My first participation at the IALL Annual Course exceeded all my expectations. First of all was the challenge of language. I have never had the opportunity to practice my English abroad and the Course presented a great opportunity to do this. Colleagues from IALL were invariably patient, and made great effort to understand me despite my grammatical mistakes. Second, I could listen to the lectures in English and at the same time learn about German Law and legal practices. Third, meeting colleagues and the ensuing exchange of information proved invaluable to me. I appreciate the generous support of BI-International für internationalen Fachaustausch: Bi-international is the standing committee of Bibliothek & Information Deutschland (BID), the Federal Association of German Library and Information Associations, for the promotion of international professional exchange. Bi-international made my attendance possible.
I hope to attend the next conference and perhaps, in one day the Course might be held in Brazil. I also appreciate the openness of the members of the organizing committee, namely Lily Echiverri, Ivo Vogel, Kerem Kahvecioglu, Barbara Garavaglia and Jeroen Vervliet.
Finally, with respect to the Course itself, I would like to suggest that the first and second day should be entirely dedicated to the legal system of the host jurisdiction. And the following days could be dedicated to professional issues in Librarianship. Law librarians today operate in a globalized world, serving demanding users and dealing with new needs. I believe that IALL should emphasize good practices more intensely and also bring new technologies and advocacy practices from the Libraries of each participating country.
See you all next year!
Marilia Mello