Te Rōpū Whakahau: IFLA WLIC 2019
A SENSORY EXPLOSION OF LEARNING - SHARING MY EXPERIENCE OF IFLA WLIC, 2019
Breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and architecture rich in heritage, culture, language and history. Days full of stunning Greek sunshine and glorious food in a country known as the birthplace of democracy and, indeed, the world’s first public library. A mecca through the centuries for knowledge, philosophy and wisdom – Athens, Greece (The Hellenic Republic) and your people, thank you for your manaakitanga for all of us from Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Representatives from 139 countries, 3,600 delegates, 500 awe-inspiring global speakers, 200 lightning sessions from change-makers, leaders and motivators with a united desire to share, learn, collaborate, network, envisage, plan, strategise, design and create a dialogue for change across the library profession worldwide. I was so fortunate to be exposed to new technology, trends, ideas, projects and an opportunity to develop professionally at lightning speed – welcome to my experience of the 85th International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions World Library and Information Congress 2019 , held in Athens, Greece from the 24th30th of August.
As a newcomer to the IFLA WLIC experience, I was grateful to be mentored by Te Paea Paringatai and Celia Joe (coincidentally the two previous Tumuaki of Te Rōpū Whakahau) who made this experience richer with all their advice, insight, whānanungatanga and meaningful kōrero. Ngā mihi aroha e ōku tuakana.
Coming into the congress, all of my senses were on high alert and were in a constant state of stimulation – my experience will be best described I think, utilising each of the senses
because it is always the sights, smells, tastes, what you hear and especially what touches you that you remember long after an event of any kind. The whole experience reminded me of the famed educator, the late Dr Maria Montessori (1870-1952), who claimed that ‘the senses are the explorers of the world and open the way to knowledge’ and I was determined to soak up every possible moment, using every single sense.
Starting with yep, you guessed it – kai – my taste buds and nasal passages went into overdrive delighting in the best olives and olive oil on earth, fresh kaimoana (seafood), and cheese, magnificent, cheese – fried, fresh, in salads, in moussaka – in fact, all of the food was simply delectable and unforgettable. Great tried and true family recipes, open-air restaurants and food carts everywhere. Sense of taste, sense of smell – two ticks.
The sense of hearing – my first impression as I entered the congress was the plethora of so many languages swirling around me – a cacophony of melodious sound with different lilts, accents and nuances. As a passionate bilingual speaker of te reo Māori and English, I relished the richness of the various languages and I revelled in this microcosm of diversity on the world stage.
Keynote professionals, world industry leaders, courageous young movers and shakers, people from all cultures, ethnicities, orientations, and backgrounds infused my mind with vibrant ideas and fresh concepts across the spectrum of the global library field. My senses were enlightened and inspired as I connected to the people sharing their knowledge. There were so many moments that resonated but my most memorable auditory moments were as follows:
■ The opening ceremony of the congress and the cultural night – Greek culture, heritage and storytelling told through performance art, dancing and singing with passion and gusto
■ Hearing the IFLA Strategy delivered with passion and purpose by the Secretary General Gerald Leitner
■ IFLA Outgoing President Glòria Pérez-salmerón in her final speech as President urging everyone to remember ‘To take our wisdom, our values, and to realise our potential… we must create a global movement in order to bring meaningful access to information for all.’
■ Hearing te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori concepts on the world stage delivered by former LIANZA President, former TRW Tumuaki, IFLA Indigenous Matters Section Outgoing Chairperson and now Information Officer, Te Paea Paringatai
■ The courageous presentation by Mai Ishihara from Hokkaido University, Japan challenging reductive narratives around indigeneity as a barrier to real understanding through her own story woven with Ainu history in the Indigenous Matters session
■ Powerful LGBTQI session – audacious, bold and transformative ways of advocating for and engaging with the takaatapui (LGBTQI) communities
■ Lightning sessions – quickfire five minute presentations over two hours from speakers across the globe giving us a glimpse into their advocacy ideas, projects, problem-solving, community programmes to name a few – all with the same goal of increasing the visibility and relevance of libraries in their corners of the world with their communities – ka wani kē koutou! (awesome), totally mind-blowing, exciting, stimulating and inspirational! Hearing sense – deserves another tick.
