Professional Events

Organised by the National Association of Librarians and Information Professionals (NALIP), it is usually held annually in March/April. The main goal is to bring librarians together to celebrate achievements, the profession, to advocate for the work of librarians and showcase the work of libraries. Efforts are made to hold a Symposium, an information workers’ day that recognizes the work of library staff, and to highlight individual libraries.

Read! Fest, organised by the National Library Board, is an annual event that is anchored on Singapore writing of different genres, with a programme line-up celebrating Singapore's literary landscape with  authors, poets, graphic novelists, librarians and artists. These programmes from meet the author sessions, book discussions, workshops to film screenings and performances are tailored to suit the  palates of  the wide range of audience that the festival attracts. Started in 2014, Read! Fest has grown to attract an audience size of over 10,000 participants in 2018.

National Reading Day which happens on the last Saturday of July rounds up Read! Fest by engaging the community in the promotion of reading. A slew of reading-related events, programmes and activities led by the community are held at the public libraries and beyond. A key National Reading Day charity event, Read for Books has been organized since 2016 to give a new book to children/teens from less privileged backgrounds. In 2018, 238,864 participants read together and raised books for charity.

The Library Association of Singapore organises a bi-annual conference for library and information professionals. This year’s theme on “Re-making Libraries: Innovate, Connect, Transform” presents the opportunity for library and information professionals to meet to gain insights on the latest and emerging trends in the field and to learn best practices from the experiences of others. It is also an opportunity for practitioners to network and exchange ideas with one another.

The School Librarians Award was established in 2016 in partnership with the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai. It is awarded annually to celebrate the great role played by librarians in public and private schools.

Sharjah International Library Conference is held at the Sharjah International Book Fair, which is held annually in November. Librarians and library workers benefit from the diverse experiences shared by different countries.

Sharjah Public Libraries of the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) supervise the Sharjah Award for Library Literature, which is an annual award. The themes of the award revolve around libraries, information, and cognitive shifting and development.

The International Conference on Translation was launched by the National Archives and Library in 2021, which is held annually. The conference focuses on translation research around the world and allocates an award for the best research. The conference activities are also fully translated, and cultures and information are exchanged.

Libraries Week takes place every year in the first week of October. Each year, a different theme is chosen (recent examples include Libraries for Lifelong Learning, Libraries for Health, Libraries for Digital Inclusion) and libraries in all sectors are invited to organise public-facing events and activities. These are usually accompanied by engagement with policymakers to promote the value of libraries.

The UK's largest event for librarians and information professionals. CILIP conference and expo takes place in July each year and provides a combination of keynotes, practical workshops, panel sessions and debates along with networking activities and a social evening. The audience is drawn from across all sectors and features information professionals of different seniorities coming together to discuss topics of mutual interest.

An annual event in February focused on developments in UK and international copyright law and practice, organised in conjunction with specialist consultancy Naomi Korn ltd.

An annual event for people working in Academic and Research Libraries, offering a combination of keynotes, workshops, plenary sessions and panel debates.