Online Multicultural Café – March 2026

☕ Join us at the Multicultural Café!

We’re excited to welcome Loida Garcia-Febo as our guest speaker for the session:

“I Don’t ‘No’ About That: Saying and Hearing ‘No’ Around the World.”

Explore how different cultures express and interpret “no,” and how understanding these differences can improve global communication and collaboration.

🗓 March 10, 2026
⏰ 9:00–10:00 AM (EDT)
📍 Online (Zoom)

🔗 Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ikGZLLHKQ56-DJ5yMqxuIw

About the speaker:
Loida Garcia-Febo is a global library leader, former President of the American Library Association (ALA), professor, and international consultant. She is currently a Member of the IFLA Governing Board, Chair of IFLA’s Management of Library Associations Section (MLAS), and Chair of the ALA International Relations Committee United Nations SDG Subcommittee. Her recent work focuses on artificial intelligence, advocacy, sustainability, wellness, and strategies that strengthen libraries and communities worldwide.

NPSIG Volunteer Introduction: Jacob Long (USA)

Picture of Jacob Long
About Jacob:

Who are you — as a librarian, as a person, and if you were an object, what would you be?
I work as the Interlibrary Loan Coordinator at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, United States, just outside of Philadelphia. The outward focus of library resource sharing is what ultimately led me to IFLA and NPSIG – resource sharing only works if we all do it, so it just made sense to get connected on a global scale! The college campus is gorgeous and sort of reminds me of Hogwarts. As of this writing, I’m a Library & Information Science student, planning to graduate with my master’s in May 2026. As for an object? I think I would be a camera. I like exploring the world and taking photos of even the most mundane objects. In particular, I spend as much of my time outside in nature as I can because the world is such a beautiful place!

What’s one unique thing about your library or your journey into librarianship that surprises people?
I came to libraries after almost a decade of working in retail and inventory management. While I’ve always owned more books than I can feasibly read (I think I’m at around 2,000 right now) I’d never really considered working in libraries. I connected with a customer at an old job who worked as a Library Assistant at a public library. He inspired me to pursue work in a field that I am deeply passionate about… and, well, now I’m here! So, I guess, my journey into librarianship has been rather circuitous.

If you could shape the future of libraries with one dream project or idea — what would it be?
I think that the future of libraries of any type – academic, public, or special – is global. From the library resource sharing and document delivery side of things, I’d love to see a global consortium of non-profit libraries willing and able to provide their materials fee-free to one another… and, in fact, this actually exists through the Resource Sharing Collaborative Voluntary Document Delivery (RSCVD) Community. RSCVD was originally designed by members of IFLA’s Document Delivery Resource Sharing (DDRS) Committee, so has its roots in IFLA! I am very grateful to have been elected to serve as a volunteer on the current RSCVD Steering Committee as its Secretary (2025-27).

Impressions from Jacob:

Knowledge Across Cultures: Café & Webinars

Multicultural Café – New Year Customs

The IFLA Section on Library Services to Multicultural Populations and the IFLA Special Interest Group for New Professionals hosted on 9 December an informal Multicultural Café on New Year customs.

Screenshot of the participants of the New Years Costums Multicultural Café

These informal cafés are designed to help you meet peers from around the world, exchanging ideas, and explore diverse cultural traditions in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Our next Multicultural Café will be Tuesday March 10, 2026 at 9qm Eastern (New York) Time.
Join us to talk about wellness and work/life balance.
Link to register: https://tinyurl.com/MulticulturalCafe07

New Year Customs – Online Multicultural Café

Graphic with the Information about the “New Years Customs” multicultural café

Join us for another online Multicultural Café!

Together with Library Services to Multicultural Population IFLA Section we are inviting you this time to talk and learn about New Year customs around the world.
We will meet together on Zoom on the 9th of December, 12:00 PM EST.
All library workers and LIS students are welcome to join us for one hour of free and fun networking.
Click on the following link to register: https://tinyurl.com/MulticulturalCafe06

We hope to see you there!

NPSIG Member Introduction: Nathalie Gerbault (France)

Foto of Nathalie Gerbault looking up to a frog made out of paper on her head
About Nathalie:

Who are you — as a librarian, as a person, and if you were an object, what would you be?
I work in “Les Bertranges”, a small rural territory situated in the centre of France. I’m coordinating a network of 7 libraries. Forest and ponds cover 2/3 of our land: we indeed have more frogs than people, but unfortunately, they can’t read. (The frogs – not the people.) I would describe myself as a teapot, always ready to infuse new ideas and share it with anyone around.

What’s one unique thing about your library or your journey into librarianship that surprises people?
We might be one of the smallest libraries network ever attending to WLIC or being part of NPSIG. Our tiniest library is operating in a 94 resident’s village called Nannay. Isn’t it the undeniable proof than any librarian has something to offer and can be part of IFLA?

If you could shape the future of libraries with one dream project or idea — what would it be?
Very modestly, I think that librarians should rule the world and build a gazillion of free, safe and happy libraries. Some places transcending accessibility and diversity, where everyone can find all the resources, they need to truly become who they are.
*As an absolute archetypal French person, I might add a wine & cheese bistro in every one of them.

Impressions from the libraries:

  • Several children sitting at desks doing creative activities.
  • Bookshelves with many books next to a window.
  • Small hut in a rural area with bookshelves inside.
  • Room with a small round table in the front and a coloured wall in the back.
  • Several children looking at bookshelves.
  • Two people looking through bookshelves.
  • On open notebook in a an old house with bookshelves in front of the walls and a pond in the middle.

NPSIG Community Needs & Priorities Survey

The IFLA New Professionals Special Interest Group (NPSIG) invites you to complete our Community Needs & Priorities Survey — especially if you’re at the start of your career.

Your input on professional interests, challenges, and priorities will directly shape NPSIG’s future activities, resources, and collaborations, helping us deliver what matters most to new professionals worldwide.

Take the survey here (deadline: 30 October): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZmUa6Nof8I9rB_2XPihcnw9tuQlJyagd9FnY7f9-UV4/preview

Thank you for helping us build a stronger, more connected professional community!