ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


October 199 4/56 9

C onference

C ircu it

IFLA ' 9 4 :  T h e c h a lle n g e  
fo r  C uban lib r a r ie s

By Barbara J .  Ford

IFLA ’s 60th General Conference, 
Havana, Cuba, A ugust 1994

A pproxim ately 1,200 delegates from  80 countries and over 400 Cuban librarians 
attended the first International Federatio

Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) con­
ference to be held in Latin America. “Libraries 
for Social Development” was held August 21-27, 
1994, in Havana, Cuba.

There was an explicit strategy by the Cuban 
organizers and IFLA to facilitate the broadest 
possible participation of the Cuban library com­
munity by making specific allowances for the 
use of local currency. Cubans hosted and par­
ticipated fully in a very successful IFLA confer­
ence under economic terms that did not com­
prom ise their dignity. W hen p ap er was not 
available, over one million sheets w ere con­
tributed by an international p ap er company. 
Conference delegates arriving in Cuba brought 
books for Cuban libraries and medicines for 
general use.

More than 100 librarians from the U.S. and 
Puerto Rico participated in the conference and 
form ed the largest delegation from  outside 
Cuba. A statement prepared by some members 
of the delegation summarizes our impressions: 
“We have seen first hand the determination of 
our Cuban colleagues to advance their library 
services despite the hardships, shortages, and 
material limitations they are now  experienc­
ing. We have b een  deeply impressed by their 
commitment to common professional objectives 
and deeply m oved by their generosity in host­
ing librarians from all over the world despite 
their problem s.”

Cuban musicians, singers, and dancers at 
conference receptions and cultural events con­

tributed to a conference described by IFLA pres­
ident Robert W edgeworth as “sabroso” (“d e­
lightful”). Cuban language students served as 
translators and provided excellent assistance 
and explanations. Simultaneous translation was 
available for the major sessions.

The IFLA Government Information and Of­
n ficial of Publications Section and the recently es­

tablished W om en’s Issues Section sponsored 
a n  in te r e s tin g  p ro g r a m  o n  G o v e rn m e n t 
Program m es a n d  P u b lications o n  W om en. 
Speakers from the Cuban Federation o f Wom­
en, World Bank, and the U.N. Economic and 
Social Commission for Latin America and the 
Caribbean highlighted materials that are avail­
able. Another w om en’s issues program focused 
on W omen in the World of Information and 
featured provocative papers from Sweden, Fin­
land, Japan, Cuba, and the U.S. Some delegates 
had the opportunity to visit the office o f the 
Cuban Federation of W omen and hear about 
its w ork with and advocacy for Cuban women.

The Government Information and Official 
Publications Section and the Latin American and 
the Caribbean Section sponsored the Second 
Latin American and the Caribbean Seminar on 
Government Information and Official Publica­
tions. Papers focused on recent developments 
in official publications. This built on the first 
seminar that was held in Mexico in 1991 dur­
ing the eclipse of the sun. Training seminars 
on government information have also been held 
for Francophone Africa and in Asia and are 
planned for Anglophone Africa later this year. 
A seminar for Eastern European and Russian 
libraries is scheduled for 1996.

The University Libraries and Other General 
Research Libraries program focused on devel­
opm ents in communication and docum ent d e­
livery. Papers on the implications of the Mellon 
Foundation Report and electronic transmission

Barbara J .  Ford is director o f  university library services at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond; 
e-mail: bjford@gems.vcu.edu

mailto:bjford@gems.vcu.edu


5 7 0 /C&R L News

of documents in Cuban academic libraries were 
presented. The Science and Technology Librar­
ies Section’s them e was Social Barriers to Ac­
cess of Scientific Information. Information lit­
eracy, linguistic obstructions, and underuse of 
scientific information were discussed as barri­
ers. The new ly established User Education 
Section’s program  focused o n  User Educa­
tion and Information Skills D evelopm ent in 
Public and School Libraries.

