Ignite Talks will bring diverse ideas and experiences from around the World!

The IFLA Information Futures Summit (IIFS) offers a stimulating programme across a variety of topics. The Summit represents a new event format for IFLA and we are keen for it to offer greater possibilities for networking and interaction and contribute to IFLA future-focused initiatives. Earlier this year, IIFS 2024 delegates were invited to submit a proposal for a 7-minute Ignite Talk. Over 40 slots were accepted for our programme, with speakers come from 19 countries across all IFLA Regional Divisions. Most topics align with the themes of the Summit, including: AI, dis-Information, digital inclusion, indigenous matters, open access and workforce futures.

Sessions will address the future that we want, the role of information in it, and what we, as a field, can do to shape it. It is a great way for delegates to share and experience innovative projects of international relevance.

Introduction: Philip G Kent

Monday 30 September

12:45 – 13:45

Shiyao Cheng, China
Storytelling, an ancient art and effective advocacy: library narratives in the digital world

Jon Shaw, United States of America
Strategic Alignment and the Redefinition of Information: Bridging Disciplines through Open Access Initiatives in Global Research Libraries

Alex McManus, Australia
How to make Librarians uncomfortable

Monday 30 September

15:00 – 16:15

Jessica Bruce, Australia
Libraries as brokers for intergenerational connectedness

Anne Reddacliff, Australia
Who’s Your Mob?: developing a program for demystifying the Australian (Queensland) First Nations family history journey

Jeffery Cruz, Australia
The future of the service desk – AI, IDL and the library workforce

Christine Brown, Canada
Libraries Impact our Communities

Flic French, Australia
Towards a global queer librarianship

Leah Summers & Antonia Mocatta, Australia
Working together to equip our workforce for the future

Tuesday 01 October

10:15 – 11:30

Mike Daly, Australia
Digital Twins: reimagining library engagement with spatial imaging

Anna Lagos & Sarah Evans, Australia
Strategic Planning and Improvement Team in the Library

Emma Nelms, Australia
Knowing me Knowing you: What we learned from 5 years as AI champions at an academic library

Anna Raunik, Australia
Generative AI – engaging with Heritage Collections

Damilare Oyedele, Nigeria
Shaping the future of African libraries: leveraging digital technology and community engagement approaches

Fiona Bradley, Australia
Reframing rights: a global approach to secondary publications

Zola Maddison, Australia
Investing in Libraries to Strengthen Democracy

Tuesday 01 October

12:45 – 13:45

James O’Donnell, United States of America
Offline Internet – going where broadband doesn’t reach

Jingzhu Wei, China
A new ontology of cultural activities – Let’s explore the vibrant public cultural activities and experience the charm of Chinese culture

Helen Macpherson, Australia
A new era of sharing sustainable science with global agricultural communities

Justine Cawley, Australia
Open Research Fellowships: involving researchers in knowledge production of openness at the University of Queensland

Dilara Begum, Bangladesh
Readiness to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in libraries: Information professionals’ perspective from a developing country

Tuesday 01 October

15:00 – 16:15

Waleed Al Badi, Oman
Can our libraries transfer from non-profit making to self-sustaining institution?

Alice Anderson & Caroline Ondracek, Australia
Undersized and yet flourishing: the Australian health library workforce

Gina de Alwis & Shaheen Majid (in absentia), Singapore
Future Proofing the LIS workforce in Asia: Small steps to bridge the skills gap

Edita Jareckaite, Lithuania
Mobile library: to reach out and connect

Catherine Belcher, Australia
At-risk audiovisual collections: Revealing the sights and sounds of Western Australia

Fehintola Nike Onifade, Nigeria
Bibliotherapy Clinic: Helping Students Staying Healthy in a Nigerian University

Wednesday 02 October

10:15 – 11:30

Susmita Chakraborty, India
Mental health information literacy and work space stress management

Yali Feng, United States of America
Creating a Patron Mentoring Model to Enhancing Librarian Consultations in the GenAI Era

Marjan Marinkovic, Serbia
Fact vs Fake – Libraries Building News Literate Societies

Jarkko Rikkilä, Finland
Finnish libraries as platforms for multiprofessional cooperation

Margaret Warren, Australia
Collections as data – a transformative paradigm

Troy Bullock, Australia
Live at the Library – Forging geographic gaps and advancing community engagement

Katia Karadjova, United States of America
How can we use Mindful Leadership to future-proof our workforce?

Wednesday 02 October

12:45 – 13:45

Claudia Lux, Germany
The future of government information and transparency

Marlies Zyp – van der Laan, New Zealand
Be prepared! LIANZA’s Freedom to Read toolkit

Raelee Lancaster, Australia
Recataloguing Indigenous Knowledge: Introducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols into critical library practice

Nicole Clark, Australia 
From Little Things Big Things Grow: celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges and Culture one conversation at a time at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Philip G Kent

Philip Kent

Philip G Kent is University Librarian at the University of Sydney. Following an extensive career in Australian and UK universities and Australia’s national science agency, Philip joined The University of Sydney in 2020. He has served as University Librarian at four institutions. His broader experience includes cultural collections, information technology, knowledge and information management, archives and records management, risk and audit roles.

Philip has extensive experience in new Library projects in Australian universities and Bristol, UK. From 2023, he chairs the Standing Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Library Buildings and Equipment Section. Library history is another area of professional interest.

Philip’s professional activities have included:  Director, CAVAL Ltd, chairing the Council of Australian University Librarians’ procurement consortium, and the Group of Eight (Go8) Librarians. He was a member of the judging panel for the SCONUL Library Design Awards (UK) in 2019 and serves on the ALIA Library Design Awards panel. Philip is a member of the Editorial Board and reviewer for the Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association (JALIA). He served on the arXiv Members Advisory Board at Cornell University from 2012-2016 and 2020-2023.

For presenters

There are several formats for our Ignite Talks sessions. Think of Ignite Talks, TED Talks, Pecha Kucha sessions, and beyond and you’ll get an idea of what to expect. We don’t want to limit presenters at our Summit to any of these formats, although you are welcome to use them. The only restriction that we have is that after 7 minutes, you hand over the microphone!

There will not be simultaneous interpretation for these sessions but speakers are expected to keep things simple and easy for everyone to understand.

Based on the submissions, we’ve scheduled session blocks made up of 3-4 presentations for each day. Once all the presentations are done, the moderator will lead a Question and Answer session of 15 minutes maximum before we continue to the next round of Ignite Talks.

How to prepare for a short and sharp presentation

Also, check out these pages to be inspired: