Chapter 19 BETH, Springboard for the Opening of the IFLA Relindial Group ‘Religions: Libraries and Dialogue’

In: Theological Libraries and Library Associations in Europe
Authors:
Odile Dupont
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Donatus Düsterhaus
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Abstract

This paper describes the opening of a Special Interest Group of libraries within the IFLA (International Federation of Libraries Associations and Institutions), ‘Religions: Libraries and dialogue’. Different aspects of the networking are described: the contacts established for the opening, the enlargement to other continents and religions, notable members of the group, and the main activities developed.

Résumé

Cet article décrit l’ouverture d’un groupe d’intérêt spécial de bibliothèques au sein de l’IFLA (Fédération internationale des associations et institutions de bibliothèques), “Religions : Bibliothèques et dialogue”. On y découvrira différents aspects du travail en réseau, les contacts établis pour l’ouverture, l’élargissement à d’autres continents et religions, les membres notables du groupe, et les principales activités développées.

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Aufsatz schildert die Gründung einer speziellen Interessengruppe von Bibliotheken innerhalb der IFLA (International Federation of Libraries Associations and Institutions), der Gruppe ‘Religionen: Bibliotheken und Dialog’. Es werden verschiedene Aspekte der Vernetzung beschrieben: Das Knüpfen von Kontakten, welches die Gründung ermöglichte, die Ausweitung des Netzwerks auf andere Kontinente und Religionen, bedeutende Gruppenmitglieder und die relevantesten Aktivitäten, die erarbeitet wurden.

1 Relindial 2009–2017

The group of libraries Relindial was opened to highlight and coordinate the activities of libraries around the world in the service of interreligious dialogue. The president of BETH was asked to create this group. This chapter will present the history of the project and its development to date, highlighting the role of BETH in this initiative. We will also see how the collaborations develop little by little and how some exceptional actors give scope to this project.

1.1 The Starting Point

On 24 August 2009, URBE (‘Unione Romana Biblioteche Ecclesiastiche’) was co-organising, with AIB (‘Associazione italiana biblioteche’), a satellite day during the 75th IFLA (‘International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’) Congress in Milan. The theme of this day, “Babele bibbia e corano,” concerned the intercultural and interreligious dialogue that has linked Judaism, Christianity and Islam in history through religious libraries.1 The role of theological libraries in history was widely exposed as well as the networks of Roman, Italian, Spanish and European theological libraries. URBE asked Odile Dupont, then president of BETH (‘Bibliothèques Européennes de Théologie’), to introduce the network of theological libraries in the world.

Steven Witt, IFLA’s Chair of the Library Types Division of IFLA, expressed the desire for collaboration:

Through today’s meeting, we certainly hope that future collaboration between IFLA and religious and ecclesiastical libraries will bear fruit to support our shared missions to preserve cultural heritage and provide increased access to knowledge to all people … The religious libraries may also wish to form an IFLA special interest group. This would allow librarians to focus on both the technical and social roles of their institutions, while also developing further the professional knowledge and practices specific to religious libraries.2

The invitation was clear, and at the halfway point of the day, the BETH president was asked by both Steve Witt, Silvano Danieli, director of URBE, and Mauro Guerrini, president of the AIB, to open an IFLA SIG (‘Special Interest Group’) of religious libraries to highlight the initiatives of theological libraries in the service of interreligious and intercultural dialogue. It was interesting to note that while IFLA wished to open a collaboration “to support our common missions of preservation of cultural heritage and increased access to knowledge for all,” it was the director of URBE, Fr. Silvano Danieli, who insisted on the human dimension of dialogue between religions and cultures.

It was a whole range of reasons that led Odile Dupont to accept. Personal reasons: a very multicultural family background, but also the deep conviction that only an open dialogue between people will bring about a more peaceful world. The Gospel message and a solid dialogue must be supported by a deep culture, so well documented in our libraries.

It was then necessary to inform the colleagues of BETH and ABCF (‘Association des bibliothèques chrétiennes de France’) to start the work. BETH colleagues were quite reserved because of past experiences and financial concerns. The ABCF, more enthusiastic, has been a very faithful ally of Relindial. On several occasions, the ABCF has provided scholarships for participation in conferences and helped in the realisation of the promotional documents: poster, bookmark, leaflets, guidelines.

It was also necessary for Odile Dupont to obtain the approval of her supervisory institution, the ‘Institut Catholique de Paris’ (ICP, the Catholic University of Paris), which is very committed to interreligious dialogue. It was largely thanks to this institutional support that the adventure could start and continue over time.

