The 11th Sharjah International Library Conference (SILC) will take place on November 9-10, the first weekend of this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair. The SILC brings together 250 librarians annually from the MENA region and beyond to learn and share the latest trends and issues within global librarianship. The Conference is a collaboration between the American Library Association (ALA), the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and Combined Book Exhibit (CBE).

This year’s conference will continue to have a focus on the impact of artifical intelligence (AI) on the library community. Leo Lo, president of the Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of ALA, will keynote the conference; Lo is a globally recognized expert on “AI and Libraries”.

There will be follow-up sessions that look deeper at integrating AI into various types of libraries, including public, school and academic libraries. Yrjo Lappalainen and Nikesh Narayanan from Zayed University, U.A.E., will explore the innovative use of conversational AI in libraries through the development of ‘Aisha’, the library’s AI-powered chatbot. Ritesh Dhanak, chief innovation and digital officer, GEMS Modern Academy, U.A.E., will discuss how AI can be leveraged in school libraries. In addition, Sarah Abd ElSattar, senior marketing specialist at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, will showcase how AI can revolutionize marketing strategies of libraries to connect with a wider audience.

In addition to AI, other programs will delve into the need for experimentation, creativity, and even play in libraries today. Cathryn Copper from the University of Toronto will explore “The Experimental Library: How to Take Risks, Fail Forward, and Create Change”. Megan Lotts, art librarian at Rutgers University in New Jersey, will describe how play acts as a lynchpin for functioning successfully as a team as well as impacting communities in positive ways.

With digital collections and services continuing to expand (in size and cost), Anna Neatrour of the University of Utah looks at “The High-Impact Digital Library: Innovative Approaches for Outreach and Instructions,” a presentation that will provide both inspiration and pragmatic guidance.

Libraries must continue to evolve to meet the needs of research and education communities, and Yousef Torman, managing director of the Arab State Research Education Network (ASREN), will provide insight during his program “Transformation in Open Sciences Era” that will highlight regional plans, tools, platforms, and resources for libraries, including Pan Arab Regional Open Science Clouds.

In “Everyday Evidence-Based Practice in Libraries: Case Studies and Reflections,” Meggan Houlihan, director at OSUN Library Resources Program, Open Society University, will emphasize the importance of everyday EBLIP for functional areas, highlighting well-designed projects to inspire the work of others.

School librarians attending the conference will be able to take advantage of a full track of programs, including “Building News Literacy: Lessons for Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in School Libraries“ presented by Tom Bober, School District of Clayton, Missouri, and “Step into the future of education and discover how cinematic virtual reality revolutionizes storytelling, transforming it into a powerful vehicle for cultivating empathy and promoting global consciousness in students” from Dr. Andrea Trudeau, Deerfield, Illinois. Award winning school librarians from across the U.A.E. will also share their successful initiatives.

With the continued emphasis toward inclusion, Fatema Abdul Rahman Al Tamimi, acting library management director for the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, will highlight “Diverse and Comprehensive Initiatives from Abu Dhabi Libraries for People of Determination.”

Twenty-five other attendees will highlight best practices during the ever-popular poster sessions, while the Knowledge Café will provide more networking and engagement opportunities. Attendees will also be able to interact with exhibitors throughout the conference. Registration is only open to librarians; further details can be found on the conference website.