📌 Congratulations to Maggie Kambai, Librarian Spotlight Africa Honoree – August 2025. May her journey continue to inspire librarians across the continent and the world.
AULNU WORKSHOP REFLECTIONS: WHAT ONE PARTICIPANT TOOK AWAY
I just read Dr. Azeez Adeoye’s reflection on the AULNU–NULIB workshop, concluded yesterday in Abuja, and it’s exactly the kind of feedback every trainer hopes for.
As someone who spent the past two days at the CVCNU Secretariat sharing ideas about Smart Libraries, the Bibliomentor and AI Reference Librarian Concepts, I was curious to learn about how the sessions I delivered resonated with participants. Dr. Azeez’s perspective exceeded my expectations.
What struck me most was how carefully captured both the content and the conversation experience we had. We treated technical aspects of AI applications, moved on to ethics, plagiarism detection, privacy concerns, research integrity, and so much more.
His version of the whole workshop experience captures clearly what I was trying to convey: Nigerian academic libraries can’t be passive observers in the AI revolution. As ‘Guardians of Knowledge’, we need intentional action.
Read Azeez’s full reflection here: https://wizlibrarian.blogspot.com/2025/09/association-of-university-nigerian.html
See also, News Report by Vanguard Newspaper on the event: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/09/aulnu-charts-roadmap-for-responsible-ai-in-nigerian-academic-libraries/
“Librarianship Shouldn’t Be Confined to Books! We Have to Evolve as Librarians” – Maggie Kambai-Librarian Spotlight Africa Honoree – August 2025
📌 The title of this post is a direct quote from Maggie Kambai during her Librarian Spotlight Africa session, where she passionately reminded us that librarianship is about much more than books—it is about growth, innovation, and empowerment. <!– wp:embed {“url”:”https://youtu.be/JBWWD11oL2Y”,”type”:”video”,”providerNameSlug”:”youtube”,”responsive”:true,”className”:”wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio”} –> <figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio”><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”> https://youtu.be/JBWWD11oL2Y </div></figure> <!– /wp:embed –> When many people think of librarianship, the first image that comes to mind is books neatly arranged on shelves. While books remain an essential part of our profession, the role of librarians has expanded far beyond that traditional image. In the digital age, librarians are not only guardians of knowledge but also facilitators of access, champions of community empowerment, and drivers of innovation. This belief is passionately embodied by Maggie Kambai, the Librarian Spotlight Africa Honoree for August 2025. Maggie’s journey is an inspiring example of how librarianship must evolve to remain relevant and impactful in today’s rapidly changing world.
Beyond the Book: Maggie’s Vision
For Maggie, librarianship is about people as much as it is about information. She emphasizes that libraries are not merely repositories of printed materials but dynamic spaces for learning, empowerment, and transformation. Her work reflects a philosophy that a modern librarian must adapt, innovate, and take on leadership roles in literacy development, digital inclusion, and community engagement.
Maggie has dedicated her career to expanding the definition of what libraries can do. From spearheading digital literacy programs to creating safe learning environments for youth and underserved communities, she exemplifies how a librarian’s role can shape inclusive futures.
Evolving with the Times
Technology has changed how people consume, create, and share knowledge. Maggie insists that librarians should not resist these changes but embrace them. Her initiatives highlight the importance of:
Digital Access & Training – ensuring communities are equipped with skills to navigate the digital world.
Community Engagement – using libraries as platforms for dialogue, collaboration, and cultural exchange.
Lifelong Learning – providing opportunities not just for students, but for adults, professionals, and marginalized groups.
By expanding services and reimagining conventional practices, Maggie demonstrates that librarianship is about fostering resilience, equity, and creativity in communities.
A Call to Evolve
Maggie’s recognition in Librarian Spotlight Africa serves as a powerful call to action: librarians must be open to growth, learning, and reinvention. “We cannot be confined to books,” she stresses. “Our role is to connect people with knowledge in every form, to empower communities, and to be part of building inclusive futures.” Her story is not just about personal achievement, but about the collective future of librarianship in Africa and beyond. It challenges every librarian to step into new roles—innovator, advocate, educator, and community leader.
📢 Librarian Spotlight Africa Recognizes Damilare Oyedele — July 2025 Honoree
Librarian Spotlight Africa (LSA) proudly recognizes Damilare Oyedele as the Librarian of the Month for July 2025, celebrating his transformative impact on libraries across Africa.
🎥 Watch the Feature Video:
🌟 Why Damilare Stands Out
Librarypreneur & Changemaker: Co-founder of Library Aid Africa and LibraryX Africa, Damilare leads efforts to revitalize libraries as hubs of innovation, education, and community development.
Continental Advocate: He promotes libraries as tools for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — especially SDG 4 (Quality Education).
Capacity Builder: Through digital programs and advocacy, he equips librarians across Africa with 21st-century skills.
Visionary Leader: From rural communities to national policy circles, his work bridges grassroots impact with strategic influence.
