Eurasian Academic Libraries Conference - 2023: Speakers

Loida Garcia-Febo - is a Puerto Rican American librarian and International Library Consultant with 24 years of experience as an expert in library services to diverse populations and human rights. President of the American Library Association 2018-2019. Garcia-Febo is worldwide known for her passion about diversity, communities, sustainability, innovation and digital transformation, library workers, library advocacy, wellness for library workers, and new librarians about which she has taught in 44 countries. In her job, she helps libraries, companies and organizations strategize programs, services and strategies in areas related to these topics and many others. Recently Garcia-Febo started a partnership with the San Jose State University iSchool where she is its first Health and Wellness Ambassador. Garcia-Febo has a Bachelors in Business Education, Masters in Library and Information Sciences.

Garcia-Febo has a long history of service with library associations. Highlights include- At IFLA: Governing Board 2013-2017 2023-Present, Co-Founder of IFLA New Professionals, two-term Member/Expert resource person of the Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression Committee of IFLA (FAIFE), two-term member of the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section of IFLA (CPDWL). Currently at IFLA: CPDWL Advisor, Chair of the Management of Library Associations Section. Currently at ALA: Chair, IRC United Nations Subcommittee, Chair Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship. Recently at ALA: Chair, Public Awareness Committee; Chair, ALA United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Task Force developing a multi-year strategic plan for ALA. Garcia-Febo is serving her second term as a Trustee of the Freedom to Read Foundation. Garcia-Febo has worked in Intellectual Freedom matters for a long time as Chair of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and as a member/secretary/expert resource person for IFLA's Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression Committee. Born, raised, and educated in Puerto Rico, Garcia-Febo has advocated for libraries at the United Nations, the European Union Parliament, U.S. Congress, NY State Senate, NY City Hall, and on sidewalks and streets in various states in the U.S.

Garcia-Febo received the 2015 Elizabeth Martinez Lifetime Achievement Award from REFORMA, the American Library Association’s 2010 Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award, was named a Mover & Shaker by Library Journal, and an Outstanding Woman by Impremedia and El Diario/ La Prensa. She is a Notable Member of the ALA International Relations Round Table. She is passionate about libraries and works with diverse communities globally.

Education 5.0: Challenges and Prospects for Academic Libraries Working for a Better Tomorrow Accelerating the Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The European Union has indicated that Industry 5.0, which has fueled Education 5.0 and Library 5.0, complements the existing "Industry 4.0" approach by specifically putting research and innovation at the service of the transition to a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry. Therefore, experts agree that the next industrial revolution will be people-centered and sustainability is intrinsic to this movement.

Furthermore, the Director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization has stated that our post-pandemic world will increasingly be driven by technologies and their applications for inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Digital technologies have a key role to play by enabling and accelerating our efforts to achieve sustainable development goals. While the SDGs are “the what” the world is aiming for by 2030, digital technology will be central to shaping the “the how” in terms of reaching this destination and accelerating action at local levels.

On this keynote, Loida Garcia-Febo will present trends demonstrating how Education 5.0 focus on humans/students not only on technology. Therefore, Library 5.0 represents opportunities for human-centered services anchored in emerging technologies supporting community engagement and lifelong learning. This reflects shifts to focus on societal value and wellbeing. Libraries as innovation hubs are also implementing services to support sustainability of communities, cities, countries, and ultimately contribute to the sustainability of our planet. Libraries are helping rebuild societies and economies by supporting the eradication of hunger, quality education, access to information, clean water, smart sustainable cities, and the preservation of our planet.
Themes for the keynote include: Education 5.0, Libraries, and the UN SDGs both at IFLA and ALA.

Clara M. Chu - Director of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs and Mortenson Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A leading voice in international and multicultural library and information science (LIS) education, research and practice, she publishes, presents, and consults in English and Spanish on LIS education; diversity, equity and inclusion; strategic planning; and emerging technologies and trends; among other topics. She is a Research Associate in the Department of Information Science at the University of Pretoria and Coeditor-in-Chief of Library Trends.

An active association leader, she is Past-President of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) and the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), and co-chairs, with Professor Jaya Raju, the IFLA Building Strong LIS Education (BSLISE) working group. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards in research, education and professional contributions, including the 2018 American Library Association Beta Phi Mu Award for distinguished service to education for librarianship.

The IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes: Toward Excellence in Academic Library Practice

In the context of global diversity and rapid changes in today’s library and information science (LIS) education, a need was recognized for an international framework for the assessment of quality standards in LIS education as well as for professional competencies for transferability and reciprocity. Guidelines were created to respond to this need identified in a survey with 101 countries participating and reported in the Building Strong LIS Education: A Call to Global and Local Action – An IFLA BSLISE Working Group White Paper (IFLA BSLISE Working Group, 2018. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15641/0-7992-2542-6). On April 1, 2022, the IFLA Professional Council endorsed the IFLA Guidelines for Professional Library and Information Science (LIS) Education Programmes, which were authored by the BSLISE (Building Strong Library and Information Science Education) working group, an initiative of the IFLA Section on Education and Training (SET), Section on Library Theory and Research (LTR), and the LIS Education in Developing Countries SIG.

The Guidelines serve as a framework for developing LIS education programmes, which stakeholders can apply in planning, developing and assessing the quality of LIS education and in identifying the knowledge areas LIS professionals need in order to practice and continue to develop. They are grounded in the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, and focus LIS education on eight foundational knowledge areas (FKAs). In the context of Education 5.0, these Guidelines can assist LIS academic library and information professionals in identifying the FKAs they need to develop to excel in their academic library practice. This presentation aims to introduce the Guidelines and to engage the Eurasian Academic Libraries community of professionals, educators, students, and stakeholders in considering a future of LIS education that is interdisciplinary, innovative, and transformative, in the preparation and development of LIS professionals. Further, it will consider Education 5.0, with a focus on how humanized education engages emerging technologies to focus on students’ social and emotional development and the development of LIS solutions for sustainable development.

George Andrew Spencer is Distinguished Bibliographer for Slavic, East European, Central Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and has been a librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since April 2002. Prior to coming to UW-Madison, he was a Visiting Assistant Librarian and Project Manager for the Russian Periodical Index Digital Library Project at Indiana University from November 1999 until March 2002 and a Cataloging / Acquisitions Specialist for Slavic and Central Eurasian Languages at Indiana University Library from January 1993 until October 1999. He has served on many American national-level professional librarian committees both as part of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies and the American Library Association / Association of College & Research Libraries and has presented scholarly papers at academic conferences in the United States, Canada, England, Germany,  Kazakhstan, Russia and Sweden.

Lesley Moyo is currently the Interim Co-Vice Provost for University Libraries at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since joining UW-Madison, she has provided leadership and administrative oversight for International and Area Studies, Teaching and Learning Programs, Library Spaces, Science and Engineering Libraries, humanities and social sciences research support, among others. Lesley’s research interests have evolved over time and she has published and presented widely on a myriad of topics in library and information science and related fields. Prior to joining UW-Madison, Lesley was professor and Director for Research and Instructional Services in the University Libraries at Virginia Tech. Before joining Virginia Tech, she was Associate Librarian and Head of the Gateway Libraries at Penn State. She has held several international positions including at University of Zambia, University of Zimbabwe, and University of Botswana, and has served as consultant in international librarianship. She holds an MLIS from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Zambia.

Edmund Balnaves the CEO of Prosentient Systems (Australia) and an active technologist in the library field. He is a Division Chair in the International Federation of Library Associations. He is actively engaged in the software development of open-source systems, AI and discovery for libraries. His doctoral research was in the area of systematic content reuse and metadata. His business provides hosted open-source library services, AI-enabled discovery and multi-network library resource sharing systems. His Inter-Search™ hosted services are used by over 500 libraries in Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

Engaging with AI: Libraries in the Era of ChatGPT

This presentation explores Artificial Intelligence services relevant to libraries, including the role of Artificial Intelligence in library service delivery. The presentation provides an overview of the different ways AI can be applied in the library context, including machine learning, GPT-enhanced chat, integration with building services and facilities, fully automated services, and Robotic-based service delivery. ChatGPT is only one dimension of Artificial Intelligence, and the tool kits for AI are accessible and allow libraries of many types to explore the new technologies.

