The congress was preceded by the ninth IFLAcamp, organized by the IFLA New Professionals Special Interest Group, where participants from 9 countries gathered to socialize and educate each other. IFLAcamp is part of IFLA WLIC's pre-conference activities that further support mutual communication. This year, discussions revolved around the challenges of librarianship today. On the second day of IFLAcamp, after discussions about library skills that could benefit us in the future, participants engaged in a game prepared by the organizers. The game took them to key points in the city while better understanding the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
The IFLA WLIC 2023 congress was officially opened with a ceremony hosted by the local MC, Jermaine Berkhoudt. In succession, inspiring speeches were delivered by: the Mayor of Rotterdam, Alderman Said Kasmi; IFLA President, Barbara Lison; State Secretary for Culture and Media, Gunay Uslu; Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Robbert Dijrkgraaf; Head of the Rotterdam City Library, Theo Kamperman; IFLA Secretary General, Sharon Memis; and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. During short breaks, a Dutch contemporary dance group, Conny Janssen Danst, showcased modern dance culture.
In addition to interesting lectures on library skills, artificial intelligence in librarianship, overcoming inequalities, toxicity in the library profession, and aligning library work with sustainable development goals, congress participants had the opportunity to join the IFLA Flash Mob movement. This involved reading children's literature aloud in their native languages at Rotterdam Centraal station.
The congress exhibition area opened with an "Exhibition Opening Party," featuring drinks and music. Over 150 posters from various countries were displayed and presented, and after successful poster presentations and diverse sessions, participants had the chance to experience a cultural evening with a visit to Rotterdam ZOO, enjoying dance, food, and drinks.
This year, our colleagues Lovorka Čaja, Sanja Jurković, Ivana Končić, and Martina Žugaj participated as volunteers, and with two poster presentations representing the Center for Scientific Information and our activities. They volunteered diligently starting from Saturday, the day of the volunteer preparation meeting. During their free time, they attended interesting lectures, exchanged experiences with colleagues, and formed many friendships. Beyond the congress, they visited libraries and explored Rotterdam.
As the conclusion of the IFLA WLIC 2023 congress, a closing ceremony was held. The outgoing IFLA President, Barbara Lison, expressed gratitude to everyone she collaborated with during her term, and introduced and passed the baton to the new President, Vicki McDonald. Members of the IFLA Governing Board for the 2023-2025 term were introduced, and numerous awards were presented. Among them, colleagues Jelena Lešaja and Karolina Zlatar Radigović from the Croatian Library for the Blind received the award for the best poster at IFLA WLIC 2023 in the Visual Impact category for their poster titled "Voices behind words." Congratulations to them! Special thanks were extended, and the volunteers received well-deserved applause.
As a post-conference activity, participants had the opportunity to sign up for library visits in Rotterdam, The Hague, and Amsterdam. Libraries visited included Zuidplein, Feijenoord, Central Library, Railway station library, Delfshaven, Erasmus University library, museum of photography library, maritime museum, Belvédère story house, Rijnmond, NBD Biblion, and Zoetermeer library in Rotterdam; UvA/UB Singel library, Allard Pierson Museum, OBA Oosterdok public library in Amsterdam; CulturA & Zo cultural center, The Hague public library, Peace Palace Library, and the National Library of the Netherlands in The Hague; and the University of Utrecht.
All posters and their summaries will be available in the IFLA repository, and recorded lectures, as well as short participant interviews, can be found on the IFLA YouTube channel. IFLA WLIC also has a Flickr page full of event photos; we encourage you to try spotting a familiar face: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ifla/albums?fbclid=IwAR1oHqyqMf2qgqEnG9Z9tH-AEomheuEKJiV3tlfJyOJGdTDJsIYJoGpVJ8A.