✍️ In His Words “Libraries are more than buildings filled with books—they are gateways to opportunity. I am committed to ensuring every community in Africa has access to dynamic, inclusive library services.” — Damilare Oyedele/
📚 Learn More
📰 INFOLIBNET Ethiopia Blog Article: “Honouring Excellence: Celebrating Damilare Oyedele as LSA’s Librarian of the Month (July 2025)“
Honouring Excellence: Celebrating Damilare Oyedele as LSA’s Librarian of the Month – July 2025
INFOLIBNET is delighted to share the recognition of Damilare Oyedele as the Librarian of the Month for July 2025, a well-deserved honour extended by the Librarian Spotlight Africa (LSA) initiative. As the August 2024 Honoree and now a proud team member of the LSA family, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for this timely acknowledgment of Damilare’s inspiring contributions to the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) and SDGs advocacy. I vividly recall Damilare’s impactful leadership nearly four years ago during the Library Leaders Side Event at the 4th African Youth SDGs Summit. I had the privilege of participating as a virtual co-presenter from Hawassa University, while Damilare skillfully facilitated the session in collaboration with UNECA. His dedication to empowering African libraries and aligning their missions with the UN Sustainable Development Goals has been consistent and admirable. To revisit highlights from the Library Leaders Side Event, you may explore the summary and reflections here: 🔗 Library Leaders Side Event – News UpdateOnce again, congratulations to Damilare Oyedele for this well-earned spotlight. It’s an honour to journey alongside such visionary professionals who believe in the transformative power of libraries.
— Mulugeta Woldetsadik Librarian Spotlight Africa – August 2024 Honoree | Team Member
IFLA Election 2025 Results is out!
The results of the 2025 IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) elections are finally out! You can find the full details of the results on the IFLA website or any of the links below:
- IFLA Election Results 2025
- IFLA Election Results 2025 RC RDS
- IFLA Governing Board 2025-2027 Election Results
The leaders elected into IFLA play a huge role in making key decisions that impact libraries and librarians across the globe.
Here at Librarian Spotlight Africa (LSA) we would like to give a shoutout to the outstanding librarians who were elected, especially Te Paea Paringatai from New Zealand (President-elect of the Governing Council) and all those who will serve on the IFLA Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Division Committee and the Advisory Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters.
People like Dr. Victoria Okojie (from Nigeria), Melba Sitwala (from Namibia) and Damilare Oyedele (Nigeria) others on the list have remained committed to advancing librarianship in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their dedication is inspiring, and seeing it reflected in the election results is something we can all celebrate.
The elected leaders are to serve from August 2025-August 2027. Let us all join in congratulating and wishing them the best in their new roles.
About Sylvester I. Ebhonu, CLN, amPAIDeF
YouTube Channel @ https://youtube.com/@thedigitallibr
Becoming a Digital Inclusion Advocate through the Library Internet Governance Ambassadors Program
On the 19th of March, 2025 I received an email, that I have been selected alongside librarians from 8 other African countries to shape the future of library digital inclusion across Africa through our participation in the Library Internet Governance Ambassadors Program (LIGAP), an initiative that’s powered by Library Aid Africa in collaboration with the Internet Society (ISOC). The Email:
“Your application stood out from one of our strongest applicant pools… The program will train young library leaders in Africa with the skill set needed to contribute meaningfully and actively to shaping the future of internet and digital inclusion strategies.”
The email felt like a call to contribute to a greater purpose, and it wasn’t just an invitation for me, because being a part of purposes like this is what I’ve been passionate about and in a continent like Africa where digital gaps still exist, where we seem to be consuming more than we are creating, there is urgent need for programmes like this one to ensure inclusion all round. No doubts, libraries still remain one of the most trusted and accessible spaces for information retrieval and librarians are doing a good job in ensuring that. But, the internet has redefined our work from just managing bookshelves to curating digital resources, implementing digital literacy, etc. Despite these new roles, many of us have stayed on the sideline in big conversations like ‘how the internet is governed, how digital rights are preserved, and other policy issues.’ LIGAP is helping learn more about these issues.
At the end of this programme, my capacity to become a digital inclusion advocate, policy influencer, and community educators would have been strengthened.
The Onboarding and First Virtual Session
After the onboarding session held on March 26th, we officially kicked off our journey with the first collaborative session on 17th of April. It was more than just a meet-and-greet. As one of the few participants selected to present during the session, I delivered a brief talk titled:
“Libraries Thriving with New Roles in the Internet Era.” It was really inspiring to engage with other participants across Africa who shared similar passion. See the presentation slides below:
Looking Ahead
Sometimes we find ourselves as librarians talking about the need to be “relevant” in the digital age, but what I believe Librarians must begin to do is “influence”. For instance, as the program continues, I’m looking forward to more collaborative learning, strategic engagements, and practical advocacy that will strengthen my ability to represent library voices in internet policy conversations in my country, starting by influencing my institution.
If you’re passionate about internet policy or libraries and digital inclusion. I invite you to follow this journey. There’s so much more to come. I will keep updating this particular blog post and share my reflections until the programme is over.