Alan Karass is the Dean of Libraries at Columbus State University. He is a graduate of Clark University (B.A., Music), Simmons University (M.S., Library and Information Science), the University of Connecticut (M.A., Historical Musicology), and the Open University (UK) (Ph.D., Ethnomusicology). As an ethnomusicologist, Alan is interested in the relationship between politics, identity, “sense of place”, and music. His research focuses on the International Festival of the Sahara in Douz, Tunisia. Alan’s chapter “Identity, Music, and Festivity in Southern Tunisia” appears in the Handbook of Musical Identities published by Oxford University Press in 2017.

A Student-Driven and Student-Centered Approach to Engagement in the Columbus State University Libraries

Libraries have embraced the idea that they can provide useful services to their patrons other than the customary books and databases. These services contribute to user satisfaction and keep libraries relevant in today’s society. In this  presentation, I discuss the wide variety of nontraditional services offered by the Columbus State University Libraries to promote student success and retention. These include access to food pantries and basic kitchen facilities, mobile hotspots, basic emergency medical kits, essential school and household supplies, and late-night help finding support for social, psychological, and medical issues. I make the case that providing these services can help with student engagement, retention, progression, and academic success, especially when the students using them are given a voice in managing them.

Helena Paczuska is Regional Manager of eBooks on ScienceDirect. She operates in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

She has worked for over 20 years at the interface of publishing and science and technology in a variety of roles: at Warsaw School of Information Technology under the auspices of the Polish Academy of Sciences as head of languages centre and later as head of international student office, Caterpillar Inc. as sales office manager, Cambridge University Press Poland where she was Country Manager and Elsevier, which she joined in 2014.

Helena is passionate about working with scientists and librarians to help them meet their strategic goals and empower research success. In 2019 awarded Lead the Way Award: Engage and Understand the People We Serve. She holds an Executive MBA degree awarded by Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Education 5.0 - Navigating the Digital Age of Education

Education is one of the most important pillars of a country’s infrastructural development especially in emerging markets. Education 5.0 refers to the fifth industrial revolution in education by leveraging digital technologies to eliminate barriers to learning, enhance learning methods by adopting the use of modern industrial and technological revolution like artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and data analytics for providing an immersive and interactive learning environment.
With student success and satisfaction now at the top of many institutions’ agendas, universities need to demonstrate they can help students build the knowledge and skills that they couldn’t achieve elsewhere. By providing their patrons with access to the best content and tools and nurturing the information literacy skills that will lead to lifelong success, librarians can prove their role as an invaluable driver of their institution’s mission.

Massimiliano Bearzot is Product Sales Manager for Clarivate, Research and Analytics for Italy, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He supports Academic, Government Institutions and Companies with research analytics, evaluation and management solutions to make confident decisions and drive research strategies toward success. Massimiliano has over 13 years of international experience working in research analytics area.

Clarivate solutions to empower researchers, faculty, students and librarian in all environments

In a global research landscape that is increasingly complex, competitive, and constantly growing, it’s harder than ever for researchers, students and leaders alike to know where to focus to make the greatest impact. Clarivate solutions provide leading data, analytics and expertise help you confidently identify opportunities to act on emerging trends, efficiently manage workflows, and conduct meaningful assessments so that you can deliver on your institution’s mission. Get the right information to make the right decisions.

Aiman Ashimkhanova has 12 years of working in scientific field and 2 years in publishing. She graduated East Kazakhstan State University named after S.Amanzholov and obtained 2 master’s degrees from Narikbayev University and University of Reading (England). She is alumnus of Presidential “Bolashak” scholarship. Aiman was an active member of different working groups on science and technologies including development of scientific legislation. Nowadays Aiman is developing Wiley products for Kazakhstan and CIS countries, she is a responsible for providing different webinars and seminars on Wiley products including Cochrane and Wiley Online Library.

Kristopher Zakrzewski is the IEEE International Area Manager for the Middle East, Africa, the UK, Ireland, Turkiye and the CIS countries.
He has been with the IEEE for 14+ years, and in addition to his current role, has also held positions in International Sales Support, Customer Service, and Internal Sales.
He holds a BS in Business Administration from Monmouth University, NJ, USA.

IEEE Update for Kazakhstan

This presentation will review IEEE activities in Kazakhstan including Publication / Author Information & IEEE Xplore usage. Additionally he will also review current and new offerings from the IEEE.

Tetiana Kolesnykova - Director of the Scientific Library of Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies (USUST) (PhD of Social Sciences (Communications), senior researcher, assoc. prof. of the dept. "Accounting, audit and intellectual property".

