My Experience at the World Library and Information Congress
blog post by 2016 IFLA Fellow, Cecilia Tsai
I am a second-year Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) Candidate from the UCLA Department of Information Studies. Last year, I was selected for the IFLA 2016 National Committee Fellowship Grant by the 82nd General Conference and Assembly of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to attend the 2016 World Library and Information Congress (WLIC), held in Columbus, Ohio from August 13-19.
I flew into Columbus the day of the IFLA Fellows Program. The orientation engaged fellows from all over the world with the structure of the conference, from off-site social events to highly anticipated meetings featuring reputable library and information (LIS) professionals and scholars. Here is a mobile snapshot of my personalized Congress Programme.
Susan Hildreth, professor at the iSchool at University of Washington in Seattle, presented her Aspen report "Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries." It addressed the critical need for "digital literacy" in public libraries to provide communities with digital access to information. Hildreth led an engaging discussion on how "ensuring long-term sustainability is still an ongoing struggle for libraries; not much in government, but in communities." To learn more about this report, visit www.libraryvision.org.
Afterwards, there was an interactive exercise involving a "Strategies for Success" handout, which listed 15 Action Steps for Library Leaders. I partnered with a librarian from Cameroon to review and discuss each action step. Two that really stood out were the following:
- Support the concept of a national digital platform to share collections nationally while continuing to maintain a local presence and focus; participate in content-sharing networks and platforms.
- Change long-held rules and operating procedures that impede the development of the library's spaces and platform.
I believe these action steps are key to initiating more practical applications and training for MLIS students' career choices. My partner shared that librarians in Cameroon are too under-recognized for the work they do and are not provided enough training. She believes the profession needs more advocacy, promotion, and communication of the library's story of impact to the public, partners, stakeholders, and policy makers.
At the end of session, we headed to the Fellows Reception at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Cocktails, refreshments and hors d'oeuvres were served, as everyone socialized the night away.
The Congress's Opening Session introduced attendees to the history and culture of Ohio through a series of spectacular and comical performances. The massive turnout represented 145 countries in one room. It felt surreal to be part of the world's largest gathering of library and information professionals, and to be representing the USA as a Taiwanese American fellow.
Two of the most memorable meetings I attended were "Current and Future of Media Communications" and "Privacy Law in the Digital Age." The first one featured retired news reporter, Carol Luper, who spoke about ways to communicate to the public and librarians around the world. A Norwegian attendee expressed her shock at Trump's nomination and asked, "What is the reason for America not doing more to pursue knowledge that exist in other countries?" Luper replied, "We are a very nationalistic country that often accepts what is reported in the media. It is up to the reader to be well educated to know if a report is one-sided. Nevertheless, there is a faction in America and I only speak for Americans I know." Her response was reminiscent of a concept I learned in my program: that bias isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as people are aware when it occurs. The second meeting featured a panel, that included Robert Newlen and Roberta I. Shaffer from the Law Library of Congress, and compared two legal regimes: that of Europe and of the USA. Europe's protected fundamental "right to be forgotten" can apply to library policies if they meet EU jurisdiction. Therefore, the privacy of"individuals found in records" continues to expand, but also shrink with technology and data collection.
Early student registration is currently open for the 2017 WLIC in WrocBaw, Poland. This Congress is a must-go for any member of the LIS community who has not yet been. For current MLIS graduates and rising information professionals, this will be a timeless, borderless space for the sharing and exploring of opportunities, research, and culture. Our pedagogy, community, values, and services are vital to a democratic society. Let's continue to create connections and make a heavily-networked world smaller and more comprehensible.
I want to extend a special thanks to Scott Shoger from the ALA International Relations Office for organizing the fellows events.
Honoring Fred Korematsu
blog post by Genie Guerard
In January 2010, the Governor of California signed a legislative bill that established Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution on January 30 in perpetuity. This is the first state-wide day in U.S. history named after an Asian American.
In 1942, when Japanese Americans were being interned in the United States under Executive Order 9066, Mr. Korematsu refused to leave the community in Oakland where he grew up, and he was arrested, tried and convicted in Federal Court. Despite the valiant efforts of the A.C.L.U. and others, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his conviction and held that the military orders removing Japanese Americans from the West Coast were lawful under the United States Constitution. Mr. Korematsu's case stood until 1983, when a number of documents were found which proved that the United States government suppressed, altered, and destroyed material evidence during its prosecution of Mr. Korematsu's case. Based on these documents, Mr. Korematsu, represented by a team of young lawyers, filed a petition for writ of error coram nobis, a proceeding which allows a criminal defendant to challenge his conviction based on manifest injustice. Mr. Korematsu's petition was granted.
Mr. Korematsu lived in Northern California until his passing on March 30, 2005. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn, and his two children, Karen and Ken Korematsu, who have established the Fred Korematsu Institute to perpetuate their mission, "Educating to Advance Racial Equity, Social Justice, and Human Rights for All."
Yesterday, I received a book in the mail titled, "Fred Korematsu Speaks Up." Designed for grammar school students, It is the first of Heyday's Fighting for Justice series designed by Heyday's creator, Malcolm Margolis. Thank you, Malcolm! The photos you see here are from the book, and there are more images from the book freely available online.
The UCLA Library Special Collections holds the papers of Fred Korematsu related to the Fred T. Korematsu v. United States Coram Nobis Litigation (1942-1988). as well as the papers of Jack and Aiko Herzig, whose research brought forward the evidence that re-opened the case.