Figure 19.1
Figure 19.1

Logo IFLA SIG Relindial

1.2 What Is IFLA?

Louise Barillot gives an excellent definition:

The International Federation of Librarian Associations represent the voice of library professionals worldwide, has been organising an annual congress for over 80 years: the World Librarian and Information Congress (WLIC). It is an opportunity to exchange information about all the services and activities of libraries, to stay informed and to share different practices. Based largely on the conferences held during the WLIC, IFLA publishes and disseminates a number of reference texts, or ‘standards’, in order to harmonise library practices.3 This allows the establishment of international standards to help the creation of services, libraries, to support projects with local policies, to seek to improve its practices, etc. The association is divided into sections, divisions and special interest groups.4 Much of the work is done within these groups and then coordinated and disseminated by IFLA Headquarters.5

1.3 The Choice of BETH as Ambassador of Religions at IFLA

The role of Italy and the Catholic Church seems obvious in this choice. The initiative of the Satellite Day of Religious Libraries in Milan is to be credited to the AIB and URBE. The links between URBE and BETH are historical. It is quite natural that the organisers turned to the sister association which represented the structure of international cooperation closest to Italy culturally.

BETH is an ecumenical organisation that is gradually expanding to Eastern Europe, resulting in a wonderful mosaic of denominations and languages represented. But without the expansion to other continents, the opening of the IFLA group would have been more difficult. Thanks to the collaboration with ATLA (‘American Theological Library Association’) things could be done easily.6 Every year, the president and the secretary of BETH went to the ATLA congress and participated in the ICC (‘International Committee for Collaboration’). This committee was an opportunity to meet librarians from all continents, create links, and learn about the difficulties and hopes of our colleagues in countries where Christianity is in minority.

In the history of BETH the wish to enlarge international cooperation has been expressed by several presidents and/or member associations.7 In fact, BETH was a member of IFLA from 1971 to 1986 before it “had to give it up, as the membership fee was too high and the real benefits rather minimal.”8 The time was not yet ripe because, in order to benefit from all the opportunities brought by IFLA, it is preferable to acquire institutional recognition from IFLA by creating a group or a section and not only by being present as an IFLA member.

Thanks to BETH and ATLA, the opening was made with the libraries of the whole world, but that remained in the Christian sphere. IFLA gives access to an even wider degree of openness.

The collections of our libraries allow a reflection based on the past to better face the future. They have works dedicated to the dialogue between cultures and religions. The Christian message needs to be better known; serving the Christian community alone is not enough. The opening of Relindial is an opportunity for collaboration that will reveal the many initiatives of dialogue at work in our professional world and especially in plural cultures.

1.4 The Steps of the Opening of the IFLA Group

As an international organisation, IFLA has very strict rules of procedure which are published under the title “Rules of Procedures.” The rules concerning SIGs are given in chapter 20.9 The successive steps for the opening of a SIG are the organisation of an exploratory meeting accompanied by a declaration of interest co-signed by ten personalities and if the project seems interesting, the next step is to assemble an argumentative file, accompanied by a petition signed by 25 personalities interested in the creation of this SIG. The opening of Relindial was made possible thanks to the links woven in various professional networks clusters.

1.4.1 Organisation of an Exploratory Meeting

Contacts were also made with the curators of the major theological European libraries members of BETH and that were in a position to support the initiative. Contacts also with the presidents of the continental associations of theological libraries: North America, ATLA; Asia, ForATL (Forum of Asian Theological Libraries); India, ITLA (Indian Theological Library Association); Australia, ANZTLA (Australian and New Zealand Theological Library Association). During the annual ATLA congresses personal contacts had already been initiated, which facilitated the process. This is how Margareth Tarpley, D’Anna Schotts and Carisse Berryhill met at the ICC and were able to join the first exploratory meeting on 10 August 2010 at the IFLA Congress in Gothenburg.

