Indigenous Knowledges: Local Priorities, Global Contexts http://iflaindigenousknowledges2012.ok.ubc.ca/ Questions to: iflaindigenous.2012@ubc.ca Call for Posters Due: March 1, 2012 Posters offer an interactive opportunity for researchers and practitioners to present and demonstrate their new and innovative work and to obtain feedback from their peers in an informal setting. It also gives conference attendees a forum where they can learn about novel research projects and posters presenters with a chance to receive comments from knowledgeable sources. To encourage high-quality submissions, awards will be presented to the Best Poster and the Best Student Poster. ---------------------------------------------------- Indigenous Knowledges: Local Priorities, Global Contexts http://iflaindigenousknowledges2012.ok.ubc.ca/ IFLA Presidential Programme: Libraries - A Force for Change Welcome to Vancouver, BC for the 2012 IFLA Presidential Programme Spring Meeting. Dear Colleagues, It gives me great pleasure to invite you to the IFLA Presidential meeting on a topic of growing importance and interest in the world of culture and information: Indigenous Knowledges: Local priorities, Global contexts. This international meeting will be held in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 12-14 April 2012 at the First Nations House of Learning on the campus of the University of British Columbia. This meeting will be the opportunity for all those interested in Indigenous and traditional knowledge, its creation, organization and access, to better understand the local and global issues under discussion in various parts of the world and by many types of cultural, heritage, and community groups and organizations. The program includes distinguished speakers from around the world representing many viewpoints and interests. Through the sharing of knowledge and experiences, we hope to advance the understanding of traditional knowledge at both the local and international levels. The results will inform the development of legal instruments, policies and practices related to the organization of Indigenous and traditional knowledge around the world. This meeting will be an exciting and moving experience for all participants. As the IFLA President I look forward to welcoming you to Vancouver. Ingrid Parent, University Librarian and IFLA President PURPOSE OF THE MEETING Indigenous communities and organizations operating within the world knowledge economy have particular needs and aspirations, but often also have the additional need to reconcile developing international systems with traditional community-based practices surrounding knowledge and its development, preservation, transmission, and protection. Negotiations of the relationship between traditional and world systems can be technically complex, but also occur within social and political contexts in which relations of power are rarely equal, and are increasingly mediated by local and international agreements. We are all impacted by and have an interest in these negotiations and their outcomes. The IFLA 2012 Presidential Program is intended to provide IFLA, its members, and all organizations and individuals, with an investigation of these issues and guidance as to how institutions and communities can work together to develop the most useful and productive relationships. Thank you to the UBC First Nations House of Learning for their generous contribution of a beautiful setting for this event.