As libraries evolve from traditional repositories of knowledge into data-driven, technology-enabled community institutions, Sharjah Public Libraries (SPL) is bringing researchers and industry specialists together to examine what leadership will look like in this next phase.
The fifth Sharjah Library Literature Forum, taking place September 14–15 at Sharjah Book Authority’s headquarters, will focus on the theme “Smart Leadership in the Fourth Era of Libraries.”
The forum forms part of the Sharjah Library Literature Prize, now in its 26th edition, and will bring together researchers, specialists and Arab information institutions to discuss how libraries can anticipate change, use data and emerging technologies, and build more agile organisations.
Among the key questions will be how libraries can turn technology and data into better decisions, services and practices while continuing to serve their core knowledge and community functions.
Leadership beyond technology
The forum will look beyond the adoption of new technologies to examine the leadership needed to make digital transformation meaningful.
Topics will include strategic planning and decision-making, strengthening community trust and sustainable partnerships, and improving institutional readiness and crisis management. Prize winners will also share their research, experiences and practices, creating a link between academic research and its application within libraries and information institutions.
Eman Bushlaibi, Director of SPL, said the future of libraries increasingly depends on understanding where institutions want to go and how knowledge, data and technology can help them get there.
“Meaningful transformation begins with leadership that can interpret change, make informed decisions, empower teams and turn new capabilities into tangible value for readers and communities,” she said.
Bushlaibi described Library 4.0 as an agile, future-ready institution that understands its community, learns from its data and experience, and can respond to change while remaining focused on its mission.
AED 85,000 in prizes
The forum will also recognise winners across three categories, with a total prize value of AED 85,000.
The Research Category carries AED 45,000, with AED 20,000 awarded to first place, AED 15,000 to second place and AED 10,000 to third place. The Best Arab Library or Information Institution and Best Project and Practice in the Field categories each carry a prize of AED 20,000.
The Sharjah Library Literature Prize supports research and professional development across libraries, documentation, archives and information. It also aims to strengthen connections between academic research and institutional practice across the Arab library and information sector.
With artificial intelligence, data analytics and other emerging technologies rapidly changing how people access and engage with information, the forum positions leadership as a critical part of the library’s transformation, alongside technology itself.
