Greetings from the IFLA Regional Office for Asia and Oceania!

My name is Michelle Lau, and I have recently taken on the role of Manager of the IFLA Regional Office for Asia and Oceania.

As a start, allow me to share a little about myself. I joined the National Library Board of Singapore (NLB) in 2013 and currently oversees Local and International Partnerships at NLB as the Deputy Director of Partnership Division. During my course of work, I was honoured to have the opportunity to play a part in prominent international events including the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2013 in Singapore and the recent IFLA Regional Workshop held in Thailand last November. I have made many good friends from overseas libraries over the years and look forward to meeting more colleagues from the region and beyond through my new appointment.

One of my first tasks as the Regional Office Manager is to present you the very first issue of the IFLA Regional Newsletter for Asia and Oceania for 2023, which features 12 enlightening articles from the region. Other than the write-up on the IFLA Asia-Oceania Regional Division Committee’s recent in-person Business Meeting (which includes a link to the article on the abovementioned IFLA Regional Workshop in Thailand), this issue offers a glimpse into the innovative digital services, programmes and community services rolled out by our regional counterparts. Also, do check out the message from the Chair of the IFLA Regional Division Committee for Asia and Oceania, Mr Winston Roberts who reflected on the work done by the Committee and his ‘new year wishes’ for 2023.

2023 will be an action-packed year with the 88th IFLA World Library and Information Congress happening from 21 to 25 August 2023 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The IFLA Academic and Research Libraries Section (ARL), with generous sponsorship by Ex Libris and SAGE, is offering six Attendance Grants for the Congress. Further details on the grants are available here.

Mark your calendar for the 11th International Library Information Professionals’ Summit on New and Innovative Libraries in Digital Era: Services and Practices taking place from 13 to 15 April 2023 in Greater Noida, India and the ASEAN Summer School for Emerging Library Leaders happening from 10 to 14 July 2023 in Singapore.

I would like to thank all of our article contributors and readers for the continuous support and express my deepest appreciation for Lin Li’s contribution to the IFLA Regional Office over the years.

Best wishes for 2023,

Michelle

Contributed by Michelle Lau, Manager, IFLA Regional Office for Asia and Oceania