Deputy Chairman of the Section of the University Libraries Ukrainian Library Association (UBA) Coordinator of the Ukrainian community in the European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL; SPARC Europe).

Sphere of scientific interests: university library, scientific communications, open education, open educational resources, digital services, library as a publisher. The scientific secretary of the Editorial Board of Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies. Head of the Organizing Committee of the international conference «University Library at a New Stage of Social Communications Development» Editor-in-Chief: "University Library at a New Stage of Social Communications Development. Conference Proceedings" (Scopus). Senior Production Editor: “Anthropological Measurements of Philosophical Research” (WoS) Head of the section "Editorial and Publishing Activities"; of the Council for the Quality of Educational Activities of USUST. Head of the project "Advocacy work of the Scientific Library to advance Open Education in Ukraine"; (2021-2022); the Board of Directors and the Award Committee of Open Education Global-2022 awarded the project with the "Open Resilience Award".

The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Ukraine: the Crisis Experience of University Libraries in Ensuring Inclusive and Equitable Access to Higher Education

The crisis in the context of this study is the working library environment of Ukrainian universities, created in a rapidly changing, chaotic, and often dangerous environment for people health and life in wartime. Each country has its own context and, accordingly, focuses on certain sustainable development goals. In my report, I want to combine several UN Sustainable Development Goals to highlight the unique crisis experience of Ukrainian university libraries in ensuring inclusive and equitable access to higher education during the Russian-Ukrainian war. The first part of the report covers some of the activities of the Ukrainian Library Association
(ULA) launched in 2020: a) the project "Capable Libraries Contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030"; to increase the institutional capacity of 10 libraries in Donetsk and Luhansk regions; b) a free online course "Libraries in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals" on the VUM online platform. 

The second part of the report is devoted to Open Educational Resources and Open Textbooks as a way to ensure inclusive and equitable access to education. It  discusses the implementation of a pilot project of the scientific library of the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies (Dnipro, Ukraine) to promote OER and involve librarians in the process of creating open textbooks.
It is proved on specific examples that the active involvement of libraries in OER activities will help to overcome three major challenges in organizing information support for the educational and scientific activities of Ukrainian higher education institutions during the crisis of the highest level. First, the lack of modern textbooks for higher education, including for distance, blended, or online learning. Secondly, the availability of electronic open textbooks, their inclusiveness, and barrier-free access for anyone. Thirdly, overcoming the long-lasting systemic linguocide of
the Ukrainian language in textbooks for higher education institutions, in particular, in digital library collections. 

Loida Garcia-Febo - is a Puerto Rican American librarian and International Library Consultant with 24 years of experience as an expert in library services to diverse populations and human rights. President of the American Library Association 2018-2019. Garcia-Febo is worldwide known for her passion about diversity, communities, sustainability, innovation and digital transformation, library workers, library advocacy, wellness for library workers, and new librarians about which she has taught in 44 countries. In her job, she helps libraries, companies and organizations strategize programs, services and strategies in areas related to these topics and many others. Recently Garcia-Febo started a partnership with the San Jose State University iSchool where she is its first Health and Wellness Ambassador. Garcia-Febo has a Bachelors in Business Education, Masters in Library and Information Sciences.

Garcia-Febo has a long history of service with library associations. Highlights include- At IFLA: Governing Board 2013-2017 2023-Present, Co-Founder of IFLA New Professionals, two-term Member/Expert resource person of the Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression Committee of IFLA (FAIFE), two-term member of the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section of IFLA (CPDWL). Currently at IFLA: CPDWL Advisor, Chair of the Management of Library Associations Section. Currently at ALA: Chair, IRC United Nations Subcommittee, Chair Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship. Recently at ALA: Chair, Public Awareness Committee; Chair, ALA United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Task Force developing a multi-year strategic plan for ALA. Garcia-Febo is serving her second term as a Trustee of the Freedom to Read Foundation. Garcia-Febo has worked in Intellectual Freedom matters for a long time as Chair of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and as a member/secretary/expert resource person for IFLA's Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression Committee. Born, raised, and educated in Puerto Rico, Garcia-Febo has advocated for libraries at the United Nations, the European Union Parliament, U.S. Congress, NY State Senate, NY City Hall, and on sidewalks and streets in various states in the U.S.

