Theme: “Emerging Trends in International LIS Education: Stories from Across the Globe”
Introduction
The IFLA Section on Education and Training (SET) and Knowledge Management Section (KM) invite proposals for lightning talk presentations for the open session “Emerging Trends in International LIS Education: Stories from Across the Globe” at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) 2026 in Busan, South Korea, 10–13 August 2026. The session aims to highlight how KM and LIS education is responding to emerging global trends and to provide a platform for sharing experiences from different countries and contexts. Through short, focused presentations, participants will gain insights into how educational approaches are evolving and how these changes are shaping the future library workforce. Contributions should also reflect the WLIC 2026 theme, Libraries Powering Transformation.
Format and Focus
The session will be structured as a series of lightning talks (5 minutes each) followed by a short discussion. We invite proposals from educators, students, and practitioners that present concrete examples, case studies, or reflections on how global trends are influencing KM and LIS education and practice. Contributions should be clearly focused, practice-oriented, and suitable for a concise presentation format. Selected presenters must be able to clearly communicate their key message within a 5-minute presentation.
Please select one or more theme(s) from the IFLA Trend Report 2024 and discuss how the chosen Trend has influenced your work or how your project, coursework, or professional practice is related to the Trend.
Suggested approaches may include (but are not limited to):
- Demonstrating how a specific IFLA Trend has influenced teaching philosophies, learning design, or professional priorities
- Sharing examples of teaching or learning activities shaped by an IFLA Trend
- Exploring gaps between an IFLA Trend and local LIS practice or curricula
- Connecting a broad Trend to a specific classroom activity, assignment, or library service
- Translating a Trend into competencies, learning outcomes, or assessment strategies
- Discussing challenges, ambiguities, or unanswered questions in applying the Trend Report in practice
Important dates & deadlines:
- 30 May 2026: Deadline for submission of proposals
- 15 June 2026: Notification to authors about the status of a proposal
- 1 August 2026: Submission of accompanying PowerPoint slides for presentation
Submission guidelines
Proposals should include:
- Title of proposed talk
- Abstract of proposed presentation (maximum 300 words)
- Name(s) of presenter(s), including position/title
- Employer/affiliated institution
- Contact information (email)
- Short biographical statement
- Your submission should clearly mention which Trend is addressed in your talk
Send proposals via email to: iflaset23@gmail.com
Please note:
- At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to summarize the paper during the program in Busan. Remote participation will not be possible.
- Accepted presenters may be required to submit a full paper and/or presentation materials for inclusion in the IFLA Repository.
- The language of the session is English.
- All papers presented at the WLIC 2025 will be available online under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
- All papers must be unpublished, not previously presented, and not written by Generative AI.
- Authors must disclose whether they submit this proposal to another WLIC 2026 session.
- Authors of accepted papers must complete theIFLA Authors’ Permission Form.
- Authors and presenters must adhere to the Presenter guidelines, provided when your paper is accepted
- All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodations, etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. IFLA does not provide any financial support.
Congress Participation Grants
A list of opportunities for support is available on the Grants and Awards page of the WLIC website.