The United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library in conjunction with the United Nations Information Centre in Canberra held a workshop for Depository Librarians in Oceania at the Parliament House of Australia between the 28th of February and 1st of March.
The event attracted participants from the Oceania region as well as from countries as far away as India and Finland. The Director of the United Nations Information Centre, Christopher Woodthorpe, addressed the participants of the workshop explaining to them the role of UNICs around the world and the challenges and opportunities they face similar to those of the depository libraries.
The workshop was intended for library staff who work with UN information resources in depository libraries. There are 15 libraries in eight countries in Oceania which belong to the UN Depository Library System. Each depository library is required to maintain a well-organized collection of documents and publications to facilitate research by library users interested in the UN issues. One essential goal of the workshop is that the depository librarians, who assist these researchers, have a good knowledge and understanding of the UN structure, documentation, and the research tools/methods available to them.
The workshop included lectures, presentations, round-table discussions, and “hands-on” training in searching UN databases available on the Internet and tips and techniques for accessing information about the United Nations. Another goal of the workshop was to discuss the transformation of many libraries from passive collectors of UN documentation to become active participants in promoting information on global issues, knowledge sharing and building a network of partners.
The workshop proved to be a great success receiving positive feedback from all the participants.
Left to right standing: Roxanne Missingham, Christopher Woodthorpe, and Maritina Paniagua.
Photo credit: Ross Becker
Report and photos from the event