25 research papers accepted for Gulf conference

Plans are progressing fast for the 22nd Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Special Libraries Association – Arabian Gulf Chapter, which will be held in Kuwait from 19 to 21 April.

Organisers have announced three keynote speakers, one for each day of the event:

Day 1: Saleh Almusned, director of the Arabic Union Catalog Center and Head of the Arab Digital Library Project;

Day 2: Kevin Ashley, director of the UK’s Digital Curation Centre; and

Day 3: Caroline Kimbell, associate director of licensing and digitisation at the  University of London’s Senate House Library.

Some 25 research papers have been accepted for the conference, while 47 companies and exhibitors from major STM publishers have confirmed their participation at the event. 

There will be at least nine plenary sessions on different professional topics, with as many as 500 delegates and exhibitors expected to attend.

Kamel Al-Abduljaleel, of the Kuwait National Library and elected president for the event, said: ‘The conference program will discuss the comprehensive changes in society, the dramatic advances in technology and movement of globalisation. 

‘However, there is nowhere left with clearer evidences of change than the profession of library and information sciences. 

‘There will be presentations in Arabic and English by speakers from Arab countries and abroad. Papers will be presented in the form of plenary sessions, symposia and poster sessions.’