   
Collecting and Safeguarding the Oral Traditions:
An International Conference
AVAILABLE NOW!
IFLA Headquarters, The Hague
14 November 2000,
The preservation of cultural heritage in all the regions of the world forms part of the primary focus of IFLA's Medium-Term Programme 1998-2001. In addition, the IFLA Professional Board has identified 'preservation and conservation of the intellectual heritage in the world's libraries' as one of the Professional Priorities for the future work of IFLA. One of IFLA's primary roles in this area is to ensure appropriate coordination of preservation activities at the international level through programmes such as advocacy, training, and the development and dissemination of standards and best practices.
It was with these priorities in mind that the IFLA Professional Board, in consultation with the National Organizing Committee for the 65th IFLA Conference to be held in Thailand, chose Collecting and Safeguarding the Oral Traditions as the topic for the official pre-session seminar. The seminar was held in Khon Kaen, Northeastern Thailand, immediately prior to the IFLA Conference in Bangkok. To reflect its commitment to the fostering of international library activities, IFLA adopted a new format for this pre-session seminar by holding an open satellite meeting rather than a closed invitational event as had been the case at previous pre-session seminars. Participation from around the world was invited and special emphasis was placed on encouraging the participation of colleagues from the developing world and from our colleagues in archives, museums, historical societies and similar cultural centres.
The proceedings of this conference have now been bundled in a new publication in the IFLA Professional Report series.
Collecting and Safeguarding the Oral Traditions : an international conference / edited by John McIlwaine and Jean Whiffin. - The Hague: IFLA Headquarters, 2000. - 150 p. 30 cm. - (IFLA Professional Reports ; 68). ISBN 90-70916-80-0
'The writers included in this volume tell us of their passion and energy to preserve the threatened traditions of such countries as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Cayman Islands and even the far northern regions of the Arctic Circumpolar Route. We read about unity in diversity, we read about diversity in unity, we read about the old teaching the young and we read about the young speaking to the old. We gain a better understanding of the importance of family ties and how oral traditions contribute to the need for cultural roots, and we see examples of how traditional knowledge contributes to the advancement of society and its identity.
We should remember as we read this volume the often quoted statement of a Mali researcher who said that "every elderly person who dies, represents a library going up in flames."'
Ralph Manning
Chair Professional Board of IFLA
This publication can be ordered, for 45 NLG, from IFLA Headquarters:
Karin Passchier
IFLA Headquarters
P.O. Box 95312
2509 CH The Hague
Netherlands
Karin.passchier@ifla.org
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