Building Strong Library Associations | Library Associations in Society: An Overview

DAY 1 Session 2 Setting the Scene: Slides

Building Strong Library Associations | Library Associations in Society

At the end of this session participants should be able to:• Understand the nature of a convening and

what this convening is intended to achieve.• Understand the role of trainers in the

convening.• Differentiate between setting priorities for

their association and setting priorities for their region.

Learning Outcomes

Building Strong Library Associations | Library Associations in Society

The purpose of this convening is to build networks by:• Building trust and relationships to enable

collaboration on shared issues• Learn about similar organisations in the region• Build community among people with a view to

cooperation and partnership in the future

And to share learning by:• Participating in and helping to facilitate

workshops and other activities• Learning from the examples of other people

and organisations

What is the nature and purpose of a convening?

Building Strong Library Associations | Library Associations in Society

It will achieve this by:

• Developing a shared understanding of an association’s role

• Learning how to identify and prioritise needs in-country and in the region

• Developing the ability to think strategically about the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental (PESTLE) landscape, and using this to an advantage for libraries.

• The convening is not designed to:

• Learn how to fundraise

• Learn how to develop your own library

The primary purpose of this convening is to Influence, Align and Act

Building Strong Library Associations | Library Associations in Society

Some key factors to consider might include:• What are the key issues affecting your members?• What are the key issues affecting your professional

community in your country?• How can you leverage shared goals of other groups to

further your association’s agenda? (Partnerships/collaboration)

• How can the expertise of your association contribute to your country’s political agenda?

Are these priorities strategic? In other words, do they seek to build on opportunities and will they enable the long-term success of your association? Will they improve its strength and sustainability?

Setting priorities for your library association

Building Strong Library Associations | Library Associations in Society

Some questions to consider:• Are any of the priorities identified for your

association shared by other library associations in your region? Once again, are these regional priorities strategic?

• Which issues would have a greater chance of success if associations collaborated on common issues?

Setting priorities for your region

Building Strong Library Associations | Library Associations in Society

Core trainers are senior professionals with deep expertise in library associations, building partnerships, and advocacy. They:• play a key facilitation and mentoring role in workshops

and projects• have knowledge of all of IFLA's BSLA training packages,

and are able to deliver any one of them according to the needs of the association.

• customise training as needed to suit local conditions• deliver training and activities in both a face-to-face and

online learning environment • Assist IFLA in assessing the impact of the programmes

they deliver.

Who are the trainers and what are their roles?