Sharjah :
The second edition of the two-day National Libraries Summit, organised by the Sharjah Book
Authority (SBA) in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), kicked off today
(Sunday) bringing together an international group of librarians and experts representing various
libraries in the US and countries around the world to exchange visions and expertise, and
deliberate solutions to overcome challenges facing the sector.
The two-day summit is organised in collaboration with IFLA’s National Libraries Section and the
Arab Federation for Libraries and Information (AFLI).
Beacons of knowledge
In his keynote speech, HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA, said: “Since the
dawn of time, libraries have served as beacons of knowledge. However, when we talk about
national libraries, their roles and responsibilities are doubled and central to the growth of
society, and therefore, the second edition of this summit was launched to deliberate on key
pillars to advance the role of national libraries and provide solutions to challenges facing them.”
The SBA Chairman added: “National libraries have been one of the key pillars of Sharjah’s
cultural and developmental project, founded on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin
Mohammed AlQasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. Over two days,
we will discuss strategies and efforts required to ensure that national libraries achieve their
goals and missions. We will deliberate on tools and mechanisms to protect copyrights in the
digital age and explore partnership opportunities to develop and advance the operations of
national libraries.”
Al Ameri pointed out that SBA believes in investing in public libraries because it directly impacts
the creative industries around the world and enables communities to advance and forge brighter
futures.
Bolster role of libraries
For her part, Liisa Savolainen, Deputy Director, National Library of Finland and Chair of IFLA
National Libraries Section, said: “I’m happy to be here in this international cultural gathering. We
have several programmes and goals that we want to share and explore to advance national
libraries in line with the best global standards and practices.”
She added: “It is vital that we come together and unify our efforts to advance our operations and
bolster the role of libraries in our communities, especially at a time of significant challenges. I’m
confident this summit will be full of successful experiences we can all share together.”
Hassan Alsereihy, President, Arab Federation for Librarians and Information (AFLI), said: “This
summit provides a unique opportunity to deliberate on critical issues facing the sector. We hope
to build on the success of the outcomes in the inaugural edition with the increased number of
participants in this edition.”
He noted that AFLI issued the Arab Standard for National Libraries in cooperation with the UAE
National Library and Archives, which is considered a great milestone in the development of
mechanisms and systems of national libraries.
Two sessions on Day 1
The summit included two sessions on the inaugural day. The first, under the title ‘Strategy and
Staffing for Success’ brought together Ng Cher Pong, CEO, National Library Board, Singapore;
Lisa Savolainen, Deputy Director, National Library of Finland and Chair of IFLA National
Libraries Section.
During the session, Pong briefed participants on the National Library Board in Singapore, and
the changes incorporated during the pandemic. He also touched upon how the right hiring
strategies can usher change and transformation in addition to upskilling human resources in
libraries.
For her part, Savolainen briefed participants on the National Library of Finland, and discussed
the role of leadership, technology and agile solutions in creating the necessary change and
advancement.
Following the first session, a series of networking sessions were organised. Participants shared
their experiences and visions to solve the top challenges impacting national libraries, especially
the post-pandemic and digital transformation challenges.
Under the title ‘Legal Deposit and Copyright in the Digital Age’, the second session brought
together Sara Lammens, General Director, Royal Library of Belgium; Lars Ishammar, Deputy
National Librarian, National Library of Sweden; and Dr. Mina Ramzy, Head of the Egyptian
National Library, Egypt.
Panellists discussed mechanisms to safeguard intellectual and publishing rights in light of
technological advancements and rise of Artificial Intelligence.