Tag Archives: IFLA CPDWL

A Warm Welcome to Our New CPDWL Standing Committee Members! By Helen Chan, Chair, IFLA CPDWL

Dear colleagues and friends,

On behalf of the Continuing Professional Development & Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Section of IFLA, it is my great pleasure to welcome our newly elected Standing Committee members for the 2025-2029 term. The CPDWL community is enriched by the diversity, expertise, and commitment of its members, and I am delighted to introduce four outstanding professionals who join us from around the globe.

Meet Our New Members

Luisa Marquardt (Italy)
A renowned scholar and advocate for libraries, Luisa Marquardtbrings decades of experience in librarian education, research, and leadership. With a distinguished career teaching Library and Information Science at Roma Tre University, Luisa has served IFLA in various capacities, including the School Libraries Section and Division E. She has also chaired the National Commission on School Libraries of the Italian Library Association and is a Lifetime Member of the International Association of School Librarianship. Luisa’s research focuses on the educational role of librarians and the impact of libraries on cognitive, metacognitive, and interpersonal development. Her passion and dedication make her
a valuable addition to CPDWL.

Tetiana Hranchak (Ukraine)
A dedicated scholar and educator, Tetiana Hranchak is a Visiting Research Scholar at the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, Syracuse University. She holds a PhD in History and is a Doctor of Sciences in Social Communications. Tetiana has extensive teaching and research experience, notably at the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine and Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. Her expertise includes library participation in national memory politics, and she has contributed significantly to methodological developments in this field. Tetiana’s international academic experience and innovative approach will greatly benefit our community.

Beghum Ulfhat Shehnaaz binti Amir Razli (Malaysia)
Beghum Ulfhat Shehnaaz is a Senior Librarian at the National Library of Malaysia, with over 20 years of experience in librarianship and digital transformation. She holds a Master’s in Information Management and is pursuing a PhD focused on leadership and professional development. Shehnaaz is a leader in media and information literacy, reading promotion, library strategic planning, and the integration of AI in libraries. She has held key national and international roles, including serving as Main Secretariat for IFLA WLIC 2018 and as Chair of the Continuous Professional Development Committee of the Librarians Association of Malaysia. Her leadership and innovative vision are invaluable to CPDWL.

Philomena Kagwiria Mwirigi (Kenya)
Philomena Mwirigi is an accomplished library and information management specialist with over 20 years of experience in academic, public, and national libraries. She holds a Master’s degree from Loughborough University, UK, and is currently pursuing a D.Phil. at Moi University, Kenya. Philomena has played significant roles in policy development, library consultancy, and management within the Kenya National Library Service. Her current research interests include information access for the elderly in Nairobi’s informal settlements, library material security, and family literacy. Her commitment to preservation, conservation, and digital library promotion brings a vital perspective to our section.

Looking Ahead
As we welcome Luisa, Philomena, Tetiana, and Shehnaaz to the CPDWL Standing Committee, we are excited to collaborate on new ideas, projects, and initiatives that support the continuous professional development of library and information professionals worldwide. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will undoubtedly strengthen our section and inspire our community.

Please join me in congratulating and welcoming our new members!

With warm regards,
Helen Chan
Chair, IFLA CPDWL Section

Meet Our New CPDWL Standing Committee Members

We are thrilled to introduce you to the new members of the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Standing Committee. Each member brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and commitment to lifelong learning in the library profession.

Helen Chan

Helen Chan, the current Chair of the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL), is an accomplished academic and professional in the library and information science sector. Prior to her current role, she chaired the IFLA Professional Division Committee of Division F and the Action Plan Review Committee, which introduced the widely used ‘Infinity’ platform within IFLA at WLIC 2023. Helen’s strong academic background, including over a decade teaching the Master of Science in Library and Information Management (MsLIM) program at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), enriches her role in CPDWL. Her passion for accessible information led to the creation of a new course for Bachelor of Science in Information Management (BsIM) students at HKU. Beyond academia, Helen supports teacher-librarian training in Hong Kong and participates actively in local non-profit work, holding directorship roles in an educational fund and a local secondary school board.

Joan Weeks

Joan Weeks is the Head of the Near East Section and Turkish Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division (AMED) at the Library of Congress where she supervises a staff of seven, including Arab, Persian and Armenian specialists with responsibility to acquire, process, and serve the Near East Collections. Prior to this, she was a Sr. Instruction Librarian at the Library of Congress where she designed and taught courses on the Library computer systems to staff. Joan is an elected member-at-large of the American Library Association (ALA) Council, and chairs the Near East and Southeast Asian Committee of the International Relations Committee of ALA. In IFLA, she was the Information Coordinator for the Section on Education and Training (SET), promoting programs such as the webinar series for LIS students. She has a strong interest in library professional development instruction, making her a valuable addition to the CPDWL as the newly appointed Information Coordinator.