Also in 2010, the Globethics.net Foundation contacted BETH. They wanted to facilitate access to theological documents in all countries of the world, especially in developing countries that cannot benefit from abundant documentary resources. The foundation asked BETH to participate in the GlobTheoLib Content Advisory Committee, the organising committee of GlobeTheoLib.10 This work with the foundation was an opportunity to meet Amélie Valloton who was able to participate in this same exploratory meeting.11

During the year 2010, many contacts were made with curators of the National Library of France, IFLA experts such as Christiane Baryla, president of the IFLA Strategic Programme on Preservation and Conservation (PAC)12 and likely to help in the drafting of an argument such as Christophe Langlois, head of the Philosophy-Religion Department at the ‘Bibliothèque nationale de France’. A true friendship began with Viviana Quinones, president of the IFLA section ‘Children and young adults’ who helped a lot by her actions, her advices and her relations.13

Finally, a contact had been established with the CFIBD (‘Comité Français International de Bibliothèques et Documentation’) whose aim was to support the work of French librarians internationally through IFLA. The initiative of requesting the opening of a SIG received the diligent help of Pascal Sanz, president of the CFIBD, and Franck Hurinville, both of whom have an excellent knowledge of IFLA’s intricacies. During the development of Relindial, several grants were awarded by the CFIBD for the participation of francophone librarians involved in Relindial at the IFLA congress.

Director of the libraries of the ICP, Odile Dupont was in a strategic position to develop links with Catholic organisations: the General Secretariat of the IFCU (International Federation of Catholic Universities), the COCTI (Conference of Catholic Theological Institutions), of which the dean of the Faculty of Theology, Philippe Bordeyne, was then president. These two structures were likely to provide strong support to this initiative and indeed facilitated the start of Relindial.

François Bousquet, then vice-rector of the ICP and a member of the UNESCO Peace Research Commission, a specialist in interreligious dialogue, was an unfailing supporter of the project. Thanks to all these contacts, it was possible, according to article R20-2 of the IFLA rules, to present the SIG project to Steve Witt and Mauro Guerrini, accompanied by a declaration of interest of ten personalities. An exploratory meeting could be held at the Gothenburg Congress on 10 August 2010. The help of Steve Witt, Mauro Guerrini, ATLA CCI colleagues and Amélie Valloton proved to be decisive. The project was received very favourably, the way was open.

1.4.2 Submission of a File for the Opening of the Group

Contacts continued after the exploratory meeting to find a host section for Relindial. An appointment was made with Lynne Rudasill, then chair of the SSLS (Social Science Libraries section), thanks to Steve Witt. Lynne was enthusiastic and agreed that the SIG application would be presented to the next section Standing Committee for approval.

The next step was the constitution of the dossier at the 2011 Congress in Puerto Rico, according to the IFLA rules:

To form a Special Interest Group, the organiser must submit a petition to the Board of Directors, signed by twenty-five individuals, who intend to actively participate in the activities of the Special Interest Group, and approved by a sponsoring Chapter. Once established, the Special Interest Group must be recognized in the Chapter’s action plan.

On 13–18 August 2011 at the IFLA Congress, the Standing Committee of Social Science Libraries approved support for the project in its Action Plan. On 18 August 2011, the application to open the SIG was filed with the IFLA Secretariat. A text entitled “Creation of a Special Interest Group of Libraries for Interreligious Dialogue within IFLA,” and the list of signatures of twenty-five interested personalities were provided. There were many BETH members, but also librarians from Asia (Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand), Africa (Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya), America (United States of America).

1.4.3 December 2011 Professional Committee Decision

The Professional Committee met in December. The opening of the SIG was not accepted at this stage. If the reaction was globally positive and the idea of the project received as good, it was necessary to consolidate the preparation by three elements: (1) include a member of the Committee of Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) and a member of the IFLA Governing Board on the SIG Advisory Committee; (2) broaden the representation of our group to other religions, this was the most important point; (3) expand the group geographically.

The work continued. Several libraries were contacted in January, notably the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco whose director, Driss Khrouss, responded very positively. Well known in IFLA, he agreed to join our steering committee.

On 25 February 2012, a first meeting took place with René-Vincent du Grandlaunay, OP, from IDEO (‘Institut Dominicain d’Études Orientales’), Cairo. He presented his project of cataloguing software dedicated to Islamic studies.

An exploratory meeting was organised in Rome on 28 February thanks to Fr. Silvano Danieli from URBE and Fr. François Bousquet who had just been appointed rector of Saint Louis des Français. Members of URBE, Fr. Francesco Baroncelli, prefect of the PISAI library (‘Pontificio Istituto di Studi Arabi e d’Islamistica’), and Loredana Nepi, director of the ‘Centro Pro Unione’ with Stefano Malaspina member of the ABEI (‘Associazione dei bibliotecari ecclesiastici italiani’) were also present. Fr. Danieli concluded: “It is necessary to inform the presidents of the national associations by attending the annual congresses and above all to form a steering committee.”

