Webinar alert: Emerging LibraryTech Skills and AI literacy for Library Professionals

Background

Libraries are evolving quickly, and the role of library professionals is changing with it. Beyond traditional responsibilities, there is now a growing need for skills in digital tools, data, technology, and user-centered services.

The African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) and Library Aid Africa has designed webinar to help participants make sense of these changes, what is evolving, what skills are becoming important, and how they can position themselves to stay relevant. More importantly, the webinar will demonstrate that African library professionals should not be mere observers of this shift, but active contributors who can shape the future of library services. 

Importantly, the growth continued of digital knowledge ecosystems and generative Artificial Intelligence has spawned new challenges for the library sector. The webinar will also be the first in a series that will explore AI literacy for African Librarians.

Purpose of the webinar

This webinar is designed to introduce the African Library sector to emerging LibraryTech skills and why they matter for their growth and the future of libraries.  The focus of this webinar will be more of an awareness and orientation session rather than hands-on training. The goal is to help library professionals understand the relevance of these LibraryTech skills, how they can be acquired, and how they can be applied in real-life library settings. Also, traditionally, libraries have strong ethical standards for handling information, thus the webinar will seek to bring AI outputs under the umbrella of recognised standards.

It will also help participants:

• Understand how technology is shaping modern library services
• Identify key digital skills they should be learning
• See practical ways to begin their transition into LibraryTech
• Discover opportunities to deepen their skills through structured learning
• Understand the introductory aspects of AI literacy for the library sector

Date: Tuesday, 19th May, 2026
Time: 11:00 UTC | 12:00 WAT | 13:00 CAT / SAST | 14:00 EAT

Registration

Please click the registration button to sign up for the webinar. Once you register, you will receive reminders and updates about the event.

Target participants 

All library and information professionals, in Africa and beyond are welcome to participate.

Speakers

Segun Aletogbe is a Product Lead, UI/UX Designer, and Data Analyst passionate about building user-focused digital solutions. Having worked across multiple organizations, he has contributed to the design and development of products that improve user experience and support better decision-making. Segun’s expertise spans user experience design, interface design, and data analysis, allowing him to combine creativity with data-driven insights to solve real problems. He is particularly interested in using technology to create practical, impactful solutions within education, libraries, and digital communities. 

Doreen Appiah is a Ghanaian librarian and information professional who serves as Program Officer at the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA). She holds both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Information Studies with Political Science from the University of Ghana, as well as a Higher National Diploma and a Diploma in ICT from the Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS), UK. Her professional interests include public libraries, sustainable development, social media, indigenous knowledge, and the cataloguing of information resources. Before joining AfLIA, she worked as Principal Technologist/Chief Library Assistant at the CSIR-Institute of Scientific and Technological Information (CSIR-INSTI).

Technical requirements

After registration, reminders will be sent periodically to all participants. The webinar will be hosted on the Zoom Conferencing Platform. Participants who do not already have Zoom on their devices should download, install, and create an account ahead of time (CLICK TO DOWNLOAD).

Participants are encouraged to join at least 15 minutes before the start of the session to allow time to launch the application and test their connection. The speaker will connect using a webcam, and audio and video will be streamed through computer speakers. For the best experience, participants are encouraged to use a headset or earpiece.

Webinar materials

A list of resources and additional information will be shared at the end of the webinar to support deeper engagement with the topic. All registrants will have access to the presentation slides. The webinar recording will be uploaded to the AfLIA YouTube Channel after the event to support continued learning for both attendees and non-attendees. Please note that certificates of participation will not be issued for this webinar.

Enquiries

For further enquiries or assistance related to this webinar, please contact: afliacomm@aflia.net