Headlines from Quebec

What a great headline on the sports section of today's Globe and Mail - "Sync and swim." The article is (of course) about the synchronised diving in Beijing. I really like daft wordplay (the dafter the better) so thanks to the subeditor who made me smile over breakfast.

My latest encounters on the concourse? With Ismael Abdullahi who did so much to help in the establishment of CILIP's Diversity Group and who has been chatting with Ayub Khan (also here) about ways in which ALA and CILIP might work together on issues around equality and diversity. And with Eric Davies and Kayla Tomlinson - both former CILIP Trustees - who've both been confined to their hotel with food poisoning for the past 36 hours. It's par for the course: both usually return from the IFLA Congress with tales of illness or injury! 

Other headlines from Quebec? New professionals discuss how best to engage with professional associations like IFLA (or CILIP); Team CILIP presents an Honorary Fellowship; It looks like a smooth ride for IFLA's Council meeting tomorrow; and I've completed my work with that French dictionary.

I'm a strong supporter of the IFLA New Professionals Group which aspires to be for IFLA what CDG (formerly AAL) is for CILIP - a place where new professionals can find a home, take responsibility, develop their skills, and make a difference. The New Professionals' discussion session yesterday afternoon was lively and full of good advice for associations wanting to engage with the next generation - go where they are (like, online, using social media), listen to what they have to say (because they're our future), support and empower them (through role modelling and capacity building), and give them a space where they can be in charge (like CDG/AAL). My own contribution was to suggest that associations should "practice euthanasia" - put a time limit on all offices so that the oldies have to push off and the newbies have to step up.

One way to engage with new professionals is to get them involved when they're students. When I took a stroll round the Poster Session in the Exhibition Hall a couple of hours ago I noticed that IFLA's Section on Education and Training (SET) is launching the IFLA Library and Information Science Student Award, to be conferred for the first time at next year's Congress in Milan. The best paper by a student submitted for the Congress will give that student an opportunity (with funding) to attend the Congress and present the paper. An excellent opportunity - and one I'll be suggesting that CILIP promotes to LIS students in the UK. More information at http:/www.ifla.org/VII/s23/index.htm

Last night the Congress offered delegates a "Cocktail Reception and Fun Night" but instead Team CILIP headed off to the Pub Saint-Alexandre on rue St Jean to join the gathering of alumni and friends of the Dalhousie University School of Information Management. Why? Because last year CILIP awarded Fiona Black, Director of the School, an Honorary Fellowship in absentia and this was an opportunity to make the award in person. Fiona is from Scotland so colleagues from CILIP in Scotland - Elaine Fulton and Rhona Arthur - joined President Bruce Madge and myself to hand over the certificate of Honorary Fellowship which had, miraculously, survived the journey from Ridgmount Street to the rue St Jean (via Birmingham and Newark) unscathed in my suitcase.

The evening was also an opportunity to catch up with an old friend. Norman Horrocks is known around the world for his leadership and wisdom and generosity, bestowed on generations of librarians. A Manchester man (and keen supporter of Man U, but we'll forgive him that), Norman's career as an educator and mentor has taken him from the UK to Cyprus, Australia, and North America.He's been at Dalhousie since 1971 where he's currently Professor Emeritus and Adjunct Professor in Fiona's School of Information Management. Without a doubt, one of the Good Guys - and someone I'm pleased, proud and privileged to call my friend. In fact he phoned me while I've been writing this blog entry to suggest we meet up for a drink tomorrow - something I'll look forward to.

Today, my role here as a member of the IFLA Governing Board is coming back into focus as we move towards tomorrow's Council meeting and Closing Ceremony. The deadline for Council resolutions has passed without incident and the proposed revisions to the IFLA Statutes have received overwhelming approval in a postal ballot - so they should get a smooth passage through the Council meeting. At the Closing Ceremony I'm giving the Vote of Thanks and I decided some time ago to do so in French - hence that French dictionary. Many thanks to my CILIP staff colleague Heather Taylor who translated my original script into French, and to my IFLA Governing Board colleague Rejean Savard who has helped me to give the script a more Quebecois nuance. I finalised the script earlier today. Now all I've got to do is rehearse it and deliver it. I'll let you know how it goes.

So here I go, off across the concourse again to pick up a printout of my Discours de Remerciement at the IFLA Secretariat Office. Thank you to the correspondent who suggested I put a couple of sandwiches in my pocket to stave off hunger if my stroll across to the Convention Centre is slowed down by unexpected meetings. It's good to know that there are people out there who are actually reading this stuff.