Attendance is free. To register, create a free account on the conference website.
 

The library profession has existed since ancient times and has undergone many changes. These shifts have been impacted by political, religious, educational, intellectual and cultural history spanning countries and peoples. Throughout its evolution, the profession has found itself both in parallel and at odds with dominant cultural and political forces.

The aim of the conference is to provide a comparative history of librarianship. It will seek to highlight not only the history of practices and motivations driving the profession but to also reflect theoretically on the divergent views among librarians in their role of gatekeepers to knowledge on the one hand and serving specific audiences to facilitate access on the other.

The conference will take place 25-26 August 2014 at the Université de Lyon-École nationale supérieure des sciences de l’information et des bibliothèques, Lyon-Villeurbanne, France. It is organized by the IFLA Rare Books and Manuscripts Section, IFLA Library History Special Interest Group, and Centre Gabriel Naudé.