Garcia-Febo received the 2015 Elizabeth Martinez Lifetime Achievement Award from REFORMA, the American Library Association’s 2010 Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award, was named a Mover & Shaker by Library Journal, and an Outstanding Woman by Impremedia and El Diario/ La Prensa. She is a Notable Member of the ALA International Relations Round Table. She is passionate about libraries and works with diverse communities globally.

Natalia Sokolova is the Director of Information Library Systems Center of Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University. She holds Ph.D in CSE, MCS from Leningrad Polytechnic Institute. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at the Institute of Computer Systems and Programming Technologies (2000 -2019). She was a coordinator of several international projects, including EC programs. She is the leader of the Library Consortium of the North-West of Russia, the scientific advisor of the National Center of Research Data Identification. She is involved in developing MOOCs and teaching online courses for students and postgraduates, mainly in the area of information literacy and research outcomes promotion, as well as for university professors and librarians. 

Her research interests include ILS development, institutional repositories creation  and use, digital transformation of university libraries. She deals with implementation of methods to raise effectiveness of library resources/data usage, integration of library services within the digital university platform.

The SMART library concept in Russian university libraries: the synergy of open science and Education 5.0

The concept of a SMART library was proposed by Finnish researchers at the beginning of the 21st century. Since then, both the concept itself and the practice of its implementation have been developing in different countries and libraries of different types. Different researchers place different emphasis on the implementation features in the four dimensions of SMART: technology, users, space and management should become “smart”.

The report focuses on academic libraries and their movement towards SMART in accordance with the needs of the field of science and education. In recent years, the drivers of change for university libraries have been open science approaches and the transformation of educational technologies (Education 4.0, Education 5.0 and others). The emphasis is on increasing the connectivity of entities involved in research and educational activities due to the digital transformation of universities, which leads to a synergistic effect. It is proposed to develop the concept of Linked Open Data, which appeared in the library field, through integration with the entities of the global scientific and educational space. The features of the transformation of the Russian academic library into the SMART format are revealed using the example of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

Albina Krymskaya - Deputy Dean of the Library and Information Department of the St. Petersburg State Institute of Culture, St.Petersburg, Russia

Marat Rakhmatullaev - professor, doctor of technologies, member of the International Academy of Information. He is an expert in information technologies, fuzzy logic, development of expert systems, computer-aided design and control systems, databases and bases of knowledge, automated library systems and information networks. He is an author of more than 30 scientific projects and 230 works. He is a founder, chair and co-chair of the International conference "Internet and library information resources in research, education culture and business" «Central Asia» (1999-2022) and International scientific and education forum "Access to information and publication activity" (2017-2022). He is been a member of expert team HEREs working of the development of higher education in Uzbekistan since 2013, founder and chief editor of «Перспективы развития высшего образования», member of the editorial board of «Новости науки Казахстана», «KUTUBXONA.UZ», "Управление наукой и наукометрия" (Science Governance and Scientometrics), «БИБЛИОСФЕРА», «Научные и технические библиотеки» (Russia). Member of three specialized committees of the defense of the doctoral theses. Recipient of the Order of Friendship of the President of Uzbekistan for his contribution to the development of science, education and international relations.

Mahlaga J Molepo is a Faculty of Theology and Religion Librarian at the University of the Free State. Molepo is an arts practitioner, a Ph.D. candidate and etutor at the University of South Africa. Mr. Molepo has published under topics such as Northern Sotho folklore, knowledge systems, academic libraries, records management, musicology, and the reading of recorded knowledge. His research interests are knowledge systems, knowledge management, academic and public libraries, open education, African musicology and artificial intelligence.

Alexandr Plemnek - executive Director of the Association of Regional Library Consortia (ARBICON), as well as Director of the information and library complex of Peter the Great St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University.

Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor. He is a member of the St. Petersburg Library Society, the Union of St. Petersburg Scientists, and is a member of the IFLA Standing Committee on University and Research Libraries, the Organizing Committee on Network Libraries of Digital Dissertations (NDLTD), and the Section of Libraries of Higher Educational Institutions of the Russian Library Association.

Since 2008, he has been leading the project “Unified catalog of periodicals of Russian libraries.” Under the leadership of A.I. Plemnek, one of the famous Russian library automation systems, ABIS "RUSLAN", was designed and created.

