Our annual CPDWL Congress Meeting on August 17 took place in a special hybrid format at the Zheitsu Congress Center, bringing together colleagues\u2014both new and familiar, online and in-person\u2014to reflect on achievements, share ideas, and plan for the future. We appreciate the observers who joined and contributed to the lively discussions. In addition to engaging with the agenda items, each Standing Committee member attending the congress received a special souvenir as a token of appreciation for their valuable contributions, especially during the congress itself. The energy and enthusiasm in the room set a positive tone for a week of dynamic participation and collaboration.<\/p>\n
![\"WLIC2025](\"http:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/files\/2025\/09\/IFLA25blog-meetingphotos1.jpg\")
<\/a>WLIC2025 CPDWL Business Meeting 1<\/p><\/div>\n
CPDWL Section Dinner: Building Connections<\/strong><\/p>\n Later that evening, on August 17, 2024, 25 Astana and IFLA colleagues from various countries\u2014including China, Kazakhstan, Egypt, the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Norway, the US, and France\u2014gathered for a memorable Section Dinner at Cloud 9 (Hilton). It was a joyous occasion to deepen friendships, share stories, and celebrate our diverse backgrounds. Heartfelt thanks to everyone for bringing a small souvenir from your workplace or country, and for joining voices in our rendition of \u201cDreamers\u201d\u2014a beautiful symbol of our collective aspirations. The positive energy and camaraderie from this evening fuelled us for the sessions ahead, inspiring even greater participation and collaboration.<\/p>\n CPDWL dinner at the Hilton Cloud WLIC 2025<\/p><\/div>\n Session 079: Jackpot or Jeopardy? Exploring AI and Subject Indexing<\/strong><\/p>\n Our joint session with the Subject Analysis and Access (SAA) Section, \u201cJackpot or Jeopardy? Exploring AI and Subject Indexing\u201d, sparked a lively and thought-provoking debate on the opportunities and risks that AI brings to libraries. Moderated by myself and Julijana Nadj-Guttandin, and enriched by interactive Mentimeter inputs from Luisa Marquardt and Camilla Notarbartolo, participants engaged deeply with critical questions around ethics, data ownership, trust, and the implications for smaller languages. The session underscored the importance of thoughtful, community-driven innovation as we collectively navigate AI\u2019s evolving impact on our profession. Notably, together we launched the very first fishbowl session at WLIC, fostering authentic dialogue and exchange among participants.<\/p>\n Participants at AI fishbowl discussion.<\/p><\/div>\n CPDWL Open Session: Reimagine Continuing Professional Development for SustAInable Futures<\/strong><\/p>\n The CPDWL Open Session, “Reimagine Continuing Professional Development for Sustainable Futures”, was a true highlight of the conference, bringing together panelists Ertugrul \u00c7imen, Helen Chan (myself), Adriana Cybele Ferrari, Saif AlJabri, Soh Lin Li and Diane Koen, whose expertise and engaging presentations inspired enthusiastic participation. With the support of our valued session partners from the IFLA regional division committees, the interactive use of Mentimeter<\/a> energized the room\u2014approximately 70 participants provided real-time \u201cLikes\u201d and shared their perspectives, while the evaluation survey reflected overwhelmingly positive feedback. Attendees praised the session\u2019s inclusivity, innovation, and relevance, noting the value of diverse insights and lively discussion. We also invite you to explore the impactful papers presented, including Jessica BrodeFrank\u2019s work on digital literacy and crowdsourcing<\/a>, Babak Zendehdel Nobari\u2019s research on managing AI risks in libraries<\/a>, and Cristian Maturana Maturana and Santiago Villegas-Ceballos\u2019s paper on empowering global south librarians through critical AI literacy<\/a>. Together, these contributions made the session a resounding success and a memorable experience for all involved.<\/p>\n Panel and audience at AI Open Session during WLIC 2025.