By Augustine Gitonga
A Kenyan has been picked to chair the regional umbrella body that brings together national library associations in various African countries.
Prof Peter Gatiti, the president of the Kenya Library Association, and who is also the Associate Vice-Provost and University Librarian at the Aga Khan University, now becomes the chair of the Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations (SCESCAL Council). He was elevated to the position when librarians from various African countries met in Mombasa, Kenya to celebrate 50 years since the formation of the regional association.
The umbrella body is a forum for library and information associations in Africa, made up of the national library and information services associations of member countries.
While welcoming delegates to Kenya, Prof Gatiti encouraged information professionals to deepen their understanding of current trends and best practices and inspire new ideas and collaborative ventures that will propel the library profession forward.
This year, SCECSAL’s 26th biennial conference was hosted at Pride Inn Paradise Beach Resort Convention Centre in Mombasa, by the Kenya Library Association, between April 22 and 26. The theme of the conference was “Reimagining information products and services for the digital era.”
In opening the conference, the chief guest Aisha Jumwa, the Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, under which libraries and information centres fall, appreciated the Kenya Library Association’s efforts in advancing library standards by validating the National Policy on Libraries, 2023, the Libraries Bill, 2023 and the Kenya National Library Services Bill, 2023.
In the speech read for her by the Director General and CEO of Kenya National Library Services, Dr Charles Nzivo, the CS said libraries play a key role in advancing education and culture.
Prof Clara Chu of the Mortenson Centre for International Library Programmes at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champain, USA, challenged librarians and information workers to collaborate more and not as competitors and engage in active learning so that they can become strategic planners who impact societies.
The chair of the local organising committee, Mrs Muthoni Kibandi, also a university librarian at St Paul University, introduced the more than 15 nationalities represented at the conference. Some of the national organisations present were South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, with some delegates from outside of Africa.
During this year’s meeting, members resolved to include Francophone and Lusophone nations into the association.
The highlight of the event was the cultural night, where different nationalities showcased their cultures with music, dances and storytelling. The Library and Information Association of Zambia (LIAZ) was crowned winners for the team’s recitation and cultural songs – the fourth time they have won the event.
Some other notable delegates at the conference were librarian emeritus Prof Kay Ratseraka of Namibia, Prof Maria Musoke, who is the Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University in Uganda, Mrs Jacinta Were, formerly of the University of Nairobi and Dr Justin Chisenga from Zambia.
The conference concluded with a General Assembly, in which the delegates resolved to strengthen their national organisations, improve the quality of library and information training, and continue innovating new information products and services to equip and serve users better.
The librarians also agreed to ensure access to relevant information to attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals to mitigate socioeconomic challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa.
