The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library announced that it will host the first Dubai International Library Conference 2024 (DILC 2024), one of the most prominent and prestigious events of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, under the slogan “Our Libraries, Past, Present and Future”, set for November 15-17. The event will feature more than 60 speakers from over 25 countries. Topics include archive preservation, advancements in library systems, intellectual property, copyright laws, artificial intelligence, sustainable libraries, and the role of philanthropy in access to information.
The Supreme Committee of DILC 2024 includes three members of the Board of Directors of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation: Isobel Abulhoul, Ibrahim Al Hashmi, and Jamal Al Shehhi. MBRL said, “elite group of specialists, professionals and experts from all over the world” will exchange ideas and share the latest practices in the library and information sector, enriching the conference.
Prominent participants include Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of CILIP; Sharon Memis, Secretary-General of IFLA; Leslie Burger, Interim Executive Director at ALA; Mohsin Al Musawi from Columbia University; Dr. Sami Mobayed, Historian at the Royal Historical Society in London; Saif Aljabri, Chair of IFLA MENA; Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Library of Alexandria; Dr. Faiza Adeeb Al-Bayati, President of the Iraqi Library Association; Dr. Heba Ismail, Vice President of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information; and Constantia Constantinou, Deputy Dean and Director of Libraries at the University of Pennsylvania.
The conference will feature more than 45 panel discussions, workshops, lectures, and interactive talks. Key topics include preservation and restoration of archives, new developments in library systems and programs, intellectual property and copyright laws, artificial intelligence, sustainable libraries, and philanthropy’s role in ensuring access to books and information.
