Bangkok, Thailand
65th IFLA Council and General Conference 1999
'Libraries as Gateways to an Enlightened World'
IFLA's conference and exhibition is the biggest international event of the year for professionals in the library and information sector. IFLA (The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) offers an excellent opportunity for thousands of delegates, experts, and library and information providers from all over the world to exchange ideas and experience as well as to introduce new innovations and products. The 65th IFLA Council and General Conference 1999 will take place at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Bangkok, Thailand, August 20-28, 1999.
In the information era, the library must transcend its present role as producer and purveyor of knowledge and information by acting as a gateway to a wide range and variety of information resources and services which are in constant flux. This requires recognition that quantity and availability do not necessarily guarantee quality and desirable information. In this information environment, libraries have to do more than act as hosts. As agents of change, they have a role to play in converting data into information, information into knowledge, and knowledge into wisdom by providing the means to seek a better future, an increasingly more enlightened world where such universal aspirations as peace, social and economic justice, intellectual freedom, respect for human dignity and rights, and a healthy social and natural environment, are reinforced, enhanced, and converted to reality. Libraries must act as 'gateways to an enlightened world'.
On the threshold of the twenty-first century, which could mark the beginning of a new and hopefully enlightened era, library and information professionals should take up challenges to provide the means for a better world. The 65th IFLA Conference proposes that the international library community commit itself to meeting the challenges of building a more enlightened world by focusing on the quality of its collection, contents and services, reaching out to all levels and groups of society, ensuring equitable access to knowledge, and strengthening its position in the dynamic global information market place.
The sub-topics of the 65th IFLA Conference are:
- Strengthening the Gateway: Legal aspects of information access; Library staff education and training; Affordable and efficient communication links; Education at all levels as a component of the life-long learning process.
- Assuring the Quality and Quantity of Information: Development of quality information sources; Development of 'search engines' and other means to access information sources; The changing roles of Universal Bibliographic Control - UBC and Universal Availability of Publications - UAP; Publishing in all media for an enlightened world; Conservation of documentary heritage and provision of wider access.
- Networking for 'Quality of Life': Libraries for peace and conflict resolution; Libraries for cultural development and aesthetic appreciation; Libraries for healthy bodies and wholesome minds; Environment and culture information networks; Networking services for the disadvantaged and abused.
An International Trade Exhibition has been arranged at BITEC in connection with the IFLA Conference. The Exhibition will be held for 3 days: 23-25 August, 1999.
For further information of reservation exhibition booths, contact
Mr Marc de Vries or Ms Nisarat Adsawapornwasin
IFLA'99 Bangkok Exhibition Bangkok RAI
Riviera Tower 3
226/25 Bond Street, Chaeng Wattana Road
Muang Thong Thani,
Nonthaburi 11120 Thailand
Tel.: +66-2-960 0141 3, 960 0461 3
Fax: +66-2-960 0140
E-mail: nisarat@bkkrai.com
For further information about the conference:
IFLA'99 Conference
c/o SPAFA
81/1 Si-Ayutthaya Road
Samsen, Theves, Bangkok 10300
Tel.: +66-2-280 4022 9
Fax: +66-2- 2804030, 628 5361, 312 5849, 734 8024
E-mail: spafa@ksc.th.com
Http://www.ifla99.th.com/