Indian schools and libraries to feature at Singapore events

A number of subjects related to libraries and schools in India will be up for discussion at two international literary events to be organised here, this week, organisers said today.
The events hosted by Singapore National Library Board will be held on August 16 and 17 and will see more than 3,000 delegates from 150 countries.
While the '2nd International Summit of the Book' will be held on August 16, the '79th International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress (WLIC)' will take place on August 17.
They will feature subjects ranging from how school libraries empower future citizens, essential competencies of Indian school librarians in the digital age to health literacy for all - an investigation into consortia and partnership amongst libraries to promote health care information and challenges and road map of solutions for accessible books in India.

Among speakers, India-born multilingual Parag Khanna will share his experiences for having travelled more than hundred countries, on all continents around the world.
Indian Shalini R Urs, who has pioneered many academic and social initiatives including the Vidyanidhi Digital Library project, an open access repository, will also participate.

Initiated by the by US's Library of Congress, 'Summit of the Book' would be the first to be held outside the US, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore National Library Board Elaine Ng, said.
The Summit would discuss the future of books, she said.
Panel discussions by prominent speakers will be based on topics such as rapid evolution of books in the age of digital publishing, its impact on literacy, culture of reading, and its relevance in the transmission of culture and history.

Delegates would also take the opportunity to explore these issues from an Asian perspective, she added.
"Hosting the IFLA WLIC Congress and the International Summit of the Book will allow library and information professionals in Singapore to learn from an international community of thought leaders.