The IFLA Advisory Committee is created with Lynne Rudasill, who has meanwhile been appointed to the IFLA Governance Board, Hermann Roesch, President of IFLA-FAIFE, Christophe Langlois, Director of libraries, ICP, François Bousquet, International Commission for Peace Research of UNESCO, Driss Khrouss, Director of BNRM. Lynne Rudasill called on 2 April to announce the big news: the RELINDIAL SIG opening was accepted by the Professional Committee. Thus, it took almost three years to obtain the opening of the group, the result of hours of work within a lively and dynamic world network enabling new collaborations.

1.5 Opportunities Offered by IFLA

IFLA congress is a huge machine for interprofessional exchanges. The structure is therefore organised with great rigor so that more than 3000 professionals who participate can benefit from all the skills brought together.

Each year, SIGs and sections have the opportunity to hold a call for papers to open a two-hour session that will feature the best papers proposed. There are approximately 200 sessions offered, providing an opportunity to keep abreast of professional and technical developments in all areas of library science.

The collaboration with the host section is done through two meetings of the Standing Committee, one at the very beginning of the congress, the other at the end. This is an opportunity to present the work in progress and to discover the sometimes very inspiring achievements of our colleagues, which is how the project Relindial Cartonera, which will be discussed later, was born.

A satellite day can also be organised in parallel with the congress. It benefits from the same publicity in the congress catalogue. These satellites are meetings of one or two days. Relindial organised one in Paris, at the ICP, in 2014: “Libraries at the Heart of Dialogue of Cultures and Religions: History, Present, Future”14 and one in Columbus, Ohio, thanks to the support of our colleagues at ATLA: “Fostering Global Communication Among Religions and Libraries.”15 These are unique opportunities to build relationships, particularly with the local satellite organisation, and to publish the proceedings both in print and/or online. A trade show is offered during the congress and again, it is an opportunity to meet library suppliers in all fields: software, databases, publishing, furniture etc. as well as users who can share their experience. The publisher of the IFLA Publications series, De Gruyter, is present and exhibits the latest news. During the two years 2012 and 2013 and thanks to the contacts made on occasion on the BETH and IFLA congresses, it was possible to publish a book, Libraries Serving Dialogue.16

We were able to display the Relindial Cartonera project in 2016 on a poster made by Magali Hurtrel and shared with our Social Science Libraries Section.

Meetings by language pool, the ‘Caucuses’ are quite interesting in the context of the Francophonie, for example, because they open up collaboration with African colleagues and of course Belgian, Swiss, Canadian, and others. This is how Relindial was able to create links with Ahmadou Touré, a Muslim librarian from Mali, apostle of interreligious dialogue, who presented his work and its evolution during two sessions in 2016 and 2017.

1.6 The Beginnings

1.6.1 The First Sessions

From our first congress as IFLA SIG, we were able to present two important actors of information in the religious field, the announcement can still be consulted from the IFLA website.17 On 13 August 2012, Br. René-Vincent du Granlaunay, OP, presented “IDEO Serving intercultural Islamo-Christian Dialogue.” Then Amélie Vallotton spoke about “GlobeTheoLib: online theological resources for education and ecumenical dialogue.” Thanks to this presentation of GlobeTheoLib, the collaboration with BETH has found one of its first fruits within an IFLA congress. And it is for GlobeTheoLib a great opportunity to make itself known outside the strictly Christian sphere. At this very beginning point, the two speakers were from the pre-opening relationships of Relindial and from the Western world.

On 20 August 2013, in Singapore the theme of the session was: “Tools developed for a better sharing of religious information.”18 We were able to select testimonies from librarians from four continents, four speakers came from our Christian networks but Kathryn J. Philip from Nigeria joined us through the call for papers without any previous connection. The proposals were quite different: information process of distance students in New Zealand, also in Nigeria, the description of a theological database: ‘Seminario Latinoamericano de Documentación’ (SeLaDoc) in Chile, how the French Catholic Universities have built a network to facilitate the information process of their users, and conserving religious and cultural heritage while preserving financial resources in Nigeria.

1.6.2 Relindial’s Key Players

From the beginning, a small team was formed, only composed of BETH and/or ABCF members: Magali Hurtrel, Fabien Vandermarcq, Curator of the Port-Royal library, and Odile Dupont, Promotion of libraries and networks, ICP. Fabien Vandermarcq quickly took charge of the communication, his skills in social networks allowed the development of the Facebook19 page as well as the writing, installation and maintenance of the group’s pages on the IFLA website.20

As for Magali Hurtrel, she rapidly took responsibilities within BETH and she was at the origin of the Relindial Cartonera group which quickly found within ABCF, a very motivated librarian, Sophie Vasseur who is still today the pilot librarian for the project she developed in her area.

