Agenda for Annual Conference, 5-6 December 2013

Agenda for Annual Conference, Bhutan Library Consortium

5-6 December 2013 at Royal Thimphu College

Programme: Day 1 (Thursday, 5 December)

Time	Agenda
0900 – 0930 hrs	·        Registration
0930-1000 hrs	·        Welcome address by the Dean ·        Introduction of participants
1000-1030 hrs	Tea Break
Time	Topic
1030 – 1230 hrs	Short presentations from first time participants re: services, resources, challenges at their libraries
1230 – 1300 hrs	RTC campus tour and visit to RTC library
1300-1400 hrs	Lunch Break
1400-1530 hrs	Open Access Resources for Libraries
1530-1600 hrs	QA, comments and discussion
1600-1730 hrs	Open discussion Review of last year’s resolutions ·        International training opportunities ·        Resource sharing; international journal subscriptions ·        National digital library

 Day 2 (Friday, 6 December)

Time	Agenda
0900 -1000 hrs	Library Security
1000 - 1030 hrs	QA, comments and discussion
1030 -1100 hrs	Tea Break
1100 - 1230 hrs	Library Classification: Hints and Help
1230 - 1300 hrs	QA, comments and discussion
1300-1400 hrs	Lunch Break
1400-1700 hrs	Business meeting for Bhutan Library Consortium
	·        Discussion of BLC charter, mandates, and policies
	·        Discussion of membership costs, fundraising, projected BLC expenses, logo, CSO status
	·        Bylaws
	·        Signing of membership documents
1700-1730 hrs	Summary Session (minute keeper)

Bhutan Library Consortium, Annual Conference, 5-6 December 2013

Bhutan Library Consortium

Annual Conference

5 - 6 December 2013

In early December 2012, ten librarians from institutions all over Bhutan came together for the first time to meet, to discuss and to plan for ways to share resources and develop library services throughout the country.   At this two-day workshop, librarians shared knowledge and expertise, started planning for the future and founded the Bhutan Library Consortium (BLC). 

All library workers and all those interested in library development are invited to the BLC’s annual conference.  The conference will be held over two days with the following content:  one and a half days of discussion and of library skills training, and a half day of business planning for the Consortium.  

Librarians attending for the first time will be asked to give a brief presentation on their library, focusing on its strengths, its collections and services, and the challenges it faces.  

The workshop facilitators:

•          Royal Thimphu College (RTC), Cathleen LeGrand, MLS

•          Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE),Sonam Wangdi, EDLM

Target participants:

Who?

            Head Librarians/library workers

From?

            Colleges under RUB, private colleges, institutes, NGOs and agencies

Conference dates:  Thursday, 5 December – Friday, 6 December, 2013

Conference location: Executive Centre, Royal Thimphu College

Agenda to be posted!

About the Bhutan Library Consortium

Library cooperation in Bhutan: The Bhutan Library Consortium

Libraries the world over participate in collaborative arrangements in order to pool their intellectual, technical and financial resources to the benefit of the entire community.  

The Bhutan Library Consortium (BLC), founded on 4 December 2012, was established with the aim of building capacity for sharing resources, knowledge, technology and expertise.

The goals of the consortium include:

1. Enhancing the optimal use of resources by sharing access to library materials, information, and equipment
2. Building the expertise needed to successfully exploit available resources and technology, and encouraging the use of library best practices
3. Increasing advocacy for libraries in Bhutan

Projects and efforts to achieve these goals might include:

1. Ensuring  efficient utilization of resources

• Interlibrary loan / document delivery 
• Consortial purchase of databases and other electronic resources
• Coordinated journal subscription -- to prevent duplication of subscription of non-essential titles
• Digitization of resources and storage of digitized material
• Creation and management of a union catalogue and a serials union list 

2. Building library expertise

• Provide training workshops on a variety of library operations, including cataloging, classification, collection management, library security, reference, database searching, research, customer service, personnel management, etc.
• Provide assistance with the implementation and maintenance of integrated library systems, to assure the existence of accurate and publicly accessible catalogues at every institution

3. Increasing library advocacy

• Coordinate efforts to improve support of or funding for libraries 
• Funding for the Bhutan Library Consortium

Members of the Bhutan Library Consortium

1. Ugyen Wangchuck Institute of Conservation and Environment (UWICE) Library
2. Royal Thimphu College (RTC) Library
3. Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) Library
4. Samtse College of Education (SCE) Library
5. Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) Library
6. Gedu College of Business Studies (GCBS) Library
7. Institute of Language and Cultural Studies (ILCS)  Library
8. College of Natural Resources (CNR) Library
9. Royal Institute of Health Sciences (RIHS) Library
10. Royal Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (RITH) Library
11. College of Science and Technology (CST) Library
12. Paro College of Education (PCE)  Library
13. National Council Library
14. Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) Library
15. Royal Institute of Management (RIM) Library (unofficial member)
16. Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Public Library
17. READ Bhutan (unofficial member)

Officers of the Bhutan Library Consortium

Three officers were elected by unanimous acclaim to serve as the first leaders of the Consortium.  These officers are:

Chairman: Mr. Sonam Wangdi (UWICE)
Secretary: Mr. Yeshey Dorji (SCE)
Treasurer: Ms. Tshering Dema (CST)