SBA to host National Libraries Summit on 8th November

By Samantha Allen

Published: October 23, 2021 | 12:42 PM GMT

SBA to host National Libraries Summit on 8th November

SHARJAH, 23rd October, 2021 – The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) is organising the National Libraries Summit on 8th and 9th November, 2021, at its headquarters in Sharjah, to further its commitment to promote books and literacy.

The two-day summit will be held in conjunction with the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2021) under the theme “Visibility, Engagement, Impact, and Collaboration”, and convene 50 national library directors and senior staff from 20 countries in Europe, North America, Africa and the MENA region.

The summit will be free for all participants, creating a unique opportunity to share ideas and expertise.

It will enable a collective exploration of challenges faced by national libraries.

The summit’s participants will analyse the present state of national library curation, discuss complex challenges library professionals face as they build and interpret collections, and look into practical approaches to address them.

The summit also aims to be a platform for professionals in national libraries to share current practices and learn new approaches to curatorship.

It will boost networking opportunities geared towards international collaboration.

The two-day event will host four panel discussions on the key issues and challenges facing national libraries in the region and around the world.

The summit will take off with two panel discussions on Day 1.

The first session, titled “Visibility through Communications” will get users back into national libraries post the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second session is titled “Engaging Digital Users”.

The Day 2 programme includes two sessions – “Impact on Society and National Strategies”, and “Cooperation and Partnerships among National Libraries”.

The summit will also feature four networking breakout sessions on both days for participants to explore collaborations and partnerships.

The National Libraries Summit is being co-organised by the American Library Association.

The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA)’s National Libraries Section and the Arab Federation of Libraries and Information (AFLI) are the event’s co-sponsors.

Individuals and institutions who wish to attend the summit need to complete the registration process here: https://www.

sibfala.

com/nlsummit/registration.

About Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen is a seasoned journalist and senior correspondent at TDPel Media, specializing in the intersection of maternal health, clinical wellness, and public policy. With a background in investigative reporting and a passion for data-driven storytelling, Samantha has become a trusted voice for expectant mothers and healthcare advocates worldwide. Her work focuses on translating complex medical research into actionable insights, covering everything from prenatal fitness and neonatal care to the socioeconomic impacts of healthcare legislation. At TDPel Media, Samantha leads the agency's health analytics desk, ensuring that every report is grounded in accuracy, empathy, and scientific integrity. When she isn't in the newsroom, she is an advocate for community-led wellness initiatives and an avid explorer of California’s coastal trails.