LIANZA presidents Richard Misilei and Ivy Guo attended the IFLA International Futures Summit in Brisbane from September 30 to October 3, 2024. They talk about the highlights, themes and sessions they attended at this event.
IFLA TREND REPORT
An open panel was held on the 2024 IFLA trend report. The report looks at what is happening now and identifies future trends for librarians and professionals globally. With a comment on challenges, it’s a useful report to use to view the patterns emerging and to build services around these. The report identifies seven trends:
- Knowledge practices are changing
- AI and other technologies are transforming society
- Trust is being renegotiated
- Skills and abilities are becoming more complex
- Digital technologies are unevenly distributed
- Information systems are using more resources
- People are seeking community connection.
You can view the presentation recording here >
Ivy says that Trend 1 – knowledge practices are changing, is important to consider as a librarian’s role is to help people to create, consume and circulate information.
There are additional scenarios in the report. Ivy references ‘Nothing is different, but everything has changed’ by R. David Lankes – University of Texas. For example, our ‘reference’ services from quality to reality with the question of AI hallucination. Support scholarly and literary publishing – but “the role of the librarian is less to find materials as to research and certify the origins of the materials.”
Ivy attended a range of Ignite Talks on subjects such as using the ancient art of storytelling for library narratives in a digital world and libraries as brokers for intergenerational connectedness.
She also attended sessions on the American Library Association (ALA) and ALIA Professional knowledge domains which included– information services, information management, literacies and learning, technologies, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts, communities and stakeholders, research, leadership and management. Looking at ALIA Professional Pathways Frameworks she noted “the diverse and often complex issues relating to the education and qualification pathways into the library and information profession”.
Session recordings can be found here:
- Conversations and Provocations with Ng Cher Pong and Gene Tan
- Marek Kowalkiewicz: AI and the Rise of Digital Minions
- ALIA Professional Pathways Frameworks
- ALA Core Competences of Librarianship
- Presenting the IFLA Trend Report 2024 recording
- IFLA Trend Report
RICHY MISILEI’S EXPERIENCE OF IFS2024
The primary purpose for my attendance at IFS 2024 was to gain insights into international trends emerging for our sector, to network within the sector and to represent LIANZA. I was asked by IFLA President, Vicky McDonald, to be on a panel discussing Digital Social Justice as she especially wanted a ‘youth/community’ perspective.
KEY THEMES AND TOPICS COVERED
The impact of AI: AI is a worldwide topic that is increasingly becoming part of our culture. Being information professionals, it is important that libraries lay hold of this phenomenon and be leaders in navigating it, using it for our good, as well as being creators of it.
The immensity of AI, its capabilities, and its influence on culture and society is huge! Marek Kowalkiewicz spoke about the evolution of algorithms from following human instructions to influencing real-world outcomes. These can be both beneficial and harmful. Marek said, the fear of “AI taking over the world” will not happen because algorithms constantly need human supervision. My take-out was that the sector should consider how we can leverage AI for our good and how can we become leaders in this space?
IFLA Trend report: The long-awaited IFLA trend report was released at this summit. The last time a trend report was as fully researched as this one was, was over 10 years ago. Seven Trends were highlighted (as shown in Ivy’s section). The IFLA trend report would be a good place to start for LIANZA to see where we align and what we should be working towards.
Digital Social Justice: From my preparation notes, social justice in the digital age refers to the pursuit of fairness, equality, and human rights within the context of our increasingly digital and interconnected world. As technology becomes more integrated into everyday life, the principles of social justice—such as equity, access, participation, and rights—must be applied to digital spaces and technologies. A number of themes were discussed during this session:
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- Multiculturalism and health equity – does the digital world speak plain language for those who have English as a second language? Is the material culturally sensitive and appropriate?
- Open scholarship, access, publishing, OER campaign and digital spaces for the neurodivergent population; overcoming biases including biases in AI.
- Civic participation for youth and other populations with typically low voting turnout.
- Digital literacy and online safety.
- Advocacy for change through policy instruments.
During the Q&A, I was asked about connecting with ‘hard-to-reach’ communities. While not specific to this theme, I could see that the audience really wanted some ‘practical’ methods in dealing with this issue.
