These are hectic times and people all over the world are facing all kinds of different crisis, such as the covid-19 pandemic, forest fires, climate crisis, etc. Public libraries and their staff have to respond to these challenging times. How are they responding and what can we learn from experiences all over the world? That is the topic of the webinar “Public Libraries Responding in Times of Crisis” organized by the IFLA Public Libraries Section.

The webinar is on 10 November at 15:00-16:00 (CET). We have some interesting speakers with different views on this topic, such as: Sadie-Jane Nunis, Vickery Bowles and David Lankes. Erik Boekesteijn will moderate the event. See below for more information about the speakers.

R. David Lankes

David Lankes is the Virginia & Charles Bowden Professor of Librarianship at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information. He is the recipient of ALA’s Reference and User Services Association 2021 Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award for distinguished contribution to reference librarianship. His book, The Atlas of New Librarianship won the 2012 ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Award for the Best Book in Library Literature. Lankes is a passionate advocate for librarians and their essential role in today’s society.

Dr Sadie-Jane Nunis

Dr Sadie-Jane Nunis is the current Head of Learning & Knowledge Curation and Editor at the Singapore Institute of Management. She holds various governing council positions with local and global associations in and outside the library world. As of end March 2021, Dr Nunis became the Library Association of Singapore President, a post that she will hold from 2021 to 2023.

Vickery Bowles

Vickery Bowles is the City Librarian at Toronto Public Library (TPL), a library system serving 2.9 million residents through its 100 branches and online network. She believes passionately in the difference public libraries make in the lives of individuals, in communities and cities. Vickery is currently working to advance TPL’s new strategic plan, with a focus on new service models, digital literacy and inclusion, workforce development and innovation. Vickery is Past Chair of the Urban Libraries Council headquartered in Washington, DC, sits on the board of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries, and is a member of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council.

Erik Boekesteijn

Erik Boekesteijn (Panel Chair)
Presenter, motivator, musician and author. Boekesteijn is currently Senior Advisor at the National Library at the Netherlands (KB), Trustee to the Board of StoryHouse Chester, Library Avenger, Consultant Public Libraries 2020, founding father of Public Libraries 2030, and a facilitator and consultant for IFLA. He is also owner of Shanachie Media and producer of This Week in Libraries and ShanachieTours, a worldwide tour of searching for best practice in libraries.  In 2009, Boekesteijn was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker of the Library world and Best Librarian in the Netherlands 2015.