2024, December 8
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AI, Marketing, and Public Speaking: The Eurasian Academic Libraries Training
2024, December 8
Share this articleFrom December 2 to 6, 2024, the Eurasian Academic Libraries Training took place at Nazarbayev University (NU).
The event was organized by the NU Library with the support of the Association of University Libraries in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The training served as an enhanced and expanded version of the School of Libraries Technologies program, which had been successfully held in previous years. This year's main theme was «Upskilling Librarians: Increasing Libraries’ Impact through Skill Building and Professional Development».
The event brought together 50 specialists from various regions of Kazakhstan, including university library staff, as well as representatives from regional and district libraries. Participants included librarians from organizations such as Haileybury Astana School, Kazakh British Technical University, Suleyman Demirel University, the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kostanay Regional Universal Scientific Library named after L.N. Tolstoy, and others.
«This capacity-building initiative aims to provide librarians with the knowledge, skills, and expertise they can use to implement impactful changes and innovations in their respective institutions. Acquiring this knowledge and these skills will help librarians and libraries demonstrate their value in their communities through various technological innovations and programs. Libraries and librarians should reposition themselves as essential and proactive partners in shaping the minds of individuals and society, leveraging their knowledge and skills alongside new and emerging technologies», emphasized the importance of this training, Gerald Cavanaugh, Director of the NU Library.
Throughout the five-day training, participants gained a wide range of skills, including public speaking, supporting researchers, managing electronic resources, working with artificial intelligence, marketing library services, and more. In addition to the main sessions, librarians participated in training conducted by leading international online platforms, such as Wiley and Elsevier. The program also included a tour of the university and the NURIS Digital and Creative Technologies Laboratory. At the end of each day, roundtable discussions were held, allowing participants to share impressions and discuss current issues in the field of librarianship.
