Can I help? National Convention Information
The annual conference of Upplýsingar, a professional association in the field of library and information science, was held at Ásvallir in Hafnarfjörður at the end of last week. The theme of this year's conference was: 'Can I help you? The services and development of libraries in modern society', and around 200 guests attended from all over the country.
A well-attended national conference of Upplýsingar held in Hafnarfjörður
The annual conference of Upplýsingar, a professional association for library and information science, was held at Ásvallarnir in Hafnarfjörður at the end of last week. The theme of this year's conference was: 'Can I help you? The service and development of libraries in modern society', and around 200 guests attended from all over the country. The keynote speakers at the national conference were Jan Holmquist and Kenneth Korstad Langås, and this year's programme and organisation were handled by the Hafnarfjörður Library and the Garðabær Library. The ambitious programme concluded with a historical walking tour of Hafnarfjörður, starting from the Hafnarfjörður Folk Museum and led by Björn Pétursson, the town's heritage officer.
Library services are important to every community.
Jan Holmquist spoke about adapting to change and the transformation of library services for modern society. Kenneth Korstad Langås discussed the importance of libraries in his talk and how they are a kind of lifeline for the local community. The couple Agnes and Elias Våhlund, children's authors and illustrators, also took to the stage to talk about their book series, The Superhero Handbook, which has been proven to have changed the lives of children. They discussed their thoughts and the process behind their writing, as the series is very popular, particularly in Iceland. In the run-up to the national conference, Agnes and Elias both visited the Hafnarfjörður Library, where 100 children and young people had their books signed, as well as meeting with over 200 Year 6 pupils from Hafnarfjörður's primary schools for a chat and a presentation at the Bæjarbíó.
Several papers on the conference programme were from here in Hafnarfjörður.
Hugrún Margrét, Head of the Children's Department at Hafnarfjörður Library, spoke about the library's strong emphasis on multiculturalism and inclusive service for all, and Guðrún Ragna Yngvadóttir from Ask Architects presented new and exciting ideas for a new library in Hafnarfjörður. at a new location at the Fjörður shopping centre.
Bjartey Sigurðardóttir, speech and language therapist and project manager of Reading is the Game of Life, and children's author Bergrún Íris Sævarsdóttir spoke about the literacy-inspiring reading project LÆK, which is being carried out in collaboration with the middle and senior school departments of all Hafnarfjörður's primary schools, together with Bergrún Íris and Gunnar Helgason.
Sandra Björg Ernudóttir, a librarian at Skarðshlíðarskóli, then spoke about the 'Bókabrall' project, a collaboration between all the school libraries in Hafnarfjörður. There are nine libraries in total, and each is staffed by a single librarian. This group of staff from the City of Hafnarfjörður has taken the reading project 'Reading is the Game of Life' to the next level, bringing the adventure of books and reading to the children and young people of Hafnarfjörður in a diverse and innovative way. Reading is truly the game of life!
Come to the library! Thanks Information for a great meeting!