Sharjah International Book Fair, SIBF, in partnership with the American Library Association, ALA, is hosting a dedicated library workshop day and a two-day conference involving more than 300 participants, 26 activities and 23 expert speakers from the USA, Europe, Africa and Gulf region.

The SIBF/ALA Conference, now in its fourth edition, draws on the expertise of librarians and academics from around the world to provide insights into the latest industry practices, programmes, projects and initiatives, from budget management to building better futures for refugees.

The three day event, running from 7th - 9th November, forms an integral part of the 36th edition of SIBF, which features 1,650 publishing houses from 60 countries. More than 1.5 million titles will be on display throughout the fair taking place at Expo Centre Sharjah from 1st - 11th November.

In keeping with the directives of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to build strong relationships with book industry leaders around the world, speakers at the conference represent experts from across four continents. Among these are Jim Neal, ALA’s President and University Librarian Emeritus at Columbia University, and Khaled Mohamed Emam Elhalaby, President of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information.