You like that?
About Sylvester I. Ebhonu, CLN, amPAIDeF
Youtube Channel @ https://youtube.com/@thedigitallibr
Honouring Excellence: Celebrating Damilare Oyedele as LSA’s Librarian of the Month – July 2025
📤 Nominate a Librarian Today!
Nominate Yourself/Someone
Let’s document excellence. Let’s tell our own stories. Let’s build a community that values and uplifts librarians across Africa.
Nomination Form for Librarian Spotlight Africa
🔗 Click Here to nominate a librarian
Send your nomination to: LSA Evaluation Committee@LIbrarianSpotlight Africa
LEARN MORE HERE
FCCPC Dragged Meta to Court and Won, but what’s Next?
Recently, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) made headlines for winning a case against Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram). The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) upheld a $220 million fine that was earlier imposed on Meta, including an additional $35,000 that was awarded to the FCCPC for the cost of the investigation, which started in year 2020. More details on FCCPC Website.
These issues started because WhatsApp ‘allegedly’ refused to cooperate with FCCPC and they have responded to the decision of the CCPT.
- But by this update, is it possible that Meta will stop doing business with Nigeria or they will just go ahead and pay these fines?
- Is there a future where WhatsApp might stop working in Nigeria if this battle continues?
While the effort of FCCPC is commendable, these ‘tech big players’ sometimes comply and other times push back hard. But at the end of the day, it is consumers like you and I that gets caught in the middle.
That’s why this article is more of a wake-up call. Let us be more cautious with how we use online platforms. Yes, we need to communicate, yes, we need these services and tools, but let’s not forget that we’re not entirely in control, and even though they make us read long Terms/Agreements before using their apps, we still have no complete idea of what ‘they’ do with our data.
So, What do you think, should Nigeria push harder or back off? And with everything happening in the digital world right now, there is AI, etc. one can’t help but wonder: are we gradually losing control over our digital lives?
Sylvester I. Ebhonu, CLN, amPAIDeF
Youtube Channel @ https://youtube.com/@thedigitallibr
#DataPrivacy #AIGovernance #InternetGovernance #Policy
“You Need to Find Your Passion as a Librarian. Libraries Are Not Just About Books” – David Koech (LSA Honouree, Librarian of the Month April 2025)
David Koech is a distinguished librarian. He is a recent honoree of the Librarian Spotlight Africa (LSA). He embodies the essence of librarianship through his unwavering commitment to service. His career reflects a deep understanding. Being a librarian is not just about managing books and resources. It is fundamentally about serving the community and enhancing access to information.
Understanding the Broader Role of Libraries
1. Community Engagement: Libraries are pivotal in fostering community connections. They host events, workshops, and programs that cater to diverse interests, making them vital spaces for social interaction and learning.
2. Technology and Digital Literacy: With the rise of digital resources, librarians are increasingly involved in teaching technology skills. This includes helping patrons navigate online databases, use digital tools, and access e-books and other electronic resources.
3. Youth and Family Services: Many librarians find their passion in working with children and families. This can involve storytelling sessions, educational programs, and activities that promote literacy and learning among young patrons.
4. Research and Information Literacy: For those who enjoy helping others find information, specialising in research services can be fulfilling. This specialization is incredibly rewarding. Specialising in this area is a rewarding experience. This role allows librarians to assist patrons in navigating complex information landscapes and developing critical thinking skills.
5. Collaboration and Networking: Building networks with other professionals and organizations is vital for enhancing library services. Koech actively collaborates with various institutions to share resources and knowledge, which helps in creating a more robust library ecosystem.
Finding Your Passion
Koech encourages librarians to reflect on their interests and strengths. Here are some steps to help you discover your passion:
Self-Reflection: Consider what aspects of librarianship excite you the most. Is it community outreach, technology, or perhaps working with youth? Understanding your interests can guide your career path.
Engage with Patrons: Actively interacting with library users can provide insights into their needs and interests. This engagement can inspire new programs and services that align with both your passions and the community’s needs.
Professional Development: Stay informed about trends in librarianship through workshops, webinars, and conferences. Continuous learning can help you discover new areas of interest and enhance your skills.
Experimentation: Don’t hesitate to try different roles within the library. Volunteering for various projects can help you uncover hidden talents and passions.
Conclusion
David Koech’s message is clear: finding your passion as a librarian is essential for both personal fulfilment and professional success. Libraries are vibrant spaces that offer a multitude of opportunities beyond books. Explore different roles and engage with the community. Embrace lifelong learning. You can carve out a rewarding career. This career will not only benefit you but also enrich the lives of those you serve.
Learn more:
- Staff Profile – Mr. David Kipchirchir KOECH
- Library World Tour-Mario Coffa interviewed David Koech from Kabarak University, Kenya: Open Access, Digital Storytelling, and Technology between Communities and Sustainable Development Goals for Libraries. – 21st Century Information and Libraries Network – INFOLIBNET
- David Koech’s Facebook Page
