MALAYSIA will play host to the 84th International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in 2018.
The announcement was made by IFLA’s president Donna Scheeder at the 82nd WLIC earlier this month in Columbus, US.
The bid was led by the Librarians Association of Malaysia, with strong support from two agencies under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, namely the National Library of Malaysia and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), along with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
WLIC 2018 is expected to generate RM44.4 million (US$11 million) in economic impact to the country and fully maximise Malaysia’s growth potential as an international education hub and first-world knowledge economy.
The eight-day annual congress is expected to draw over 3,000 participants from more than 100 countries.
Zulkefli Sharif, CEO at MyCEB, said: “The WLIC 2018 adds to the (growing) list of world conferences that have selected Malaysia as the host country. In a time when Malaysia is already being recognised for its effort to elevate the quality of Malaysian education offerings, we are giving rise to a platform that provides the opportunity for delegates both locally and globally. This will allow them to network, raise awareness and support a library and information profession which anticipates and responds to the needs of communities.”