<\/p><\/div>\n CPDWL & M&M Coaching: Fostering Growth Through One-on-One Support<\/strong><\/p>\n Our six coaching sessions (Sessions 119, 184, 190, 191, 192, and 193) created invaluable spaces for personalized professional support, with roundtable and U-shaped discussions where our dedicated coaches offered tailored advice and encouragement to attendees from 25 countries, including Turkey, the United States (USA), Kazakhstan, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Macao SAR (China), Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, China, India, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco, Israel, Namibia, Kenya, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Ghana, Egypt, Malaysia, Romania, and Saudi Arabia. Participants from all career stages benefited from this supportive and diverse environment. Special thanks to Jorun Systad, Camilla Notarbartolo, Julia M. Gelfand, Carmen Lei, Tao Yang, Heba Ismail, Luisa Marquardt, Anna Cascone, April Manabat, Anya Feltreuter, Josephine Siegrist, Chiara De Vecchis, Hans-Petter Storemyr, and Elena St\u00f6hr for their selfless dedication\u2014your expertise and generosity made a profound difference.<\/p>\n Coaches and coachees connect during WLIC 2025 coaching sessions<\/p><\/div>\n Knowledge Caf\u00e9: Uniting Colleagues for Our Future<\/strong><\/p>\n Session 142, our Knowledge Caf\u00e9 co-hosted with the Knowledge Management, Education and Training, and Library Theory and Research Sections, truly epitomized CPDWL\u2019s collaborative spirit. Through dynamic discussions on topics such as AI in the workplace and leadership, colleagues exchanged valuable insights and forged meaningful connections. Special thanks to all facilitators\u2014including CPDWL Information Coordinator Joan Weeks and Standing Committee member Julia M. Gelfand\u2014as well as the rapporteurs for your vital contributions. Thank you also to all participants for your enthusiastic engagement and for the warm round of applause following my wrap-up and summary of key points at the session\u2019s conclusion. I was especially honored by the kind words from Maggie Farrell, Chair of the Knowledge Management Section, who remarked that my wrap-up was the best among all at our joint sections\u2019 Knowledge Caf\u00e9 at WLIC. Such recognition is a testament to the collaborative energy and commitment of everyone involved.<\/p>\n Knowledge Cafe organizers and participants join in discussions at WLIC 2025.<\/p><\/div>\n Heartfelt Thanks<\/strong> Your engagement keeps our community strong and vibrant\u2014let\u2019s continue learning, sharing, and growing together!<\/p>\n With gratitude, As the 2025 IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Astana draws to a close, I am filled with gratitude and pride for the outstanding work and innovative spirit that the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Section has demonstrated throughout the event. This year\u2019s journey has been truly inspiring\u2014marked by collaboration, creativity, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1063,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[35105,35103,35098,35106,35104],"class_list":["post-2565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-ai-open-program","tag-cpdwl-knowledge-cafe","tag-wlic-2025","tag-wlic25-coaching","tag-wlic25-fish-bowl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1063"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2565"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2583,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2565\/revisions\/2583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ifla.org\/cpdwl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\nNone of this would have been possible without the teamwork, creativity, and commitment of so many colleagues\u2014both on stage and behind the scenes. From managing logistics and facilitating discussions to supporting coaching and capturing memories, every contribution was valued and essential.
\nAs CPDWL Section Chair, I am deeply grateful for your hard work and passion. Together, we have advanced our mission of fostering lifelong learning, supporting professional development, and building a more inclusive and innovative library community.
\nLet us carry forward the momentum from WLIC 2025 into the year ahead by relive some of the most exciting moments and stay connected by visiting our CPDWL Facebook page, where you\u2019ll find highlights from:
\n\u2022 Brief Summary: CPDWL @ WLIC 2025<\/a>
\n\u2022 Section Dinner<\/a>
\n\u2022 CPDWL Business Meeting<\/a>
\n\u2022 Knowledge Caf\u00e9<\/a>
\n\u2022 Fishbowl Session<\/a>
\n\u2022 CPDWL Open Session<\/a><\/p>\n
\nHelen Chan
\nIFLA CPDWL Section Chair<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"