Jeon Adams-Julien, librarian at the National Public Library in St. Vincent, is in the United States to participate in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
She will take part in a two-week project on “American Libraries” from July 15 until July 28.
The project will explore the many roles and functions of libraries and information specialists in American society. Participants will examine the wide variety of U.S. public, private, and academic libraries, the enrichment programs they devise for their diverse patrons, and their use of information technology.
During the programme, participants will examine the importance of community-based partnerships and strategies for promoting sustainability and community service in American libraries; the diversity of library services in the digital age; the impact of new advancements in digital and on-line technologies on various types of libraries; and the role of libraries in eliminating the digital divide.
The programme began on July 17 in Washington, D.C., and includes travel to New Orleans, Louisiana; Phoenix, Arizona; and concludes in Chicago, Illinois.
The IVLP is the Department of State’s premier, professional exchange programme. The programme brings together emerging leaders in their respective professions to learn how U.S. experts in that profession operate and to share best practices with the other programme candidates who hail from the same region and across the globe.