Julia Gelfand

Julia Gelfand, a staunch advocate for global communication and cooperation, has been a vibrant part of the ALA’s IRRT Roundtable throughout her career. Julia’s international experience, from Europe and Asia to the Middle East and Africa, has enriched her work with IFLA for over 30 years. She’s been a pivotal part of the Science & Technology Section, the Acquisitions & Collection Development Section, and has contributed to numerous engaging programs. Now joining the professional development section, Julia looks forward to addressing the vast changes in libraries and librarianship, from technology to open movements, in innovative ways.

Tina Yang

Having worked in the library and information industry across China, Australia, and Hong Kong for nearly three decades, Tina Yang now serves as the Associate Librarian at the University of Hong Kong Libraries. In her role, Tina leads a dynamic team in providing diverse information, learning, and research services. Tina has witnessed the transformative power of technology in libraries and emphasizes the importance of mindset and capabilities in embracing this digital shift. As a library manager, Tina values continuing education and is excited to join CPDWL, where she can collaborate with passionate professionals in fostering lifelong learning in the library profession. Tina has also served in various roles within the IFLA Regional Standing Committee of Asia and Oceania.

Jorun Systad

Jorun Systad, Library Director in Sunnfjord municipality, Norway, brings her experience from IFLA’s Libraries for Children and Young Adults section to her current role. She’s particularly interested in enhancing public library services for smaller municipalities, focusing on collaboration with local organizations. Jorun has previously worked as a reading-motivator for “Foreningen!Les” and is an active member in the Norwegian Library Association and National Library’ strategic committee for 2020-2023. Her work emphasizes the need for libraries to facilitate ongoing staff development and workplace training.

Svetlana Gorokhova

Svetlana Gorokhova, an active participant in IFLA since 1994, firmly believes in the importance of continuous learning within the library community. She is excited to join the CPDWL in providing a seamless space for professional development across all sectors of the library community.

Anne Reddacliff

Anne Reddacliff began her rewarding library career in 2001 as a volunteer. Today, she contributes to the Australian Library and Information Association’s (ALIA) Rainbow and Sustainable Libraries groups, remaining connected and inspired. With a love for writing and meeting new people, Anne is excited to bring her skills to IFLA CPDWL, expanding her influence internationally. She eagerly anticipates making new connections and contributing to the profession on a global scale.

Mingyan Li

Mingyan Li serves as the Metadata Librarian and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. With over 15 years of diverse library experience, she specializes in metadata workflows. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bradley University, Mingyan is dedicated to advancing metadata management through innovation and accessibility.

Susan Cherono

Susan Cherono, a Librarian at the United States International University-Africa, brings over 14 years of experience in the field of Librarianship to CPDWL. With her passion for innovation and learning, she looks forward to contributing to CPDWL meetings and trainings.

Florian Forestier

Florian Forestier is in charge of social innovation and diversity politics at the French National Library and is also the project manager for the creation of the research center. He is passionate about training and development of staff skills, particularly regarding preventing discrimination and changing managerial attitudes.

Simona Marilena Bursasiu

Simona Marilena Bursasiu is a librarian at the Politehnica University of Timișoara, Romania, and an associate lecturer in the field of library and information sciences. As a former president of the Education and Training section of the Romanian Library Association, she is committed to providing online training for librarians around the world through CPDWL.

We welcome a group of dedicated professionals to the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Standing Committee. Each individual brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and a commitment to ongoing professional development within the library and information sector. We eagerly anticipate the valuable contributions and fresh insights they will undoubtedly bring in the coming years.

For those interested in learning more about our new members, stay tuned for the upcoming issues of the CPDWL Newsletter. We will be featuring self-introductions from different standing committee members, offering you an in-depth look at their professional journeys, their passions within the field, and the unique perspectives that they bring to our committee.

Watch out for these enlightening features, and please join us once again in extending a warm welcome to our new members of the CPDWL!

Stay tuned and connected with CPDWL!

Congratulations to our newly elected CPDWL officers 2023 – 2025

All the best to our newly elected CPDWL officers.

Chair: Man Yi Helen Chan (China)
Secretary: Carmen Lei (China)
Information Coordinator: Joan Weeks (United States of America).

