21 July 2014

Report from Trend Report workshop in Sofia, Bulgaria

IFLA Governing Board member Inga Lunden facilitated an IFLA Trend Report workshop in Sofia, Bulgaria, as part of the Bulgarian Library & Information Association's annual conference from June 4-6 2014. You can see Inga's slides from her presentation here.

Here's what Inga had to report back:

Early summer in Sofia, Bulgaria. Around 25 library professionals have met at the Technical University to discuss what is happening around the world, why it is happening and how it effects the library field in Bulgaria. The energy is high and gets even higher with some coffee and chocolate. 

The IFLA Trend report has chosen five trends. After a discussion as to which ones are the most relevant we ask ourselves what key actions libraries should take in the immediate future. And what needs to change.

Two hours later the five groups have agreed on ten prioritized points.

1) Capacity building. Staff first, to be able to take care of and respond to user needs.

2) Increasing digital presence, to be at the users fingertips wherever she/he is at the net.

3) Diminish the digital divide, by supporting disadvantaged groups.

4) Work with the civic agenda, upgrade libraries for e-govenment, be a partner in the civil society.

5) Build partnerships in order to remove barriers to a knowledge society. work together with local communities.

6) Create digital and physical spaces for playful creativity and connections between people.

7) Make libraries as creation entities of information, a new kind of publishers.

8) The life long learning must include Media and Information Literacy (MIL)

9) Work for balanced (c) laws av access to e-reading.

10) Raise awareness around the issues of integrity and privacy and try to make libraries a secure access point.

An ambitious list, yes. But as a strategic program to break down into action plans, it is something for the Library Association and its partners to work with.