Khaberni - The Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation recently held the first Jordanian Librarians' Forum, with extensive participation from workers in the library sector from various regions of the kingdom, at the library branch in Al-Muqabaleen.
The forum is part of the foundation's efforts to build an active professional community led by librarians themselves, enhancing the status of libraries as platforms for knowledge and centers for societal change, through exchanging experiences and unifying efforts around common professional issues.
The forum, which will be held more than once during the year, aims to provide a collaborative space for workers in the library sector to discuss the most significant challenges and opportunities facing the sector, and to work on empowering librarians in Jordan through building an effective communication network that supports sustainable professional development.
Nizar Al-Hamoud, acting director of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Library, said that the forum witnessed interactive discussions focusing on several main themes, notably: the role of libraries in society, the role of the librarian as an agent of change, alongside digital transformation and artificial intelligence in libraries and mechanisms for adopting these technologies in local libraries, in addition to ways to attract different age groups to the library, and enhancing resource sustainability and building community partnerships.
The participants in the forum emphasized the importance of keeping up with rapid technological developments, enhancing the role of librarians in designing innovative programs that meet community needs, thereby contributing to consolidating the library's status as a center of knowledge, culture, and development.
The forum is considered a first step towards establishing an open professional network for librarians in Jordan, contributing to formulating shared priorities for the sector, and supporting the exchange of knowledge and expertise, which enhances the development of library work on a national level.
