BiblioFest as a Contribution to the Global Library Field

In 2013 the Library and Information Science Department (LIS) of the St. Petersburg State University of Culture (SPbGIK) initiated BiblioFest, an annual student library festival that offers two weeks of city-wide library-themed events created and executed by LIS students. As a basis for the professional development of future librarians, BiblioFest implements IFLA’s strategic directions: to inspire, engage, enable, and connect. By participating in BiblioFest, LIS students gain valuable experience and skills in 4 strategic areas: (1) BiblioFest inspires students to initiate their own library projects and/or to volunteer in libraries; thus, they develop key competencies that are important to the professional library community. (2) BiblioFest engages students to be members of a professional library community, providing them with experience that they can apply to future participation in IFLA activities. (3) BiblioFest enables students to implement library projects in their communities and/or volunteer in libraries, thus strengthening the voice of libraries in realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. (4) BiblioFest connects the many actors involved in the library field in collaborative events: library schools/departments; libraries of various types; library associations at various levels; publishers and library software producers; and library professional journals. We invite LIS schools from around the globe to collaborate in this unique student festival!