SIBF delegation is making use of this participation to finalise the first ever Sharjah International Book Fair/ALA Library Conference, set to be take place from the 11th to the 13th of November, in concurrence with the 2014 edition of SIBF.

 

Speaking about the upcoming conference, Ahmed Al Ameri said, “We are thrilled to be organising this landmark event in collaboration with our counterparts at the American Library Association. Libraries fulfil a vital role in reading promotion and the creation of a knowledge-based society and there is still much room for growth both in terms of the number of libraries available and the technical expertise of libraries in the Middle East. Through this conference we want to support the wonderful work that is already being done by this region’s librarians and give them the opportunity to expand their skill sets, as well as to raise the profiles of libraries and librarians and encourage talented individuals to enter the world of library science.”

 

The SIBF Director went on to say that the delegation will be conducting a number of meetings with respected librarians and other stakeholders in the library sector to encourage participation in the upcoming conference. 

 

Being held for the first time ever in the Middle East, two-day library conference will offer free concurrent programmes on a wide range of topics for librarians from public, academic, school, government, and special libraries, drawing on the expertise of librarians in the region, as well as from the US and other countries. The conference will also offer an important opportunity for librarians from across the region to network and share best practices, as well as visit the Book Fair.

 

The American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world, provides leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. Its 58,000 members are primarily librarians, but also trustees, publishers and others who support the work of the association.

 

True to its motto "For Love of the Written Word", the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is one of the four largest book fairs in the world, the most prestigious in the Arab world, and the most exciting literary event in the region. With over 1000 publishers participating from 53 countries, the 11-day event has become a literary carnival, attracting over 1,000,000 visitors.