Gradually, thanks to the sessions, the team has been enriched by contacts in Lebanon: Randa Chidiac from the library of the University of Kaslik and in Chile: Fernanda Ruiz Lopez, from the ‘Biblioteca de Teología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile’. Even if contacts are not frequent, the slightest solicitation is followed by a genuine collaboration.

1.6.3 Geographic Expansion

In 2014, on the occasion of the congress in Lyon, France, we were able to organise a satellite meeting at the ‘Institut Catholique de Paris’ resulting in the publication Libraries at the Heart of Dialogue of Cultures and Religions: History, Present, Future.21

Figure 19.2
Figure 19.2
Participants of the satellite meeting in Paris ICP 26 August 2014

The geographical and religious diversity was particularly visible as we were able to gather testimonies from the Philippines, China, India, Morocco, Egypt, the Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and the United States of America. Several initiatives highlighted the Islamic-Christian dialogue and the Jain culture. The technical areas covered include history, emergency response and the role of technology in the library.

In 2015, in Cape Town, South Africa, the session “Libraries as Safe Place Allowing Interreligious Dialogue and Promoting Intercultural Understanding” brought together Magali Hurtrel who showed how to enrich oneself by opening up collaborations outside of libraries;22 the deputy director of the National Library of Iran presented us with the dialogue at work between the national libraries of Central Asia in the service of their heritage collections.23

The year 2016, in Columbus, Ohio, gave us two opportunities: the satellite meeting organised thanks to Jennifer Younger, Executive Director of the Catholic Research Resources Alliance and ATLA and, during the session, we could hear an iconic member of Relindial, Ahmadou Touré, a Muslim, who is doing wonderful work with his students: “Interreligious Dialogue at the University of Letters and Humanities of Bamako-Mali.”24 Ahmadou was selected again in 2017 for the congress in Wrocław, Poland, as he continued his activities with his students to deepen the achievements of 2016: “The Complementary Debate within the framework of interreligious dialogue at the University of Letters and Humanities of Bamako – Mali.”25

1.6.4 The IFLA Name of the Group

While we have widely used the acronym Relindial to call our group, IFLA has preferred a more meaningful name as an official denomination. The name of the group Relindial has been fluctuating for some years: Special Interest Group of Libraries to Serve Interreligious Dialogue; Interreligious Dialogue Special Interest Group; Religious Libraries in Dialogue Special Interest Group. So it was necessary to fix the denomination and on 18 August 2014, we organised a Café de Paris Meeting: “How to organise the future of Relindial.” We gathered 30 people from eleven nationalities and four continents (Europe, Africa, Asia and Middle East, North America).

The message sent by our colleagues was clear: it was better to define who we were and to state clearly that libraries are places of dialogue, to promote an equitable interreligious dialogue, each one putting itself in the state of mind to learn from the other. The name Religious Libraries is too restrictive because it excludes many non-confessional structures open to this dialogue. The new denomination was to make it clear that thanks to religions, it was possible to broaden the dialogue in the cultural, social, history of mentalities, patrimonial documents fields.

We went back to the standing committee of our host section to discuss this issue and agreed that the name Religions, Libraries and Dialogue better reflected our desire to be open. The request for change was formally submitted to the IFLA Secretariat and the new name was accepted with one punctuation mark: the group would now be called Religions: Libraries and Dialogue.

1.7 Relindial Cartonera

In 2014, thanks to Araceli García Martín and Magali Hurtrel, members of the Standing Committee of Social Science Libraries at IFLA, the idea of organising workshops bringing together people of different convictions to make unique books, cartoneras on the model of what has developed in Latin America in the favellas, emerged.26

From that moment on, communication material was created to allow anyone interested to develop a project.27 Many contacts were made to present the project, within IFLA with the section of Libraries for Children and Young Adults, presentation of the project during a session in 2016 and more recently meeting with School Libraries Section. Other contacts were made within the French-speaking library associations CFIBD and the ABCF: Sophie Vasseur is committed. The presentation of Relindial Cartonera at the SGEC (‘Secrétariat général de l’enseignement catholique’) was also fruitful: Catherine Thuillier, touched by the project, set it up within several primary classes and published a very illustrated book explaining her approach.28 Then, within international structures: the CCIC (International Catholic Centre for Cooperation with UNESCO), BSF (‘Bibliothèques Sans Frontières’) and FIUC (International Federation of Catholic Universities) opened fruitful contacts with Carol Bambara (Burkina Faso) and Edouard Koutsouva who set up a project in his high school. Some contacts were taken in Lebanon with associations serving interreligious dialogue: ADYAN and public libraries: Assabil.

