Five librarians selected as 2016 IFLA/OCLC Fellows

2016 Fellows are from Bangladesh,Kenya,Nigeria,Philippines and Serbia

DUBLIN,Ohio,18 August 2015—OCLC,along with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions(IFLA),has named five librarians selected to participate in the Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career Development Fellowship Program for 2016.The program supports library and information science professionals from countries with developing economies.

The 2016 IFLA/OCLC Fellows were announced today at a news conference during the World Library and Information Congress:81st IFLA General Conference and Assembly in Cape Town,South Africa.The 2016 Fellows are:

·Idowu Adebgilero-Iwari,Elizade University,Nigeria

·Željko Dimitrijević,National Library of Serbia

·Penninah Musangi,Karatina University,Kenya

·Rhea Jade Nabusan,Tarlac College of Agriculture,Philippines

·Shaharima Parvin,East West University,Bangladesh

The Fellowship Program provides advanced continuing education and exposure to a broad range of issues in information technologies,library operations and global cooperative librarianship.With the selection of the five Fellows for the class of 2016,the program will have welcomed 80 librarians and information science professionals from 38 countries.

“The IFLA/OCLC Fellowship Program has made a profound difference in the lives of many of the librarians selected,”said Skip Prichard,OCLC President and CEO.“Many who have completed the program go on to serve in leadership roles and have had a significant impact on those they serve in their home countries.The Fellows are truly committed to serving libraries and promoting the evolution of librarianship around the world.”

During the four-week program,the Fellows participate in discussions with library and information science leaders,library visits and professional development activities.The program is based at OCLC headquarters in Dublin,Ohio,USA.

“This is one of the best opportunities available for librarians in the world,”said Masimba Muziringa,University of Zimbabwe Libraries,who was a 2015 Fellow.“You get to understand best practices in librarianship.You also get to understand the trends.All of our visits gave us a broad spectrum of American lifestyle,cultural values,and best practices within our profession.”

The selection committee for the 2016 Fellowship program included:Fiona Bradley,IFLA;Sarah Kaddu,National Library of Uganda;Nancy Lensenmayer,OCLC;and Susanne Riedel,Universitätsbibliothek Bielefeld,Germany.

Application information for the 2017 Fellowship Program is available on the OCLC website.Information about Fellowship Program sponsorship opportunities for interested organizations is also available on the website.

About IFLA

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions(IFLA)is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users.It is the global voice of the library and information profession.Founded in Edinburgh,Scotland,in 1927 at an international conference,IFLA now has 1,500 members in approximately 150 countries around the world.IFLA was registered in the Netherlands in 1971.The Royal Library,the national library of the Netherlands,in The Hague,generously provides the facilities for IFLA headquarters.

About OCLC

OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing shared technology services,original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning,research and innovation.Through OCLC,member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat,the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services.Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC’s WorldShare,a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open,cloud-based platform.It is through collaboration and sharing of the world’s collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems.Together as OCLC,member libraries,staff and partners make breakthroughs possible.