The practice of digitalization of university libraries in the context of a change in service paradigm: the experience of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University

The evolution of the transformation of information and library services at the Polytechnic University is examined: from the Fundamental Library with a large book collection of 4 million to the Information and Library Complex, combining IT departments and library services. Emphasis is placed on changing library development priorities in accordance with the requirements of the time, including agile management of the library's collection, processes and personnel. The effectiveness of the concept of library development through interaction with university departments, with other universities and libraries, and with the transition to the digital space is dramatically enhanced. Examples of the use of generative artificial intelligence networks of the ChatGPT 4.0 class in the practice of organizing library processes are given. Examples of corporate library projects that SPbPU initiated or participated in are given.

Monika Anna Bukowska is a Senior Expert Librarian at the Nazarbayev University. She is a professional librarian with an MA in Librarianship (Nicolas Copernicus University, Poland) and a BA in Management Practice (University of Limerick, Ireland). Before joining NU Library, Monika spent almost 15 years at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Library in Limerick, Ireland, where she worked as a systems librarian and assistant librarian. Together with her TUS colleagues, she actively participated in EU Erasmus+ projects related to the library and information field in the Western Balkans and in Central Asia. Since relocating to Astana, Monika has been working as a project manager for implementing Alma and Primo Library systems, along with helping to develop library strategies and processes for the NU library. The Alma project has recently been successfully completed, and NU Library is now the first in Kazakhstan to operate this amazing library management system from Ex Libris.

Building Something New: Implementing Alma & Primo. Our Journey and Reflection

NU Library has recently implemented a new library system, Alma and Primo, after a 10-month-long process. This proved to be a challenging but also a learning experience for all library departments. The library has moved from an in-house developed system to the advanced system provided by Ex Libris. The library and IT teams worked together to achieve the project goals, implemented the system and can now reflect on the process, what went right and what could have been done differently. This is the first time Alma and Primo systems are being implemented in Kazakhstan, which has excited the project team and vendor.
The team started this journey with the goal of advancing its library systems to enhance the user's experience. In the short time since it was implemented, the new system has already proven to be a seismic change, and it is providing a better service and supporting library users in their learning, teaching, and research activities. The library staff also see significant advantages in using the new system as it helps to professionalise practices and improve workflows. This world-class Alma and Primo system is a game changer for NU Library, now primed to contribute significantly to the university's mission. 

Askat Kuzdeuov - received his BSc degree in Automation and Control Engineering from AUPET in 2014 and his MSc degree in Robotics from Nazarbayev University in 2019. He is currently a Senior Data Scientist at the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI). His research interests include computer vision, generative artificial intelligence, and robotics. He has published around twenty papers in top international journals and conferences. He serves frequently as a technical reviewer and expert for academic publications and media.

How Can Large Language Models Benefit Academic Library Services?

ChatGPT, a prominent example of emerging large language models (LLMs), revolutionized business services by providing instantaneous, accurate, and personalized customer support, enhancing operational efficiency, and substantial reductions in the cost and resources required for manual customer service. The integration of similar LLMs into academic library services may significantly transform library operations by providing round-the-clock automated assistance to students and researchers, quickly answering queries on book availability, library hours, and resource locations. However, this transition is met with various challenges, including potential inaccuracies, privacy concerns, high implementation and operational costs, and a lack of transparency. In this presentation, I will discuss potential benefits and challenges of using LLMs for academic library services.

Makhmud Lutfullayev - Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor. The author of more than 80 multimedia electronic manuals on the simulation models. Works at the Department of Computer Science and Technology of Samarkand State University named after Sharaf Rashidov. In 1985 he completed his postgraduate studies at Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. Area of ​​scientific research - simulation models of educational processes and electronic libraries.

Pazylova Nargiza - independent researcher at the Department of Information and Library Systems, Tashkent University of Information Technologies. Her scientific research interests are scientometric and bibliometric characteristics of national databases, methods and means of access to electronic scientific and educational resources and criteria for their evaluation.