Many seeds have been sown. The most fertile ones have been able to germinate thanks to highly motivated librarians and teachers, open to others, to cultures and religions, to the arts, and gifted with exceptional human qualities to bring people from different cultures together in harmony and to bring them to dialogue, create and build together. The results of these first years of existence are very positive if we believe the enthusiasm of the participants and organisers. Some figures since 2016, the beginning of the initiative: 818 participants, 26 supervisors and five countries involved: France, Chile, Germany, Russia, Burkina Faso. We are at a turning point in the project: it had been mainly supported by France, but thanks to Irina Nehme, a member of the IFLA School Library Section, it is developing in Germany and Russia.29

1.8 The Case of the Dominican Institute of Oriental Studies (IDEO)

In 2012, we were in contact with René-Vincent du Grandlaunay. Touched during a year of civil service by the Arab culture and by the welcome he had received in the Palestinian territories, he turned, after deciding to enter the priesthood, to the Dominican order, artisan of the Islamic-Christian dialogue within the IDEO in Cairo.

René-Vincent’s studies began in Mosul, where he became very interested in the library and thus in cataloguing. Then his education took him to Baghdad where he met a computer scientist who opened him to relational databases. He was then appointed to the IDEO in Cairo in 1997 where he discovered a library whose catalogue was structured with a large single table, BDD 4D Apple, a poorly configured server. It was impossible to catalogue in Arabic. From this material, he took the table. He first cut it into several files (authors, titles) and, by reworking it through exports in Excel and then Access, he organised 15 tables. In order to improve his knowledge of library science, René-Vincent did extensive research on international standards that would allow him to enhance the IDEO’s collection description. He opened the Al-Kindi catalogue, named after a 9th-century Arab-Muslim philosopher, who worked with Christians to translate Hellenistic texts into Arabic, a symbol of the possible harmony between Muslims and Christians. Until 2010, he worked on this database to make it as close as possible to the AFNORMARC standards. The next step, currently underway, is the creation of the ILMS (Integrated Library Management System) Diamond, which contains more than 600 tables and allows cataloguing in all languages.

IDEO is now a major contributor to IFLA, not only in the field of interreligious dialogue via Relindial, but also and above all in the field of FRBR RDA cataloguing and indexing with ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier),30 in order to be able to find with the greatest possible precision the very complex Arabic surnames, an essential prerequisite for the study of classical Arab-Muslim texts.

The case of IDEO, within Relindial, is the best example of a theological library that enriches itself and the professional network thanks to its work at the highest level, whether it is Christian and Muslim theology, cataloguing and indexing, or developing collaborations with libraries and documentation centres concerned with classical Islam. The library itself is a place of conviviality where traditionalist Muslims come in all confidence to nourish their studies thanks to the work of Christians.31

IDEO already collaborates with the following organisations: Arab Manuscripts Institute (Arab League; http://www.malecso.org/), French Institute of Oriental Archaeology (https://www.ifao.egnet.net/), Vatican Library (https://www.vaticanlibrary.va/), Erbil Center, ‘Bibliothèque nationale de France’, within the framework of the portal of the Libraries of the Levant whose site lists the partners.

New partners are constantly adding to the digital library: Heritage of the Near East (France), New York Public Library (USA), Libraries of the ‘Institut Catholique de Paris’ (France), Diplomatic Archives (France), BULAC – University Library of Languages and Civilisations (France).

Finally, several large national catalogues are seeking collaboration: the SUDOC (‘Système universitaire de documentation’), the CCFR (‘Catalogue collectif de France’), and ALIPH (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas).

Thus, supported by the conviction that dialogue between religions is linked to dialogue with cultures and that it is a ferment of progress, the case of IDEO shows us that our theological libraries, once again in history, are at the forefront of technicality and share their expertise, an expertise developed in the service of dialogue and peace in the world.

1.9 Conclusion of Odile Dupont’s Mandate

IFLA procedures limit the term of office for group convenors to two years, renewable once. By 2015–16, a new ‘Convenor’ was found. Donatus Düsterhaus has been noticed thanks to his faithful participation in the events organised by our group. His European career, the languages he practices daily, and his library activities exhibited pointed to him as an excellent candidate.32 With the agreement of the Social Sciences Section, his nomination was accepted by the Professional Committee.

