IFLA Women, Information and Libraries Special Interest Group Report to IFLA Management of Library Associations Section (MLAS)

IFLA WLIC, Cape Town, 15 – 21 August 2015

Written report

According to the IFLA Lyon 2014 Open Business Meeting decision, Women, Information and Libraries Special Interest Group IFLA 2015 Congress activities were to hold:

1. Two days IFLA joint satellite meeting in August 11 – 12 th 2015 hosting by University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria

Theme: “Measuring the impact that librarians have had towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals related to women”

Organized in cooperation with Unisa Women’s Forum (UWF), has 60 registered participants. We are pleased to report that, due to the shared interest in the theme, the Unisa Women’s Forum has approached us to organize satellite meeting.

The satellite meeting followed up to WIL’s first ever program in Durban. The important thing to say is that August is Women’s Month in South Africa.

2. Session at Congress took place on Monday, 16 August 2015, 13.45 – 15.45, Congress Session 77, two hours of panel discussion:

“How can the Library and Information services profession contribute to the Post – 2015 sustainable development goals related to women?”

Focal points:

  • Libraries and librarians are the heart of sustainable development for the World
  • Examples and strategies which provided to be most valuable to the deliberations
  • Outcomes and assessments since Beijing +20

Keynote speakers:

  • Dr Kay Raseroka, Botswana
    IFLA President 2003 – 2005, independent consultant and Trainer, IFLA Building Strong Library Associations, member of the Board of Trustees for INASP
  • Susan Schnuer, USA
    Associate Director Mortenson Center for International Library Programs – University of Illinois
  • Dr Olukemi A. Fadehan, Nigeria
    University Librarian, University of Lagos  
  • Maria Cotera, United Kingdom
    Women Information and Libraries Special Interest Group strategic adviser
    Convener Women, Information and Libraries Special Interest Group 2009 – 2013

The Session was very successful and attended by 83 delegate.

3. An Open Business Meeting was held on Tuesday, 18 August 2015 11.30 – 13.00, session 125

and was very well attended; was held in the presence of the most active delegates of the SIG as well as the new ones, from USA, Serbia, France, Great Britain, South Africa, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Namibia…We considered future activities at the next IFLA Congress in USA. Decided to organize Congress session in cooperation with IT IFLA Section – May Chang (USA) was present on behalf of the IT section. Main interest is on women and information science (services) – using technology for development and empowering not only for users, but for colleagues librarian also. WIL SIG will send call for papers, but working form will be panel discussion. Due to present situation (having no convener in the moment), WIL SIG leader for further next congress session activities  is Nthabiseng Kotsokoane (UNISA, South Africa) who is the member of IFLA IT Section too.  

In very fruitful discusion group also came up with the theme for IFLA Congress 2017 – “Women in conflicts”

This year the sponsoring section have been asked to nominate new convener for the period 2015 -2017, to replace outgoing convener Beba Stankovic.

Beba Stankovic
Convener, Women, Information and Libraries Special Interest Group

18 August 2015