Needs-based public libraries
The thinking of Comrade F. Dobler from the early 20th century remains relevant and even prescient: those who need open access to information may be those who are fundamentally excluded from public libraries.
Library and museum support for the Ainu People of Japan
Two Japanese professionals on the role that libraries and museums in Japan can play in promoting the knowledge and cultures of the Ainu People.
Finnish public libraries integrate diverse services to support equity & inclusion
Finnish public libraries are mandated to provide equal access to materials and services for all citizens, and staff are pushing the boundaries of how access is defined, by widening the scope of service offerings.
Preparing surgical professionals and students to be culturally sensitive
This column features professionals who have traditional library and information training but have taken a “road less travelled” by applying their knowledge and skills in unexpected ways or places.
Librarians on a “Leave for Change”
Leave for Change is a programme that sends volunteers on three-week assignments to developing countries. Juliene McLaughlin tells Wayne Johnston about her first overseas assignment.
Librarians Without Borders: 10 years of connections in Guatemala
Neither distance nor geopolitics prevent librarians and library school students with Librarians Without Borders from making the annual trek to the Miguel Angel Asturias Academy In Guatemala.
A library is: PEOPLE
A library is clearly “place” in the sense of a physical space filled with books, posters, signs and desks. But just as obviously, a library is also people.
#IFLAGlobalVision
I recently had the opportunity to attend the second regional workshop of the IFLA Global Vision Initiative (the first one was May 2017 in…
John Vincent: Libraries, the universe & everything
I interviewed John Vincent by email in February, 2018. I have known John since we were both chief librarians in London in the 1990s.…
Welcoming LGBTQ+ people
How can we demonstrate, through action, that LGBTQ+ people are welcome in libraries? In the first article in this limited series of conversations, Amanda…
Connect, converse & unite: IFLA’s Global Vision
We can find it challenging to have a meaningful conversation with a colleague who sits in an adjacent cubicle—life is full of everyday responsibilities that take our time and attention. So the idea of talking with library folk from around the world about our collective future seems daunting.
La Casita Azul: A Unique Project with Significant Consequences
As a result of a short but exciting conversation in 2014, the idea of a York University library in Costa Rica was born. After…
Crossing the Pond: MLIS Students Researching in the UK
Last summer I ran away from home—from Mountain, Ontario across the pond to London, England. Why? I am a part-time MLIS student at the…