IFLA’s Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Division Committee (SSA RDC) will participate at the IFLA World Library & Information Congress (WLIC) 2022 scheduled for Dublin, Ireland. The Open session, an exciting interview of prominent Library and Information Science Heads will share views and ideas on Connecting the Heads: bringing together leadership ideas and experiences for attaining SSA RD initiatives.

What to expect:

Through interviews, the selected leaders will share their insights/ perspectives on Open Access, Copyright issues, global and regional advocacy for libraries, so as to inform development of sustainable service delivery in the context of new realities emerging from COVID 19 Pandemic.

The session will also give participants an opportunity to establish linkages with other professional programmes/initiatives as the speakers share the mandates of the sections or interest groups they lead. The experiences shared will usher into opportunities to leverage on strengths or platforms already available through IFLA and members for continued collaboration and connection.

The session will be chaired onsite by Daisy Selematsela, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Part of the session recorded online will be moderated by Ayanda Lebele, Botswana International University of Science and Technology Library Director. Opening remarks will be given by Sarah Kaddu, Chair of IFLA’s Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Division Committee.

Chair:

Daisy Selematsela (PhD) has been appointed as the University Librarian of Wits University from 1 March 2022. She previously served as the Executive Director Library & Information Services at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and Acting Vice Principal for Research and Innovation. She also served as Executive Director Knowledge Management Corporate at the NRF. She is a Professor of Practice of Knowledge Management of the University of Johannesburg.

Her role in academic citizenship involves serving on international Boards of Directors of COAR (Confederation of Open Access Repositories), CODATA (Committee on Data of the International Science Council); Research4Life and ORCID. At national level serves on the Board of Directors of ITOCA (Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa), SANLiC (South African National Licensing Consortium) and serves as Chairperson of both CHELSA (Committee for Higher Education Librarians of South Africa) the South African National Committee of CODATA through the NRF.  She previously served on the Board of the National Library of South Africa, Council for Library and Information Services (NCLIS) and Council of the National Archives of South Africa.

She served on the Editorial Board of Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) Data Science Journal (DSJ). Currently on the Editorial Board of both Global Change Research Data Publishing and Repository and Preservation, Digital Technology & Culture (PDT&C) Journal.

Daisy is the recipient of the 2016 and 2019 Knowledge Management Leadership Award by the Global Knowledge Management Congress & Awards in association with World Education Congress; and the 1st International Conference on Knowledge and Innovation Management (ICKIM) Babcock University.

As an alumnus of HERS-SA and HERS- Bryn Mawr College (Philadelphia).

Speakers:

   Dr. Helena R. Asamoah – Hassan is the Executive Director of the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA). Prior to this, she was the University Librarian of the Kwame University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana for 14 years. She has been in the library profession for 45 years, 37 years at the top management level and is a Fellow of the Ghana Library Association.

She has served in several roles including President of Ghana Library Association 2003-06; Member and later Chairperson of the Africa Section of IFLA 2003-2007; Member of the Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) 2007-11; Member, and later Chairperson of eIFLnet Advisory Board 2007-11; Member and later Chairperson of UNESCO’s International Advisory Committee on the Memory of the World Program 2013-2015; Chairperson, Management Committee, Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) 2004 to 2013. In May 2012 she received the 2011 BioMed Open Access Advocate of the Year and in August 2012, the IFLA Service Medal for her significant contribution to IFLA and international librarianship through her work in building bridges across Africa and between African countries and the rest of the world.
Currently she serves in several roles including the Chairperson of the Ghana Library Authority Board, Ghana, having been there since March 2018; Chairperson of the Ghana National Committee of Unesco’s Memory of the World Program; Secretary -General Unesco’s African Regional Committee of the Memory of the World (ARCMoW) Program ; Editorial Consultant to the Ghana Library Journal; Member, Editorial Board of Library Trends; Member, Management Committee of the Scholl of Communication & Information Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Member, Appeals Board of the Kumasi Technical University, Kumasi, Ghana.
She has 25 publications to her credit consisting of 3 books, a chapter each in 3 books, 19 refereed conference proceedings and journal articles. She also has 112 conference papers and 20 major commissioned reports to her credit. She is a consultant to some international organisations on library and information issues.

Dr. Perpetua Sekyiwa Dadzie is currently Associate Professor at the Department of Information Studies, UG, Legon. Some of the previous academic leadership positions held include: University Librarian, UGLS, University of Ghana, Legon; Lecturer, Snr Lecturer, Dept. of Information Studies, UG, Legon; Head of Department, Dept of Information Studies, UG, Legon; Librarian, Ashesi University College, Accra

 

Dr Chiku Mnubi-Mchombu has a PhD Library and Information Science-University of Zululand, South Africa; M.A Library & Info Studies University of Botswana, B.A. Accounting & Pub Admin, University of Botswana-1993); Diploma (Library Studies, University of Botswana); Certificate in Human Rights, International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France; and currently registered for LLB program with UNISA.

Dr Chiku Mnubi-Mchombu – is a former Coordinator of the Human Rights & Documentation Centre, University of Namibia (2016-May 2021).

In 1998, Dr Mnubi Mchombu established a unique documentation centre on Human Rights at the Faculty of Law University of Namibia which has been relocated to the UNAM library.
From June 2021, Dr Mnubi-Mchombu joined the University of Namibia Library as a Senior Librarian/Law librarian.

Dr. Stuart Hamilton is the Head of Libraries Development for the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) in Ireland. He is the national advisor on libraries in the local government sector and leads the strategic development and implementation of service innovation and change management. He was previously Deputy Executive Director of International Relations and Communications at the Qatar National Library where he developed the library’s international relations, partnerships and outreach activities, and led the coordination of the library’s opening in 2017/2018. Before moving to Qatar he was Deputy Secretary General at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in the Netherlands where he directed IFLA’s policy and advocacy work around copyright, human rights, Internet governance, and all issues relating to access to information, libraries and the digital environment. He was responsible for IFLA’s engagement with WIPO and UNESCO, as well as work relating to WSIS, the IGF, and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He holds a PhD in Library and Information Science from the Royal School of Library and Information Science in Copenhagen, Denmark.