Sight – marble everywhere from park benches to stores, to steps in the middle of town – the sheer amount of it was the most I had ever seen in my life, landscapes which reached out to the Aegean and Mediterranean seas amazing architecture EVERYWHERE – from ancient to classical to modern. I had moments where I had to stop in my tracks and ground myself in the present moment because every sight had me on sensory overload and specific places deserved deep appreciation and acknowledgement – especially Delphi, the Acropolis and the fascinating libraries I got to visit: The National Library of Greece, The Municipal Library of Pireaus, the Hellenic Maritime Museum Library and the Aikaterini Laskaridi Foundation – Historical Library. Other sights to visually enthral included the state-of-the-art library and information related technology in the extensive exhibition stands and, of course, the people from every race, creed and colour converging in Athens to celebrate the world’s most international library conference. Sight sense – definite tick.
Touch – this sense was awakened by a number of things and should be viewed in its broadest sense, that is being moments that really touched me – as it communicated to my manawa (heart) and left me with either a sense of wonderment or engendered a transformative experience encapsulating the
dialogue for change theme. Top 3 moments were as follows:
1. The Cultural Night was full of authentic Greek entertainment highlighted by a spectacular view of the Acropolis at the end of a climb up the rooftop gardens. There was incredible music from the famous group Estoudiantina, Greek folk dancing by the The Lykeion ton Hellenidon, followed by more music and dance as librarians joined in to learn Greek dances. I relished the cross-cultural learning and was amazed to find myself quickly catch on to the steps. I also taught some of the dancers ‘Kia ora.’ It was definitely out of my comfort zone but I loved every minute of it! #Greekkanikani
2. The moment when Christchurch City Libraries and Information Manager, Carolyn Robertson stood on the world stage as Tūranga were a finalist in the Public Library of the Year awards. She delivered a mihi to the manawhenua of Ōtautahi (Christchurch), Ngāi Tahu and relayed the cultural narrative of the library and its significance – notably the only library presentation in these awards to emphasise a cultural narrative. Professionally and personally, my heart sang! #Indigenouslibrarianpride
3. Louise La Hatte Former LIANZA president and Pouārahi, Te Kura Tawhiti – Head of Research, Heritage and Central Library at Auckland Libraries in a moment of Aotearoa/ NZ derived pride got up as Carolyn Robertson was given flowers as a finalist on the stage and led with a beautiful pitch and tone – ‘Te Aroha’ and every Kiwi in the room got up and sang with patriotic pride.… ‘Te whakapono, me te rangimārie, tātou, tātou e!’ it was powerful yet harmonious and you could have heard a pin drop as every person in the auditorium stopped and listened. It was truly an emotional and heartfelt moment. Followed by applause, it was biculturalism at its best on the world stage. Afterwards, many delegates commented on the waiata and how unified the NZ delegates were. #Waiatamaiaotearoa #Kotahitanga
Touch sense - a heartfelt tick.
IFLA WLIC 2019 was an exhilarating and transformative experience enabling new learnings and new bonds to be formed with library information and professionals both across Aotearoa/ NZ and indeed globally. I am grateful to Te Rōpū Whakahau for their tautoko, Rotorua Lakes Council and in particular the team at Te Aka Mauri, Rotorua Library for their manaaki and of course my hoa rangatira (partner) Destiny, tamariki and whānau who are my greatest advocates.
Finally, I close with the words of my favourite modern poet, the late Maya Angelou (19282014), which amply describes my experience, ‘I want all my senses engaged. Let me absorb the world’s variety and uniqueness.’ This encapsulates IFLA WLIC 2019 perfectly. It’s a sensory experience I will never forget!
I encourage other librarians to apply to attend an IFLA WLIC, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that deserves a space on your bucket list.
See more info at: https://www.ifla.org/node/91952