Bangkok--14 Aug--19 Media
Thailand Knowledge Park (TK PARK) joins forces with International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and over 200 experts worldwide in the IFLA Satellite Meeting 2013 to present ideas on preserving and digitizing children’s and young adults’ cultural heritage
TK PARK, IFLA’s Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section and IFLA Core Activity on Preservation and Conservation (PAC), The Thai Library Association and ThaiBBY are co- hosting the IFLA Satellite Meeting 2013 forum on August 14-15, 2013 under the theme “Creating the future: preserving, digitizing and accessing all forms of children’s and young adults’ cultural heritage” at the Arnoma Hotel, Bangkok. To be participated by over 200 international scholars and librarians from 14 countries, this event aims to focus on the topic of preserving children’s and young adults’ cultural heritage before the 79th General Conference and Assembly or IFLA WLIC (World Library and Information Congress) takes place in Singapore on August 17-23, 2013.
The IFLA Satellite Meeting 2013 will commence with a welcome addresses from Prof.Khunying Maenmas Chavalit, President of Thai Library Association (TLA); Viviana Quinones, Chair of IFLA Section Library for Children and Young Adults; and Christiane Baryla, Chair of IFLA Core Activity on Preservation and Conservation (PAC). This will be followed by an opening speech and presentations from Dr.Sirikorn Maneerin, Chair of Thailand Knowledge Park Sub-Committee and Khunying Kasama Varavarn, President of Thai Section of IBBY (ThaiBBY). There will also be special presentations from Keynote Speakers such as Barbara K. Stripling, President Elect, American Library Association, who will be delivering a talk on “Creating the Future by Empowering Youth to Tell Their Stories” and another one under the topic “Important Issues in Preservation and Access of Digital Content for Children” by Dr. Howard Besser, Professor of Cinema Study and Director of Moving Image Archiving & Preservation Program from New York University.
Dr. Sirikorn Maneerin, Chair of Thailand Knowledge Park Sub- Committee, says “This IFLA Satellite Meeting 2013 in Bangkok will be focusing on being an exchange place of academic knowledge, opinions, and experiences concerning the preservation and conservation of all forms of children’s and young adults’ cultural heritage. This Meeting will also stimulate information researchers and academic librarians from all over the world to present their researches and studies that will lead to the development of preservation and conservation of children’s and young adults’ cultural heritage in digital forms and also support Thailand in the international academic forums to improve on librarianship and information services.
“We hope to establish a network of scholars in this field for future co-operation as a part of creating the Thai society to become a society of knowledge. The event will also be a great opportunity to promote various aspects of the Thai cultural heritage via TK Park’s digital contents as well. ”
Dr.Sirikorn Maneerin reveals that the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions or IFLA is the name of the world’s largest international body of library associations and institutions. It is also an international organization with over 1,500 members of professional librarians and libraries from 150 countries worldwide, including The Thai Library Association, Thai BBY or Books for Children Foundation and TK PARK as well.
The IFLA was founded in 1927 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Later the Government of the Netherland supported the registration of IFLA’s main headquarter in The Hague in 1971. Every year IFLA would organize an academic general conference in a different country to provide an opportunity for librarians from all over the world to exchange their academic experiences and to form friendships among one another so that a network of co-operation between libraries of every nation could be established.
Back in 1999, The Thai Library Association was hosting such conference here in Bangkok, in which the prestigious event was granted His Majesty King Bhumibol’s Royal Patronage and became such a success — with the participating international librarians departing Thailand with a great impression.
This year, the IFLA General Conference will once again take place in the South East Asia region with Singapore as the main host. The 79th IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2013 will be held on August 17-23, 2013 at The Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Center under the theme “Future Libraries: Infinite Possibilities”
For this coming event, Thailand has also taken the opportunity to organize a pre- conference IFLA Satelite Meeting 2013 - on August 14-15, 2013 under the theme “Creating the future: preserving, digitizing, and accessing all forms of children’s and young adults’ cultural heritage” at the Arnoma Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. It is a co-operation between IFLA Section Library for Children and Young Adults and IFLA Core Activity on Preservation and Conservation (PAC) — with TK Park, Thai BBY and The Thai Library Association as the hosting committee in Thailand.