A workshop examined the role of Caribbean libraries as information centres
16-07-2007 (Kingston)
A workshop for senior librarians in the Caribbean was held on 25-29 June.
The workshop on Trends and Developments in Caribbean Libraries was held at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus, Jamaica. It was organised by the Department of Library and Information Studies, and the Main Library at the University of the West Indies in collaboration with UNESCO. The main focus was made on global and Caribbean trends that impact on the role and development of libraries as information centres.
The content and design of the workshop were derived from consultations with librarians who expressed an interest in having periodical sessions for continuing their library education, updating and sharing experiences. As a result, the exercise was interactive in nature. The workshop came at a most opportune time due to the need for librarians to increase and improve the accessibility of information in this rapidly developing region.
The workshop examined various issues including:
Professor Fay Durrant, Head of the department of Library and Information Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona, expressed happiness in reference to the attendance of librarians from all over the Caribbean at the opening session of the workshop. She stated that at the end of the workshop, participants should have gained "a greater awareness and understanding of the trends and developments in Caribbean libraries, an appreciation of the impact of these developments on access to information in the Caribbean".
The content and design of the workshop were derived from consultations with librarians who expressed an interest in having periodical sessions for continuing their library education, updating and sharing experiences. As a result, the exercise was interactive in nature. The workshop came at a most opportune time due to the need for librarians to increase and improve the accessibility of information in this rapidly developing region.
The workshop examined various issues including:
- human resources development,
- advocacy and marketing of library services,
- information literacy,
- an integrated library system,
- visibility of library websites,
- access to information in various formats such as e-government information and institutional repositories,
- intellectual property rights,
plagiarism and patents, and
- records management.
Professor Fay Durrant, Head of the department of Library and Information Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona, expressed happiness in reference to the attendance of librarians from all over the Caribbean at the opening session of the workshop. She stated that at the end of the workshop, participants should have gained "a greater awareness and understanding of the trends and developments in Caribbean libraries, an appreciation of the impact of these developments on access to information in the Caribbean".
Related themes/countries
· Latin America/Caribbean
· Jamaica
· Training of Media Professionals: News Archives 2007
· Libraries: News Archives 2007
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Contact information
-
Contact
- Department of Library and Information Studies
- Isidro Fernandez-Aballi, UNESCO Office in Kingston
- Alton Grizzle, UNESCO Office in Kingston
- UNESCO
Source
- UNESCO Office in Kingston
Field office