The closing ceremony of the Professional Development Workshop for Librarians (PDWL), held in Singapore from July 24 to 28, 2023, was a prestigious event graced by the Minister of Arts, Culture, and Heritage, Honourable Yumna Maumoon, as the Chief Guest, alongside distinguished guests from the Ministry of Education and other participant host institutions.

The PDWL is a collaboration between the Faculty of Arts, Maldives National University (MNU) and the Maldives Library Association (MLA), and was affiliated with Singapore facilitators led by Dr Gina de Alwis Jayasuriya. The PDWL materialized as an exposure study tour for the Bachelor of Arts (Library & Information Management) [BALIM] students of MNU Faculty of Arts to supplement their theoretical in-class lessons with practical exposure of advanced libraries and networking with established library professionals. The opportunity was extended to other in-service librarians through collaboration with the MLA. Fifteen final-year students from the first batch of BALIM course joined the PDWL in Singapore. Additional 7 participants (in-service librarians) were nominated through MLA.

The PDWL closing ceremony took place in the MNU Seminar Room and was hosted by Ms Athiyya Shakeel, the Public Relations Officer of the Maldives Library Association (MLA) for the 2023-2024 term.

The Dean of Faculty of Arts, Mr Asim Abdul Sattar delivered his remarks outlining the important of endeavours such as PDWL to provide a well-rounded educational experience in their journey of attaining a university qualification. Furthermore, he extend his gratitude for the collaboration of the Maldives Library Association and commended the organisers and participants for the dedication for the library & information services sector.

Ms Fathimath Nashath, the Training Officer of MLA (2023-2024), provided a comprehensive overview of the workshop, highlighting its key achievements and milestones.

PDWL2023 Overview by NashathDownload

Highlights of the PDWL Singapore Event is summarised below.

PDWL2023_HighlightsDownload

This was followed by the much-anticipated awarding of certificates to the participants, recognising their dedication and accomplishments from the workshop.

  • Honourable Minister Yumna Maumoon
  • Training Officer, Fathimath Nashath
  • Public Relations Officer MLA and Participant of PDWL, Athiyya Shakeel
  • Dean of Faculty of Arts, Asim Abdul Sattar
  • BALIM final-year student and Participant of PDWL, Fathimath Shahuneez Mansoor

The Chief Guest, Honourable Yumna Maumoon, delivered an inspiring congratulatory speech, emphasizing both the opportunities and challenges in nurturing the reading culture among the next generation—the children of today. She also stressed the importance of continuous professional development for librarians, as the field of information provision rapidly evolves. Minister Yumna commended both MNU and MLA for their collaborative efforts in enhancing human resource development within the library and information science sector. She concluded her remarks with a pledge to work closely with all stakeholders to shape a brighter future for libraries across the nation.

The event concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks delivered by Ms Fathumath Shahuneez Mansoor, a final-year BALIM student and participant of PDWL 2023, who expressed gratitude on behalf of all participants for the invaluable experience and knowledge gained during the workshop.

Vote of Thanks on behalf of the Participants / Fathimath Shahuneez MansoorDownload