Chennai: Students, educationists and librarians will get to attend lectures and panel discussions on library development and gain insights from experts in the field, as the Indian Library Congress (ILC) is coming to the city for the first time with its fourth edition on Feb 16 and 17.The programme will be held at the Anna Centenary Library. It will have 10 sessions, addressing topics such as library policy and federalism, and the role of libraries in knowledge production and social justice. Legislators, including school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and MPs Kanimozhi and Su Venkatesan; retired Justice K Chandru, and state bureaucrats will attend.
A national trust, the ILC’s work centres around library development, information access, policy, and professional collaboration. The previous editions of the programme were held in Kannur, Bengaluru, and New Delhi.Releasing the brochure for the fourth edition in the city on Sunday, DMK MP P Wilson said Chennai was a frontrunner in reading in the state, and housed the premier Anna Centenary Library. “Modern day libraries are not only serving as learning hubs, but also as digital centres. The goal is to take them to everybody in the state,” he added.Kerala CPIM MP V Sivadasan said the event would provide a platform for experts to share knowledge and experiences to make libraries more active, democratic, and people-friendly public spaces in the digital age.Additional chief secretary B Chandramohan said Tamil Nadu was giving a big push to transform iconic libraries in the state. “Libraries in the state are being reimagined as hubs of learning, meeting, working and interacting,” he said.Retired Justice K Chandru said Tamil Nadu and Kerala were setting a precedent for reading and sharing knowledge, and lauded the ILC organizers for their efforts in taking reading to the public.Prior registration is required to attend the event. Those interested may call 99463 60081 or 94425 49618 for more information.
