Congress Profile
Chronology of IAALD congresses
1955 Creation of the IAALD in Gent, Belgium 1960
International cooperation in agricultural librarianship and documentation, Stuttgart,
Germany 1965 Cooperation in Third World countries, Washington DC, USA 1970 Acquisition and
use of agricultural information, Paris, France 1975 Information networks, Mexico City,
Mexico 1980 Agricultural information and development, Manila, Philippines 1985 Food
information, Ottawa, Canada 1990 Information and the last user, Budapest, Hungary 1995
Communicating agricultural information in remote areas, Melbourne, Australia
Objectives
- To understand the socio-cultural, technological and economic
challenges facing agricultural information professionals,
- To develop agricultural information development strategies,
- To develop alliances to promote access to and use of
agricultural information.
Priority themes
Technological changes and revolutions
The upheavals caused by the rapid changes in modern
information and telecommunications technology, and the emergence of worldwide
communications networks have implications for information professionals in several areas:-
the decentralisation and democratisation of access to information, partnerships, planning
and management of information technologies, telecommunications liberalisation, producing
information content for developing countries and the evaluation of new products.
Isolation and professional adaptation Economic globalisation and liberalisation have,
especially in developing countries, persuaded States to leave economic activities to the
private sector. As a result information is focused on the production chain and business
opportunities. The emergence of new players and partners (private companies, producer
associations and NGOs) which are playing an ever more important role in agricultural and
rural development, also require new approaches in information management processes. How
will information professionals, who are quite conservative, adapt? How will professionals
who are not connected to the information superhighway be able to take part in the global
information society? How should integrated information products be structured? These are
the questions which are being raised in relation to "de-intermediation", and
which are leading to jobs and roles being transformed into information and communications
management. Faced with these changes, what are the initial and continuous training
activities which need to be implemented?
Economic crisis and its impact on information services The economic crisis and the
increasing scarcity of public funds are having a very negative impact on the development
of information services in all countries. What is the impact of the crisis on countries
and institutions? How can levels of investment in information be reduced whilst at the
same time guaranteeing quality of service? What policies should be put in place to recoup
investments made in information products and services, and how? How can a cost-sharing
system be developed between those involved and the beneficiaries? What contribution can be
made by consolidated funding mechanisms? What alternative sources of funding for
information activities exist? What approaches should be adopted to demonstrate the impact
on long-term funding?
Collaboration and partnership
How can information activities be developed, which rely on
partnership between information system beneficiaries and those involved (decision-makers
and planners, users and information professionals)? How can national, regional and
international information systems be developed? How can partnerships be developed with
other organisations? How can the advantages of collaboration be quantified (access to
research results and development experience, support for users and decision-makers, access
to and maximisation of resources, skills development)?
Participants
Number of participants: 250-300
- Political decision-makers
- Information professionals
- Academics and researchers
- Representatives of bilateral and multilateral cooperation
organisations
- Representatives from the private sector and the NGOs
- Cost (documentation, meals, drinks and cultural activities):
US$ 300 (IAALD members); US$ 350 (non-members); (US$ 350 and US$ 400 respectively after
October 1999).
Activities
- Electronic discussions (prior to the congress), verbal
communication, thematic workshops, presentation sessions, demonstrations, film
projections, informal discussions, exhibitions.
- Working languages: French, English, Spanish.
International Association of Agricultural
Information Specialists
Mission and objectives |