WINDHOEK – Namibian libraries need serious upgrading to meet the demands of an information society as envisioned in the Namibian development blueprint, Vision 2030.
Chairperson of the Namibian Library Information Council at the University of Namibia, Ellen Namhila, expressed this view at the opening of the three-day library symposium at the Safari Hotel Conference Centre, which meets under the theme “Strong libraries, strong societies: the role of libraries in socio-economic development. “
The objective of the symposium is to bring together the dispersed community of library professionals through a common platform to share experiences, to encourage discussion of new ideas and facilitate interaction between experts and non-experts to bridge the information gap between developing and developed countries.
About 300 participants from twelve countries are attending the session.
“The symposium presents a unique opportunity for Namibia and Africa to share knowledge and experiences with the rest of the world,” said Namhila.
“While profiling the development of Namibian libraries, the symposium provides an opportunity for librarians in Namibia not only to learn from their international counterparts but present papers on specific issues within the library and information field from a Namibian perspective,” she said.
Namhila said that as a country and community of librarians and archivists, Namibia also belongs to bigger families of librarians around the world.
Namhila said that the participation of international guests would also provide Namibian librarians and information workers with “empowerment to see beyond small libraries in Eenhana, Outjo or Okamatapati”.
By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa