IFLA Congress is an absolute platform of professional development and networking for library professionals

IFLA WLIC 2018: IFLA Congress is an absolute platform of professional development and networking for library professionals

Dil Ruksana Basunia

Deputy Librarian, University of Chittagong, Chittagong- 4331

First of all, I would like to thank Md. Habibur Rahman for giving me the opportunity to attend the seminar titled “A national-level network for agricultural library and information centres in Bangladesh”. The seminar was very motivating and offered the opportunity to learn many issues including current trends of agricultural Library and information systems in Bangladesh. As a presenter, I find it was a very enriching experience for me. I would like to share and describe briefly below on my presentation as an abstract.

IFLA WLIC is the biggest platform for professional exposure, where professionals can meet other library professionals from all over the world; they can share ideas and views among themselves. Professionals can also know what is going on in other country libraries regarding service and technology and they can adopt as per their own library requirements. Professionals can meet and know different professional bodies all around the world can meet and talk with the members/staff of the bodies and may get involved with. During the IFLA Congress, I have discovered that Librarianship is a great profession where there are so many tremendous opportunities to contribute in building a scholarly society as well as a nation. I have met with many reputed university librarians and get the opportunity to know what are new services and technologies they have implemented or the way in implementing phase in their libraries. How does this impact on the users? Also, I have learnt about how the broad of IFLA work with different projects. There are so many IFLA projects are currently going on i.e. IFLA Global Vision, Library Map etc. Also, I had conversations with many library professionals from all over the world and established a professional connection which I will continue with my rest of the career the same as with IFLA members/staff. I hope my paper about IFLAWLIC 2018 experience will give a brief overview about IFLA Congress, Congress Programs, how to choose sessions to attend during the Congress and will give a clear idea about IFLA and how Bangladeshi Library Professionals can get involve with IFLA through their institutions or as an individual.