Dear colleagues and friends,

Thank you very much for supporting me to be the Chair of the IFLA Regional Division Committee (RDC) for Asia and Oceania from 2023 to 2025. Many of you may have known me from my time as the Manager of the Regional Office for Asia and Oceania. I am deeply humbled and honored to be elected so that I can continue to serve the region better. The passion and drive of the library communities in our region is what inspired me to be part of RDC and I am looking forward to work with all of you. As we embark on this journey together, my vision for our region is one of unity, collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement and sustained excellence. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and the positive impact that we can create in our region.

It would not be without its challenges, but I believe that the collective expertise and dedication of the information professionals in the region would serve us in good stead. With that, I am pleased to be introducing the members of the RDC team who will be spearheading the vision for our region.

The outgoing and incoming members IFLA RDC members with Nthabiseng Kotsokoane, Member-at-large, IFLA Governing Board and Michelle Lau, Manager of IFLA Regional Office for Asia and Oceania

With the recent conclusion of the 88th IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC), I hope all of you are invigorated and brimming with insights and ideas shared by information professionals all over the world which you could bring back to adapt and implement for your communities. Here are some possible actions that you can kickstart your journey.  I would also like to share that a formation of a new Open Science and Scholarship Committee has been agreed upon by the IFLA Governing Board during WLIC. Calls for nominations are now open and we would like to encourage interested members to consider standing for election to the new committee. In addition, IFLA is calling for signatures from library and information workers, institutions and associations around the world in support for the Library SDG Pledge.

I would also like to give my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Winston Roberts for his dedication as the Chair of the Regional Division Committee for Asia and Oceania for 2021-2023. Under his stewardship, the region has grown stronger and more vibrant with activities and webinars in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Winston’s unwavering commitment and tireless efforts have set a high standard for us to follow. Thank you Winston, we will all miss you.

Lastly, if you would like to connect with me, please feel free to contact me at SOH_Lin_Li@nlb.gov.sg.

Have a great day.

Contributed by Soh Lin Li, Chair, Regional Division Committee for Asia and Oceania