Duishon Alievich Shamatov is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Nazarbayev University. In the NUGSE, he teaches courses on Educational Leadership and Research Methods. Duishon received his Master of Education degree in Teacher Education from Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). He obtained his PhD in Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto in Canada in 2005. His doctoral thesis was titled “The Beginning Teachers’ Professional Socialization in Post- Soviet Kyrgyzstan: Challenges and Coping Strategies”. He has experience of conducting research and consultancies in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Yemen. Duishon’s area of interest includes educational reforms, rural education and equity, teacher education, curriculum development, education quality and student assessment. Duishon is a winner of the NU Teaching Awards in the following categories: Sharing NU Experiences in 2022, the Inaugural NU Master Teacher Award in 2020, Leadership in Teaching Award in 2019 and Innovative Teacher in 2018. In 2019, Duishon got a medal “Excellence in Education” from the Ministry of Education and Science of Kyrgyz Republic. In 2020, he got a medal “Altynsarin” from the MOES of Kazakhstan.

Developing a Course Syllabus: From Quality Syllabus to Students' Quality Learning

A syllabus is a basic contract between teacher and students that outlines the responsibilities and expectations of both parties. It is also a road map that shows the overall contours of the discipline, important milestones, and landmarks that let students know they are on the right path. And last but not least, it is an opportunity to show students how interesting the discipline will be. A well-designed syllabus gives students a general idea of how the subject will be taught and how much work will be required of them (Nunan et al., 1988). I am one of the authors of the methodological manual “Development of a syllabus: from the quality of the syllabus to the quality of teaching” (Shamatov et al, 2022). In the methodological manual, we presented our ideas based on the experience. Typically, universities have their own syllabus standards, depending on their area of specialization or institutional requirements, but there are certain rules and procedures for syllabus development, which are described in detail in this manual. In my seminar, I will discuss the concepts, procedures and practical instructions for developing syllabuses.

Helena Paczuska is Regional Manager of eBooks on ScienceDirect. She operates in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

She has worked for over 20 years at the interface of publishing and science and technology in a variety of roles: at Warsaw School of Information Technology under the auspices of the Polish Academy of Sciences as head of languages centre and later as head of international student office, Caterpillar Inc. as sales office manager, Cambridge University Press Poland where she was Country Manager and Elsevier, which she joined in 2014.

Helena is passionate about working with scientists and librarians to help them meet their strategic goals and empower research success. In 2019 awarded Lead the Way Award: Engage and Understand the People We Serve. She holds an Executive MBA degree awarded by Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

ScienceDirect workshop – find your path from hypothesis to discovery

Today’s researchers have broad, multidisciplinary workflows. To connect the dots and see the big picture, they need access to reliable interdisciplinary research using a wide range of content types – not just journals.
ScienceDirect uniquely offers cross-links and advanced technology, enabling researchers to find relevant information at their point of need. The different content types work in harmony on ScienceDirect.
During this workshop you will learn:

• What types of content are available on ScienceDirect?
• What Topic Pages are and how they can help in scientific and educational processes?
• What co-usage is and why it is important for scientists and educators?
• How can you improve your language skills using ScienceDirect?

Gulnur Ussenova, Senior Manager in the Patron Services Office, started working in Nazarbayev University in 2013 as a specialist of the digitization department. Since 2016 she worked in the Patron services office and since 2017 she is responsible for organizing stress relief week for NU students and received an appreciation letter for the library from Vice-President for Student Affairs and International Cooperation at Nazarbayev University - Kadisha Dairova in 2018 and 2019.

Venera Niyazbayeva - Bachelor in Linguistics (2009), Moscow MUH, MA in Multilingual education (2023), Astana NUGSE. Worked in the NU Library from 2015 Worked in ERM from 2019. 2011-2015 - The French Alliance of Astana, manager of library and cultural events.

Elevating Electronic Resources Management: Practical Insights from Nazarbayev University Library

The presentation will explore Nazarbayev University Library's initiatives in elevating the electronic collection. This session is designed to benefit professionals working across library departments, offering valuable insights and actionable knowledge to improve library operations.
The presentation will delve into key aspects, such as streamlining the procurement of online books, effectively managing database trials, and establishing robust criteria for database subscriptions and renewals. Trough sharing ERM office's experiences and engaging participants in practical exercises, libraries will be empovered to enhance their Technical Services collectively.
Additionally, this opportunity to connect with peers, share best practices, and gain practical expertise can elevate a particular library's overall performance.