We are looking forward to your fresh ideas for new projects and continuation of existing working groups and projects. For sure you will get all needed support from the SC members and Advisory group members. The community worldwide is waiting for the future work of CPDWL section.

Supporting new leaders globally through coaching

Again in 2023 CPDWL and M&M sections are very happy to provide

in person coaching for at least 30 minutes with experienced coaches at the

WLIC in Rotterdam on Wednesday August 23, 10.00 – 11.30 in room Rotterdam A. https://iflawlic2023.abstractserver.com/program/#/details/sessions/268

If you are interested to be coached, it is a walk-in session for all registered delegates and we’ll offer the coaching in different languages. Hosts will guide you to the appropriate coach.

If you are interested to serve as a coach, please fill in the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJc01AAA70Nqp3h6HlYD8gAXh5gc7CFwlkL1o9MtQ3rdUL_A/viewform

For further information please feel free to contact us.

Hope to meet you in Rotterdam!

Ulrike Lang

Convenor of the IFLA Coaching Initiative

[email protected]

What collaborating with others at IFLA mean?

CPDWL Section has written in its Action Plan what specific subjects we want to cover and work on within the next two years (2022-2023). We must review the Action Plan every six months and update the tasks, challenges, working group members, and timetables. It’s a decision of our Section made long ago that every standing committee member has to work in at least one of the working groups.

As our tasks are widely distributed across topics such as continuing professional development, workplace learning, life long learning, work-life-balance, etc., there are many connections with other IFLA Sections and Special Interest Groups. Sometimes we approach others to cooperate, and occasionally Sections ask us for collaboration. Some may be unsure what such cooperation means. And always we are looking for interested and experienced colleagues in the Section to become part of the working groups.

It is always different and isn’t easy to describe.

We have some projects and cooperations that are limited by time—for example, working with another Section to prepare a satellite meeting connected with the WLIC. It depends on how many colleagues are involved in the working group and what you must do. It might be very time-consuming for a while until the conference takes place. Or your duties are quickly accomplished because you have to book the venue or find the speakers etc.

Other working groups have been together for years, for example, the IFLA Coaching Initiative by CPDWL and Marketing & Management section. This group started working together in 2018! The group meets regularly every second month via Zoom, and we always brainstorming what to do next. We hope to continue as long as there is a demand for coaching in the IFLA family.

Every standing committee member is encouraged to actively publish their contributions on this blog, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. We are happy to receive articles or statements about national, regional, or local projects that might interest the worldwide community, book reviews, announcements for engaging webinars, conferences, or summaries of these events.

We look forward to publishing not only in English but in your native language, too (but please with an English summary).

IFLA supports the collaboration of sections and special interest groups, so we have some requests for cooperation right now. Usually, Section chairs or officers will have the first contact, and we’ll send the request to our SC list. Most of the time, we can’t say what is planned in detail because the project will only develop through the participants. But if you are interested in the topic, you should contact us. Even if you realize in the working process that you can not participate as intensively as desired, you can still be an essential source of inspiration at the beginning.

Be sure that every cooperation in a working group with other sections will also expand your horizon and might be helpful for your daily work. In addition, it also might be beneficial in solving problems, sharing sources, and sharing your knowledge. It is also wonderful to meet people from around the world with a different view on a subject you think you know very well.

We look forward to your comments and feedback and hope we were able to dispel some uncertainties.

CPDWL and M&M Online Coaching during WLIC 2021

Need assistance in achieving your goals or expand your professional development or career? Would you like to tackle challenging situations? Have you ever tried the business method of coaching?

The IFLA Coaching Initiative, founded by IFLA’s Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) and Management & Marketing (M&M) Sections, invites colleagues registered for WLIC 2021 without any additional costs to take part in an online coaching session.

Coaching is currently available in the following languages: Bosnian, Cantonese/Mandarin, Croatian, Dutch, English, German, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Serbian, Spanish and Swedish.

To prepare for the session as a coachee please visit the Coachee Information and Preparation page: https://lnkd.in/dup8pMn

Book with an individual coach in your time zone at https://lnkd.in/d5YnCyi .

Available Dates: August 9 – 13 & 23 – 27, 2021

For further information please contact [email protected]

Save the Date! Free IFLA/ALA webinar “New Librarians Global Connection…”

Dear colleagues:

Please save the date for our next free quarterly webinar scheduled for April 16! IFLA President Elect will deliver the Keynote for the event. More information coming up soon!

The event is also listed on the online IFLA calendar here.

IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Section Blog

Inspiring information professionals write about continuing professional development and workplace learning in order to build strong librarians and libraries for the future!