Technological developments affecting librar­
ies w ere very m uch in evidence at the confer­
ence. A listserv com puter connection provided 
conference delegates with information before 
the conference and provided opportunities to 
communicate with colleagues while at the con­
ference. All of the documents from the G ener­
al Conference w ere available in WordPerfect
5.1 on disks in English, Spanish, and French. 
Mundo Latino filmed a documentary of high­
lights of the conference and a copy in any vid­
eo format was available. Video copies of indi­
vidual speeches by participants, the closing
ceremony, and lectures were also available.

The exhibition area included, among other
options, product presentations, book signings, 
fashion shows, and Cuban films. Over 50 Cu­
b an  exhibitors provided an overview o f the
products available in the country. Books and
software of interest to libraries were highlight­
ed at various times.

Poster sessions provided examples of the
excellent library programs being implemented
in a num ber of countries with Cuban posters
predominating. Cuban posters covered many
topics, including training library technicians,
computer-aided cataloging, updated informa­
tion with lower costs, and games to promote
reading. The posters illustrated that Cuba clearly
has w ell-developed libraries and library pro­
grams offering services for a wide range of us­
ers. A statement about conservation at the Jose
Marti National Library summarizes the chal­
lenges facing libraries in Cuba today: “In spite
of economic limitations in the ’90s, there has
been a growth of hum an potential in Cuba,
and we have continued working with slender
resources and material shortage for preserva­
tion of our national bibliographic resources.”

The 60th General IFLA conference was a
very useful event filled with valuable exchang­
es of information and professional experienc­
es. Delegates learned about Cuban culture as
well as libraries and came away with great re­
spect for the dedicated Cuban librarians. ■

 

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

(BCALA cont.from  page 568)
Problems encountered with subject access 

(i.e., appropriateness of heading, n eeded sub­
ject cross references, etc.) w ere the primary fo­
cus for librarians w ho assist users interested in 
information about African Americans.

“The Dynamics of Information Apartheid” 
explored information access and African world 
com m unity em pow erm ent using Afrocentric 
ideas to address information apartheid and post­
m odern communication consciousness. Infor­
mation apartheid, defined “as a society in which 
one group has access to information and the 
others do not,” was positively presented for 
the creation of building alliances and sharing 
knowledge for “interconnecting” diversity in our 
national and international communities.

Tony Brown, host of Tony Brown ’s Journal, 
was the keynote speaker at the Closing Ses­
sion. “Telling it to us straight,” Brown spoke 
about the issues affecting the black commu­
nity today and challenged the audience with 
solutions of education and economic self-suffi­
ciency for full participation in this struggle. 
Librarians were, again, em pow ered with ada­
mant w ords of strength on their roles as cul­
ture keepers in their communities. Brown said, 
“And the world is a w orld of people from all 
groups, people with all languages and differ­
ent cultures. And we, as Americans, not just 
African Americans, are going to have to con­
front diversity and its true m eaning and fit into 
a world in which w e all will have to contrib­
ute.”

There w ere also two preconferences held 
in Milwaukee. “Diversity: From Rhetoric to Re­
alities,” led by Edith Fisher (Tenge Enterprises), 
provided a clear and dynamic understanding 
of the unique characteristics o f individuals, en ­
abling peo p le to achieve positive outcom es 
from interactions. “Team Building for Librar­
ians” by John Tyson (John Tyson Associates), 
provided an avenue for involving all librarians 
in the decision-making process, improving mo­
rale and product/service quality. Both were edu­
cational and applicable to all w ork settings.

Overall, the national participation of librar­
ians o f color at the conference was exciting. It 
was another historic event and celebration of 
African American contributions to librarianship 
and our commitment to the profession.

BCALA is planning to hold the Third Na­
tional Conference of African American Librar­
ians in Winston Salem, North Carolina, in 1997. 
Kwaheri (goodbye). ■



It handles like a dream and hauls a quarter ton!
THE HIGHSMITH COMMITMENT