Educational and enlightening 79th WLIC in Singapore! A report on selected events at IFLA 2013

Abstract

Purpose

This report aims to summarize selected presentations of the International Federations of Librarians Associations and Institutions (IFLA) 79th world congress held at Suntec City centre, Singapore, and highlight Asian participation in the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) 2013. In addition to its content, the IFLA congress provides opportunities to discuss emerging issues and best practices with colleagues, vendors, and consultants across the globe.

Design/methodology/approach

Reports from the viewpoint of an IFLA 2013 congress participant and paper presenter; presents an overview of the selected events with more detail on some of the presented papers and Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) workshop. IFLA congress attracts librarians from all sectors and work environments from around the globe. It is difficult to document the entire conference happenings in a single report because of its huge and diverse nature; therefore a selective approach is used.

Findings

The WLIC in Singapore was one of the most exciting social and professional events of the year. Over the years, the author finds that IFLA congresses deliver the best value in professional development; the educational value of the IFLA congress that author has had attended is consistent and cost-beneficial.

Practical implications

It is not possible for any one person to cover all aspects of IFLA; it contains presentation summary of selected papers maybe of particular interest to readers who missed these sessions.

Originality/value

The Singapore congress was worthwhile and enlightening, revealing the diversity of current developments in library service delivery worldwide. This report summarizes information about the congress useful for professionals who did not attend.

Citation

Ghosh, M. (2014), "Educational and enlightening 79th WLIC in Singapore! A report on selected events at IFLA 2013", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 11-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-10-2013-0064