QNL set to host first MetLib conference

In another making of a milestone, Qatar National Library (QNL) is all set to host the first Metropolitan Libraries (MetLib) conference to ever take place in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, next month.For MetLib 2016 which will be held at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), from April 23 to 28, QNL has invited all librarians to register and participate in it. In the history of the esteemed conference’s 47 years, this is the first time it is being held in the Middle East, and that too under a quintessential regional theme – “Pearls in the Desert: Unleashing Potential.”MetLib is organised by the Metropolitan Libraries Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). MetLib 2016 supports Qatar Foundation’s mission to unlock human potential and further boost Qatar’s library and information sector. Academic researchers, librarians and industry professionals were invited to submit their English abstracts addressing one of three themes provided; how libraries support personal development, how libraries support training or how libraries develop their staff. The registration and fees payment deadline for MetLib 2016 has been extended to April 1. For more details, check out www.metlib2016qatar.org“Metropolitan libraries provide people with the knowledge and information they need to realise their full potential and become active contributors to their society’s development. Just as a pearl inside a shell starts off as a grain of sand and grows into a beautiful gemstone after a long process of nurturing and care, the potential within every human needs nurturing in order to develop into a great skill or ability,” QNL says, in a note on the event.“Public libraries provide the knowledge and information support that help individuals to unleash their potential, achieve their ambitions and become key contributors to their society’s advancement. Metropolitan librarians’ professional development is an important aspect of any library’s functions. They should also receive the support and development required to fully realise their potential so they are able to better serve and develop the communities that they support,” QNL further explains.To provide a quick glimpse into the programme, the first session on April 24, for instance, will explore how libraries respond to community needs by adapting their service philosophies and practice. Titled Innovation in Library Services, the session proposes, “As innovative thinking can produce meaningful outcomes, delegates will discover new services that have been successful.” The planned presentations in this session are the utrecht library in transition; digital spaces co-ordination: a hub for innovation; unleashing the potential of public libraries by preparing for the future; Rotterdam public library — public display of the largest collection of books on the humanist erasmus.Another session, on the following day, will deal with Community Learning. “Libraries have adapted new practices to provide community learning spaces and have created new ways of bringing people together to learn new skills and new ideas. Examples of new ways of providing services will be explored,” a note on the session says. The planned presentations in this session are Islamic finance: an emerging subject of interest to public librarians; the practice of Chinese contemporary “library+” and the all-round development of readers and librarians; and managing knowledge and creative potential of users.Then there will also be PechaKucha session – a presentation technique where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds, in efforts to deliver presentations efficiently. The planned presentations in this session are libraries as social spaces for life-wide skills in the age of smart technologies: case of Zimbabwe; the training in Algerian libraries: reality and challenges; comparative assessment web portals public libraries located in Tehran province using data envelopment analysis; and Sils consortium.The annual conference is aimed at providing an ideal platform for metropolitan and public libraries to share progressive ideas for the enhancement of the worldwide information services sector to create an extensive and long-lasting knowledge-sharing network. Participants will be introduced to informative research findings in the field and have the opportunity to explore the impact of the development of human potential through libraries and attend industry-focused presentations throughout the conference.“The pearls and the desert of the Gulf region combine to form a perfect illustration of how potential can be unleashed through careful nurturing, care and support,” QNL says. The conference sessions will be conducted in English but Arabic translation will be provided.