BETH’s contribution was decisive for the success of this undertaking, thanks to the training received for this networking work within the association: Penelope Hall, then secretary of BETH, patiently introduced Odile Dupont to the relevant participants of international congresses. It gave the opportunity to get acquainted with colleagues active in the field of international collaboration, especially within ATLA. That was the first step. The integration into IFLA followed the same principles.

During these years spent as Convenor of Relindial, it appeared that, to take full advantage of the opportunities brought by IFLA, it was necessary to work as a group that can be heard by IFLA’s administration and community. It takes a lot of work to take advantage of all the opportunities offered, but it is worth it. It is not enough to come to receive, the more you give, the more you receive, just like the Gospel message.

2 Relindial 2017–2021

2.1 Continuity and Change

In the second part of this chapter, it is important at this point to sum up the past years from 2017 to 2021 in view of the institutional and project-oriented developments, and to venture a brief outlook.

The question of a new orientation of the Special Interest Group Relindial arose after the election of Donatus Düsterhaus as convenor in 2016. All at once, the question of priorities at the level of the projects was raised. It showed quickly that the continuation of the activities could build upon the successful preliminary work of Odile Dupont in her capacity as initiator and first convenor of the group. Thus, we decided to continue the various projects and to represent in the changing institutional framework of IFLA the interest groups stronger, as well as to intensify collaboration with other sections. At the same time, it was attempted to foster the relationships with the two large professional associations in Europe (BETH), and the USA (ATLA), and to intensify the organisation of joint events.

2.2 Our Contribution to Interreligious Dialogue

As mentioned earlier, our interest group deals with interreligious dialogue. Especially in the past years, this topic was given broad public attention, not least because of the modern media culture. From a European perspective, this is due to different factors; among other things, for example, reflections on the so-called ‘relationship of state and church’ (that is between government institutions and religious communities) in various countries. Especially in countries, like France today, where the constitutional separation between the state and religious communities is closely observed, and government institutions (among them schools and libraries) are confronted with the reality of religious practices, those developments can occasionally cause problems. Citizens, who show an increasing desire to exercise religion and express religious beliefs in public space, and who, to some extent, are interested in a dialogue between the religious groups and religions within the institution, are met with rigid structures, which cannot, or do not want to meet these needs.

At a scientific level, the discussion of the topic of secularisation is not limited to play a certain role in the social sciences. For example, an anthology, realised in 2019 in France, took up this issue: La Sécularisation en question: Religions et laïcités au prisme des sciences sociales. This study deals with the public debate on laicism and religion in French government institutions.33 This debate raises practical issues, which occupy the library-oriented professional public for quite some time. All of this does not only take place against the background of technological change, but especially of a change of the world of media, which not only affects the global library landscape, but almost everywhere becomes noticeable in society, and poses a great challenge.

As places of social and cultural memory, libraries, especially in the context of universities, are affected by those developments. For the area of libraries, this means a growing field of tension between government and private institutional carriers and the interests of the public and user groups. This complex of tensions can be quite problematic.

In the past years, colleagues dealt with the question of the relationship of religion and libraries in France, among other things, in various publications. In view of the fact that significant Relindial projects were initiated and coordinated from France, we would like to take a brief look at the literature available there on the subject of ‘Religion and Libraries’, since this can serve as a kind of template for further developments and influence the self-perception of Relindial though these developments.

The question of the special relationship of religions (i.e., church(es) and religious communities) and the state, respectively the question of the French state laicism, becomes especially visible in the everyday life of a library. Although the example of this country is by no means universally applicable, neither for European, nor non-European states, this specific perspective can provide a special impulse for the discussion on libraries and their relationship to religions in other countries and their library systems. With their wide thematic range, the titles of the publications testify to the perceived importance of the issue of ‘Religion in the Public Sphere’ and to the considerations and strategies that play a role in dealing with religion in a secular environment. Already many years ago, in the year 2003, the French librarian and later ‘Inspecteur général des bibliothèques’, Dominique Arot, dealt with this issue in his farsighted contribution: “Les bibliothèques publiques et le fait religieux: pour une laïcité ouverte.”34 The author argues for a certain openness to the issue of religion, in particular in view of a coherent library collection, and especially for libraries as places of interreligious dialogue and exchange:

Libraries are places of discovery and openness, not indoctrination, places of debate, not polemics, places where everyone is respected. They are also places where religion can be put to the test of reason, where the proximity of the shelves and classifications gives each reader the possibility of comparing, judging and refusing. Religio means link in Latin. Yes, therefore, to ‘religious’ libraries!35

