Notable IRRT Member

Dr. Ismail Abdullahi Associate Professor, North Carolina Central University, School of Library and Information Science Durham, North Carolina

IRRT member since:  1988

Most enjoyable international library project/projects:

My involvement in international library field began when I was a student at the Royal School of Library and Information Science, Copenhagen, Denmark 1975-1979. I had an opportunity as a student assistant to work with Mr. Preben Kirkegaard, Rector and President of IFLA at that time to organize a model of IFLA Clearing house to be presented at the 1989 IFLA Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. It exposed me to international librarianship as well as to come to know many international participants at the conference. In addition, I was able to publish two Bibliographies of IFLA Conference Papers. Since then I was able to serve on IFLA Committees and to convene LIS Education in Developing Countries Discussion Group. In ALA, I served as a chair of International Relations Committee (IRC) and Chair of Africa-subcommittee. My main focus of library field is International LIS Education where I have lectured, written, and presented papers in many international forums in different parts of the world. As chair of IRC in 2006 I was able to organize with my friend ALA President Michael Gorman an International Forum on Library Education at 2006 ALA Conference in New Orleans. Papers were presented from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. My greatest satisfaction in being involved in International library field is my course that I teach on Global Library and Information Science and sharing of my experience and knowledge with my students.

Three words to new IRRT members:  Travel, Learn, and Educate