The Chairs of IFLA's North America and Middle East-North Africa Regional Divisions at the 9th ALA Sharjah conference. What a great opportunity for two regional leaders to meet on the ground!
The title of World Book Capital has passed from Athens, Greece, to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. IFLA President Glòria Pérez-Salmerón and Secretary-General Gerald Leitner are representing libraries at the event.
The Marrakesh Treaty, which aims to remove unnecessary copyright-related barriers to making and sharing accessible copies of books. To date, only two Arab-language countries have ratified this, meaning that most people in the region with print disabilities continue to struggle to access knowledge and literature. At a workshop in Dubai, organised by the Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, IFLA called for progress, both in legislation and on the ground.
Hala Essalmawi (Library of Alexandria, Egypt) will represent IFLA, underlining what libraries, with the right support and laws, can do to provide access to information to people with print disabilities.