IFLA Literacy and Reading Section

Startpagina
Nederland
The Hague
IFLA Literacy and Reading Section

This is the Literacy and Reading Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

The Section provides a focal point for the promotion of reading and literacy in libraries; and the integration of reading research and reading development activities into library services for all citizens. It covers issues such as increasing the social awareness of the significance of reading and general literacy; functional literacy in various cultural settings; reader development; illiteracy in

different milieus; teaching the encouragement of reading among young people and adults; readers' skills and reading habits;and the interaction of audiovisual media and reading in the new electronic environment.

13/03/2026

Today I wish to present my dear colleague Olimpia Bartolucci
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She has long been working in the field of culture, libraries and reading promotion. She is Head of the Section “Libraries, Historical Archives, Publishing, Reading Pacts and Cultural Welfare” at the Regione Umbria, Italy.

Her work promotes libraries as community spaces that foster inclusion, personal growth and wellbeing — a free space where people learn how to learn, exercise creativity and imagination, address every form of illiteracy. She has contributed to the design and implementation of cross-sector reading promotion strategies involving public institutions, social and health services, educational networks and cultural organizations.

From 2015 to 2018 she served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the national Center for Book and Reading, in 2024 coordinated the National Commission for Public Libraries of the Italian Library Association and she is currently regional coordinator of the national programme “Born to Read”.

She holds a background in languages and literature, librarianship, public administration with a focus on cultural policies and management.

14/01/2026

And now our Czech colleague Lenka Prucková
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She studied mathematics and descriptive geometry and lectured mathematics at a technical university for several years.
In 2000, she became director of the Olomouc City Library, a municipal library with 13 branches in a historic city of 100,000 inhabitants surrounded by beautiful parks, with a multi-faculty university and two other large libraries. During her tenure, the library underwent changes in terms of services and design, transforming into a modern and pleasant community space. In 2026, she succeeded in opening a completely new, redesigned branch (with a children's slide) in a residential area with a population of 30,000.
She is an enthusiastic member of the Association of Librarians and Information Workers of the Czech Republic and, within this framework, represents Czech librarianship in the international organization IFLA, first for eight years in the Public Libraries Section and now in the Literacy and Reading Section.
Her activities within the Czech Republic are based on her professional interests, which are global library architecture and the care of small rural libraries. She often gives lectures on the topic of community rural libraries, placing the greatest emphasis on three pillars: appearance, collection, and activities. She is the supervisor of the Best Rural Library of the Year competition and also represents librarians on the jury of the Best Municipality of the Year competition.
She participates in the organization of some national library events, leads seminars and training courses, and cooperates with the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic in updating subsidy titles.
Her hobbies include traveling, reading and knowledge competitions.

14/01/2026

Here we have our Swedish colleague Nina Olsson, librarian in Malmö
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My name is Nina Olsson and I live in Malmö, a diverse city in the south of Sweden.
I hold a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Italian. I have worked in bookstores, publishing houses, international poetry festivals, and as a translator of Italian poetry. Since 2005, I have been working at the City Library of Malmö, promoting literature and reading in many different ways — from driving our mobile library for several years to developing literary and poetry projects. I am also one of the coordinators of our “Writer’s Stage,” where we invite authors from all over the world.
My path into IFLA began when I had the opportunity to attend the conference in Malaysia in 2018, where I presented A Million Stories, a two‑year EU project in which four European libraries documented the stories of Syrian and Afghan refugees who arrived in 2015. The project resulted in a digital collection of narratives: https://refugeelives.eu/about/. I joined the Literacy and Reading Section in 2019 and have since participated in WLIC conferences in Athens, Dublin, and Rotterdam.

02/01/2026

The first presentation of 2026 is our MENA colleague Saif Aljabri.
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Saif has more than 30 years of experience in library management. He has worked in different levels of library management and administration. He has an optimistic vision of library development and its future role and he always encourages young people in the Arab region to enter the field and join the world of knowledge professionals.
Beside his duties in library administration, he teaches in the Business communication department and the Information Studies department. He chaired the MENA Regional Division Committee, IFLA 2023-2025 and play an active role in the in the LIS field in the MENA region, as well as serving as a member of the Literacy and Reading Standing Committee. Saif is one of the founders of the BSLISE (Building Strong Library and Information Science Education) working group when he was chairing the IFLA Section on Education and Training (SET) standing committee. He chaired the SAL/AGC (Special Library Association/ Arabian Gulf Chapter) twice and was a member of the AFLI (Arabic Federation for Library and Information) board for two terms.

30/12/2025

And now our faboulous SC Secretary, Marika Simon
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Marika Simon is a Lecturer in the School in Teacher Librarianship at Charles Sturt University with more than 20 years of experience in primary education and teacher librarianship.
Marika’s focus is on leveraging research and providing practical information to help teacher librarians improve their practice and realise their professional passions. As part of that goal, she is active in professional organisations at the state, national and international levels.
Marika began serving as the Secretary for the Literacy and Standing Committee in an acting role at the end of 2024 and is happy to have been elected by the committee to continue in that role through 2027.

