Capacity Building Webinar Series: Basic Building Blocks of Librarianship, 2026
The American Library Association (ALA) International Relations Round Table (IRRT) Mission Enhancement Project, in collaboration with IFLA WLIC 2026, Korea National Committee, presents a series of webinars to support the capacity building of library staff.
| Date | Topic/Presenter | Link to recording |
| Thursday, 26 February 2026 |
No Library Too Small: The Power of a Strategic Plan Presenter: Amanda E. Standerfer, Founder & Lead Consultant, Fast Forward Libraries, USA. Discover a practical four-phase strategic planning framework - Spark, Learn, Dream, Do – designed to guide libraries through meaningful change. Handouts will be provided to help you apply the process directly to your own library’s context. |
(Opens in YouTube, 90 mins) |
| Thursday, 5 March 2026 |
Digital Literacy & Pop-up Teaching Presenters: Jennifer Nardine, Asst Prof/Librarian/Coordinator of Int'l Outreach; Katlyn Griffin, Teaching & Learning Engagement Librarian, University Libraries at Virginia Tech, USA. Explore innovative “pop-up teaching” activities on digital literacy topics. Grounded in Virginia Tech’s Digital Literacy framework, this webinar introduces key competency areas and offers adaptable examples for diverse learning contexts. |
(Opens in YouTube, 90 mins) |
| Thursday, 12 March 2026 |
Doing More With Less: Practical, No-Hype Approaches to AI in Libraries Presenter: Keren Moskal, Clinical Librarian; Cassandra Gorton, Manager, Access & Discovery, Monash Health Library, Monash Medical Centre, Victoria, Australia. |
(Opens in YouTube, 90 mins) |
| Tuesday, 17 March 2026 |
Internationally Available Open Tools for Business & Economics: Search Environments, Research Support, and Global Services via EconBiz provided by ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics Presenter: Dr. Tamara Pianos, Head, Information Provision and Access, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, Germany. Learn how free resources- including EconBiz for global research, EconStor for open publications, the Open Economics Guide, and Intereconomics for accessible EU insights- along with expert chat support, can enrich study and teaching worldwide. |
(Opens in YouTube, 60 mins) |
| Tuesday, 24 March 2026 |
Unlocking World Bank Group Knowledge: Free Online Resources for Research & Learning Presenter: Devika McWalters, Publishing Officer, Marketing and Outreach Lead, Digital Publishing, World Bank Library, USA. Discover the World Bank’s open access initiatives and explore a suite of free resources designed for students, professors, and researchers. |
(Opens in YouTube, 60 mins) |
| Thursday, 26 March 2026 |
Beyond Discovery: How AI and other Technologies are Reshaping the Future of the Library Workforce Presenter: Nirmal Prabu, Director Tech Operations & Integration, Asia; Lecturer, Wee Kim Wee School of Information Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; and Library Consultant, Singapore. Learn how AI is transforming library roles, reshaping tasks, and introducing new risks. With examples across academic, public, and school libraries, this session highlights what’s changing, what’s at stake, and how professionals can prepare while staying true to core values. |
(Opens in YouTube, 90 mins) |
| Tuesday, 31 March 2026 |
Practical Open Educational Strategies for LIS Professionals Get introduced to two hands on approaches: the ecology of open educational practice for analyzing local enablers, barriers, and opportunities, and the OPEN framework (Objective, Purpose, Evidence, Narrative) for demonstrating the value of open education to stakeholders. |
(Opens in YouTube, 90 mins) |
| Wednesday, 8 April 2026 |
Studying Human Information Behaviour (HIB): Trends in Research Method, Ethics, and Insights from HIB Research Presenter: Dr. Nafiz Zaman Shuva, Assistant Professor, GLIS Studies, Queens College, City Univ. of NY, USA. Learn how HIB research shapes library practice through changing methods, ethical issues, and insights from diverse studies. This session shares lessons on surveys, interviews, and recruitment strategies, highlighting why HIB is essential for librarians. |
(Opens in YouTube, 90 mins) |
Webinar Series Moderator: Gina de Alwis Jayasuriya, PhD
A CPD Researcher & Program Coordinator, she is the recipient of the ALA IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant 2025. Since 2019, her research has focused on capacity-building opportunities for LIS professionals in selected countries where limited studies exist, particularly on Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The 2024 Capacity Building Webinar Series, funded through the ALA IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant 2023, laid the foundation for the upcoming 2026 series, which advances her ongoing work to expand CPD opportunities in the LIS sector. She served as Head of the Singapore Institute of Management Library for over 25 years.
The IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant, established in 2016, supports member-initiated international projects and partnerships that foster global dialogue in librarianship; raise the visibility of international opportunities for U.S. and international librarians, and encourage collaboration across borders- strengthening ALA’s role in global librarianship.
Libraries Powering Transformation: The 90th IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC 2026), 10–13 August 2026, will be in the vibrant coastal city of Busan, South Korea. Join WLIC 2026 for days filled with inspiration, innovation, and global connection alongside the world’s most dynamic community of library and information professionals.
Gina de Alwis Jayasuriya, PhD
10 February 2026
