South Africa will host the thirty-second annual conference of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) this year.
The five-day conference, to be held in Durban in July, also incorporates the seventh international forum on research in school librarianship.
The theme of the conference is school libraries: ‘breaking down barriersâ€. This, says IASL, reflects ‘the belief that effective school library programmes narrow gaps and equalise opportunities. They provide academic enrichment and catch-up interventions, and serve to connect learning across the curriculum. They provide access to literature that might heal divisions, build the self-esteem of the marginalised and promote tolerance.â€
The aim of the conference is to improve the development of school libraries internationally. ‘IASL 2003’s goal is to break down some of the barriers that hinder school library development within South Africa, the rest of Africa and internationally. These barriers divide the profession from within and also isolate it from the very partners it needs to work with – teachers, curriculum developers and policy-makers.â€
IASL criticises governments for their general lack of support and recognition of libraries. ‘Many countries have reformed their education systems – opting for a learner-centred curriculum that will produce school leavers who are lifelong learners, able to compete in the global economy. However, the potential role of school libraries in this reform has often been ignored. It is hoped that IASL 2003 might be a forum for discussion and debate on these anomalies. It will focus on the need to narrow the gaps between school library sectors, school libraries and other libraries, librarians and educationists, librarians and managers, librarians and government, and libraries and their communities.â€
For more information, go to http://www.iaslslo.org/conference2003.html
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