Day One - Libraries create futures: building on cultural heritage

This morning i joined 3,500 participants from 136 countries at the opening session of the 75th World Library and Information Congress.

The mornings formalities had welcomes from the Mayor of Milan and other Italian dignitaries including IFLA officials.

Short theatre performances '5 Tableaux vivnats" were interspersed amongst the presentations which traced the important part books have played from the time of the Romans right through to the modern era with 21st century books being displayed as a giant USB storage device (I could feel the traditionalist take a deep breath at that stage)

Although we heard from a variety of people there were some themes emerging:

• Convergence of libraries, museum and archives


• Libraries as a social utility - libraries as a mediator between the book and the people


• Libraries must champion Open Access ( which got a cheer from the audience). Many spoke very passionately for open access and one speaker was bold enough to equate open access to the Renaissance period. Parallels were also drawn between open access and freedom of speech and free press. There was acknowledgement to Copyright (as an inhibitor). IFLA have developed 12 core exceptions for libraries which they will take to the next international intellectual property meeting.

Some other items of interest for you:

2,000 Libraries in Italy; first pubic library in Italy was established 400 years; 45 years since IFLA was held in Italy

In the afternoon I went to the "newcomers session" as this was my first IFLA and there were at least 1,000 others there. It was a general introduction to IFLA, its role and governance. One of the speakers was chair of a "new library professionals" group and I did think that we could have some valuable input into this group. To end the presentation they showed a short video made at the last IFLA asking attendees what the "new librarian professional is" If you look and listen closely you will see an Australian there that may be familiar to some: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKYUdrtPC7s