Kevin Araya Céspedes, librarian at Liceo Experimental Bilingüe José Figueres Ferrer, participated as a speaker representing the country at an international congress organized by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions – Latin America and Caribbean Regional Division (IFLA LAC), held on March 5 and 6 in Antigua Guatemala.
The event brought together professionals from various countries in the region to share experiences, research, and projects focused on the development and transformation of libraries. The congress was held under the theme “Transformation of Libraries and Building a New Professional Paradigm: Good Practices and Dynamic Capacities of Librarians in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Araya Céspedes presented work being carried out at his school library related to new ways of conceiving school libraries as active spaces for academic training, critical thinking development, research promotion, and student participation. During his presentation he said he highlighted “the transformative vision that school libraries are currently promoting within the national education system.”
His participation allowed for sharing experiences on educational innovation with colleagues from Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Panama, Uruguay, El Salvador, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago.
The involvement of local educators in such events reflects ongoing efforts to modernize library practices within schools. As these initiatives continue to be shared internationally among librarians across Latin America and the Caribbean region, further collaborations may arise.
