MLIS student Essraa Nawar’s career in libraries has taken her across the globe, and thanks to a full fellowship, her next stop is Ohio for the 2016 IFLA World Library and Information Congress. 

San José State University (SJSU) School of Information (iSchool) student Essraa Nawar’s career in libraries has taken her across the globe from Egypt to California, and the next stop on her itinerary is Columbus, Ohio. The 2016 National U.S. Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has awarded Nawar a full fellowship to attend the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Ohio from August 13-19, 2016.

“IFLA has been one of my dreams and on my bucket list since I worked in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina [in Egypt] where we had an IFLA office inside the library,” expressed Nawar. “I am excited about this opportunity as it will introduce me to international librarianship. I will network with international librarians, see people from all over the world, and connect with my colleagues from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina who are planning to attend this year’s IFLA.”

Nawar currently works as the library development coordinator at the Chapman University Library in Orange, California, and is pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree at the SJSU iSchool. She is committed to sharing her work experience and studies with colleagues across the globe and commends the American Library Association and IFLA for their support of the international community. She explained, “Librarians and library staff in Egypt are brilliant and are very committed to service and the profession; they just need continuous support and mentorship.”

According to the IFLA website, the annual conference “brings together over 3,500 participants from more than 120 countries.” The congress programme is divided into five divisions covering library types, library collections, library services, support of the profession, and regions.

The 2016 IFLA National Committee Fellowship Grants are worth $1,000 and cover conference registration, travel, lodging, and/or daily expenses. Thanks to donations from the North American library community, the IFLA U.S. National Committee was able to award 100 fellowship grants.

Nawar stated that she is “very grateful for the opportunity” to attend the conference and is determined to make the most of the experience. “I also submitted a poster proposal to the IFLA poster committee, and I look forward to receiving their feedback sometime in mid-March,” she added. “This way, I can take full advantage of the opportunity by having some publications under my belt!”

For more on the 2016 IFLA World Library and Information Congress, please visit the IFLA conference website.