30/12/2025

Here we have our dear colleague from Russia, Maria Ponomarenko.
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Maria Ponomarenko is the head of the Children’s literature department of the M. Rudomino State Library for Foreign Literature, Moscow, Russia. Children’s Reading Hall provides childrens library services and also arranges and carries out different lectures, events and activities for children and adults. The Department of Children's Books functions as an information center on the best library practices and reading promotion projects from all around the world.
Maria was a member of the Programme Committee to the 37th IBBY World Congress. She is the author of the “Secrets of the Blaeu Globe” nonfiction book for children and teenagers (published by Albus Corvus, 2016). Maria has translated several children’s books from Swedish, including Cecilia Heikkilä’s «Grävlings resa» and «Jultrojan».

21/12/2025

Rashidah Bolhassan is a member of this Standing Committee very important for her leadership role in her country and internationally.

Rashidah Bolhassan, MLS (Syracuse), EMBA (Ohio), PhD (VUW), was the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Sarawak State Library (SSL) from 2003 to 2020, a tenure marked by significant advancements in library services and community engagement. Following her leadership at SSL, she assumed the role of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women, Early Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development from 2021 to 2022, where she focused on policy development and program implementation in these critical areas.
In 2023, Dr. Rashidah was appointed as an advisor to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts in Sarawak, concentrating on heritage initiatives that emphasize her dedication to knowledge management and indigenous knowledge systems.
Her contributions to the library profession are extensive, with notable leadership as the immediate past president of the Librarians’ Association of Malaysia (PPM) and active membership on the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Literacy and Reading Committee. Additionally, she participated on IFLA’s Culture and Heritage Advisory Council from 2021 to 2023, contributing to the dialogue on integrating cultural heritage within library practices
Dr. Rashidah has also taken on several significant appointments in governance and mentorship. As the Deputy Chair of SSL's Board of Management (2023-2024), a Board Trustee and Mentor for the Women Leadership Foundation (2022), and a Member of the National Council for Women and Family for the term (2023-2025), she has positioned herself as a key figure in advocating for women's rights and family welfare. Her appointment to the Governing Council of Yayasan Sime Darby in May 2024, alongside her designation as Adjunct Professor at UNIMAS’ Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts in 2024, underscores her commitment to education, the arts and leadership development.
Dr. Rashidah has been appointed to The National Council for Culture for the term (2025-2027), reflecting her involvement in cultural policies and initiatives. She also holds advisory roles at The Islamic Information Centre in Sarawak (2023-2025) and the Sarawak Federation of Women’s Institute (effective 2024), reinforcing her influence in both cultural and community development sectors.

21/12/2025

And one more new member for LITREAD Standing Committee.

Geraldine Opala is a passionate and experienced librarian with over 12 years’ experience in library and information services. She currently serves at the Virtual Library of the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS), where she is dedicated to promoting lifelong learning, expanding access to digital resources, and enhancing user experiences through excellent customer service.
She holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor’s degree in Library and Information Studies from Moi University. Geraldine is a strong advocate for the power of libraries to transform lives.
Outside of her professional work, she actively engages with youth to inspire, encourage, and support their personal and academic growth. She also enjoys reading motivational books, which fuel her passion for empowering others.

21/12/2025

And here we have a new member for IFLA, but a long standing professional in Libraries.

My name is Anne Mlod and I am a retired librarian living in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA. I was the Director of a small public library for almost twenty years, and then a Media Specialist for twenty years in the Auburn, NY school district. During my tenure there, I was selected as the first librarian to participate in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellowship program, where I spent three weeks in the Philippines, working with teachers and learning about the education system. I am passionate about helping students learn about the world, and in 2023, traveled to Kenya to deliver books and solar-powered desk lamps to sixteen schools. I am currently active in my city’s Rotary Club, volunteer at the local community center’s After School Literacy & Enrichment program, am Board President of the Farmer Tantoh Foundation, which supports an environmentalist in Cameroon, Africa, and of course am a member of the New Smyrna Beach Friends of the Library! I am the IASL representative on the IFLA Literacy & Reading Committee, and this is my first year as a committee member.

20/11/2025

We welcome Prof. Peng Xiao as a new member of our Standing Committee.
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Peng Xiao is a Professor at the School of Information Management (i-School), Sun Yat-sen University, and holds a Ph.D. in Management. His research focuses on library science, digital humanities, and public culture. He has published more than 100 papers in these fields and has led over 20 competitive research projects.
He is a standing member of the Literacy and Reading Section of IFLA and previously served two terms on IFLA’s Advisory Committee on Standards. He has also served as Director of the Reading Promotion and Evaluation Working Group under the China Society for Library Science and Director of the Young Talent Committee of the Guangdong Library Society. In addition, he serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals, including Journal of Library Science in China (JLSC) and Digital Transformation and Society.

13/11/2025

And now the Information Coordinator of LITREAD, Dr. Simonetta Pasqualis
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Graduated as translator for English and Dutch, academic librarian since 1985, both in the science area (International Centre for Theoretical Physics, International School for Advanced Studies) and in the humanities area (University Classical Studies Library), she worked for the University Language Centre as Information Officer and Secretary from August 2015 till August 2025.
Over the years she was entrusted with several regional and national assignments for the Italian Libraries Association; since 2003 she has been an IFLA delegate for AIB in “Serials and other continuing resources” first, then in “Art Libraries”, and now in “Literacy and Reading”, taking part to many IFLA WLIC both as participant and speaker.
Today she works voluntarily as Librarian of the Trieste International Women House which participates to the Distributed Library Project, a project linking many different types of libraries in the city.

Adres

P. O. Box 95312
The Hague
2509CH

Telefoon

+31703140884

Website

http://www.ifla.org/en/about-the-literacy-and-reading-section

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