Zhuldyz Orazymbetova - Expert Manager at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. As one of the reference librarians, she is currently liaising for the Graduate School of Business and Center for Preparatory Studies. She is the Team Leader of social projects SauattyKeleshek [literate future] and Infosauattylyq [information literacy] aimed at developing media and information literacy skills of academic and secondary school librarians, as well as students and schoolchildren through onsite and online training in Kazakhstan which was recognized as the Best NU Sharing Experience Program 2023 for the Nazarbayev University Teaching and Learning Awards. She was also a member of international projects in the field of information literacy (DIREKT) and inclusive education (DECIDE) of the EU Erasmus+ program. Her research works can be found on https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6710-0215.

Aliaksandr Rytau is a Regional Representative of EBSCO Publishing Inc., working to promote EBSCO e- resources and software solutions across academic research institutions, public libraries, medical and corporate organizations in Central Asian and Caucasian Countries. His more than 20 years’ long professional career has  always been linked to international cooperation in academic sphere, he also has experience in teaching and research after completing his PhD program. Being an administrator of Erasmus+ Office in Minsk he was putting his efforts in building international, educational and research capacities of HEIs to benefit from global diversity. Now this lifework is continuing via assisting academic institutions in reaching educational and research excellence by offering access to world class scientific content available in EBSCO research databases, ebooks collections and Discovery tools.

EBSCO resources and infrastructure supporting libraries contribution to SDGs

In September 2015, the Member States of the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to tackle the world’s biggest problems by 2030. Libraries play a vital role in improving outcomes across the SDGs. They promote universal literacy, provide access to information, advance digital inclusion, preserve and provide access to the world’s culture and heritage, serve as centers for research and much more. Libraries working to achieve specific SDGs in their communities should analyze their collections to ensure they adequately support economic, environmental and social development. EBSCO offers hundreds of academic databases to aid research across all 17 SDGs. This presentation gives an overview of EBSCO resources and tools to support libraries efforts in their contribution to SDGs.

Melita Parlak is a physics graduate who furthered her academic journey by completing a Master’s degree in the same field. Since June 2021, she has been dedicatedly contributing her skills and knowledge to JoVE as a Curriculum Specialist, where she has found a rewarding home for her passion. Her role at JoVE allows her to blend her love for physics with the dynamic world of education fostering the dissemination of valuable research.

Nikulin Sergey has 20 years of experience in working with automated solutions for libraries. One of his main interests lays in Introduction of equipment to ensure a higher level of library operation. Pride in the opportunity to be one of the leaders in hardware manufacturing and software creators for libraries who want to be one step ahead.

IDlogic is more than RFID

IDlogic has been operating in the RFID systems market since 2004 and, having implemented a large number of projects, is currently one of the leaders in the RFID technology market.

The company has been working in the RFID market for 19 years, so IDlogic specialists have extensive experience in integrating RFID-based systems, which allows them to provide high-quality implementation and subsequent technical support after equipment integration. More than 5,000 libraries from different cities of Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have chosen us as a supplier of RFID equipment and components.

Çiğdem Özbağ Ören received her bachelor’s degree from Hacettepe University Information and Document Management Department, Ankara, Turkey, in 1994 and her master’s degree in 2006 with her thesis Digital Reference Services. She started her career at Ebsco Subscription Services in 1992 and continued as an expert acquisitions and serials librarian at Middle East Technical University Library, Swets Information Services, and Ankaref IOT Solution companies within several departments and duties. Since March 2023, she has been the vice president of Informascope.
Her professional interests include acquisitions, periodicals, library automation systems, IoT- RFID applications in libraries, digitization of collections and services, collection development and management, electronic resources, academia and collaboration. 
Throughout her professional journey, she held a great deal of pride in being the first volunteer for ANKOS - Anatolian University Library Consortium.

Since 2018, Lenka Hluchá has been an integral part of Moody's Analytics, serving as the Assistant Director Sales Representative. Her primary focus lies in catering to the needs of clients from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Commonwealth of Independent States. Her clientele largely consists of academic institutions, research bodies, and policy-making entities. Lenka's role involves guiding academic clients to identify the most suitable data sets for their respective research endeavors, thereby elevating the quality of education provided. She underscores the pivotal role of cutting-edge technology in bolstering the quality of both education and research.

Harnessing Research Data for Regional Innovation

The presentation will delve into the vast possibilities inherent in the available research data and the role it can play in propelling innovation within the region. It will highlight specific use cases to illustrate how this data can fuel research and development, fostering tangible innovation. Furthermore, it will provide insights into investment patterns and innovation trends over the past decade, offering a comprehensive understanding of the region's innovation landscape.