Dear Friends,

It is our pleasure to present the September 2022 issue of the IFLA Asia & Oceania Regional Newsletter, which features some of the latest happenings within and beyond the region.

A number of us had a great time catching up with friends and colleagues in Dublin, Ireland at the 87th IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in July 2022. The laughter, conversations, and hugs that we shared in person are priceless, especially after two years of disrupted global travel. We really hope to see everyone again at the next WLIC in Rotterdam in 2023.

Within the region, several events took place as well. In August 2022, the Brunei Darussalam Library Association (BLA) organised a webinar, entitled Deepening Impact on Heritage Treasures: Making Them Inclusive and Accessible, to celebrate its 36th anniversary. The discussions revolved around ways to make local heritage collection more accessible. The panellists were Mr Gene Tan, Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Innovation Officer of National Library Board, Singapore, Dr Purdano Binchin, Cultural Anthropologist and Ms Mardiah Ramli and Mr Syahmi Halimshah Muhammad from the Brunei History Centre. The moderator was Ms Rozana Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yunos. It is heartening to see librarians in the region continuously making efforts to enhance users’ access to collections.

We would also like to share that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Sri Lanka Library Association and the Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka on 26 September 2022. Some objectives of this partnership are to initiate and implement library and information services that support the Sustainable Development Goals and to educate communities on sustainability and sustainable development.

Finally, congratulations to the new President of the American Library Association, Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada from Hawai’i. Best wishes for your new appointment!

Written by Soh Lin Li, Manager, IFLA Regional Office for Asia and Oceania