Association puts focus on role of libraries

The vital role of libraries in society in the face of rapid technological development is the main topic in focus at this year’s American Library Association (ALA) Conference being held at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).

During the opening of the conference, which is the only ALA event to be hosted outside the US, Ahmad Al Ameri, chairman of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), said: “We have in Sharjah a strong belief in humancentred communication and believe in the pivotal role of libraries as bridges and as keys to open the vaults of knowledge.”

This year’s SIBF/ALA Conference includes 26 activities featuring 300 experts from university, public, school, government and private libraries from around the world.

Speaking during his keynote address at the event, James Neal, president of ALA, said the most important role of libraries was the work that they do to support public interest, saying that users depend on them to maintain those core information values and to fight for them in the public arenas. He said that libraries should stand firm in the face of increasing scrutiny on their value and cost-effectiveness from funding organisations.