As we know, the debate widened since 2003, and yet another collection, published in the year 2018 by Fabienne Henryot, takes up the state of the discussion then. Considering the different aspects, the authors introduce the actual relationship between state, church, and religion in the French library system. They discuss special collections and collection orders, but also deal with intercultural and interreligious issues. The international exchange and the networking among the professional library associations at the European and international level is likewise taken up.36 An entire chapter is dedicated to the issues of laicism, neutrality, and education. Against the background of the attacks from 2015 on the editorial department of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the subject of religion returns to the level of media and politics.37 The French publications shows the importance the issue “religion, laicism, and libraries” is meanwhile given in the library-oriented professional public. In view of the 1905 ratified law on the separation of state and Church, France is certainly a special case. Although, or because, it was strongly affected by the global developments in the area of religious practice, it is repeatedly taken as model for the separation of state and Church.

In the Festschrift for the Italian Fr. Silvano Danieli, Odile Dupont published yet another paper, “Silvano Danieli et RELINDIAL: un parrainage fidèle et agissant,” on the history of Relindial and its relationship to theological libraries in Italy.38 In 2019, another anthology with the title Religions en bibliothèque was published by Bernard Huchet.39 In this book, the authors refer to the particular role of public libraries in France, which should take a special function in the mediation of tolerance, openness, and republican spirit. The editor promotes the statement made by the philosopher Regis Debray in 2001 that institutions in France should evolve from a “laïcité d’indifférence” to a “laïcité d’intelligence.” This could render a decisive contribution to living peacefully together in a society in the future. Public libraries, according to the author, should expand their offers in the cultural field and in the collaboration in the field of religious issues. SIG RELINDIAL takes up this postulate with its manifold activities and projects for some years now!

In light of the globalisation of religious problems and the worldwide occurring migration flows, not only the different religious communities have come into closer contact with each other.40 These contacts affected not only secularised societies and countries, but also people, groups, and countries in which religion played a significant role up to now.

With the help of different projects of its dedicated colleagues, the Relindial group wants to render an important contribution to facilitating that in the future interreligious dialogue between people who belong to different denominations will be simplified and enabled. Differences and communalities ought to be found out, and mutual interest and understanding among involved parties in the different library contexts should be awakened, and the herein introduced project should support dialogue. Ideally, with the help of those activities, religious intolerance can be combatted, radicalism counteracted, and peace and tolerance promoted! Especially libraries are places where people meet; so-called ‘third places’,41 and as institutions also a kind of mirror of social developments.

2.3 Structural Reform of IFLA

While in the past years, many new circles of interest could be tapped into on the level of individual projects (like Cartonera and Al-Kindi) within Relindial, it is necessary to closely collaborate at the institutional level with the umbrella organisation IFLA, and to accompany the organisational change that takes place. For the period 2019 to 2021, the international library association IFLA has prepared a new vision, which should go hand in hand with a far reaching and sustainable structural reform. The international association should work more transparent and efficient in a regionally better implemented way, and hereby commit itself to the issue of ‘sustainability’. Additionally, it should contribute interactively to the issue of voluntary work, and in this way also become more interesting for new members.42 Surveys and workshops were conducted with the participation of Relindial members, also in order to make the future role of this group in the reform process clear. The coming months and years will show how the organisation will develop further. Besides a clearer visibility of our activities within the association, SIG RELINDIAL expects from the reforms of the IFLA a close-knit networking with other groups and sections and because of the increased contact to co-workers an attractive opportunity for collaboration.

2.4 New Developments in the Cartonera Project

In the past years, the Cartonera project could be successfully continued at various levels. As a result, it was possible to compile information about the project, like for example the statistics of the successfully conducted workshops, and to publicly document them on the home page.43 For the past years, a successful balance could definitely be drawn.44 Owing to the commitment of Irina Nehme, a first Cartonera project could be successfully implemented in a school library in Germany.45 Further projects are to be implemented in Russia and in Burkina Faso. Since March 2020, due to the protective measures against the spreading of the Corona virus, it became more difficult to initiate and design new projects in schools and libraries. However, the pandemic made it possible to support the project at yet another level. Meanwhile guidelines (descriptions and user instructions) were made available in four languages for download on the IFLA homepage. Since the past year, further marketing articles, like posters and bookmarks, can be accessed free of charge on the internet of IFLA in seven languages.46 In this way, it was made possible to create good framework conditions at the information and marketing level, which hopefully encourage also new co-workers to promote the dialogue in schools and libraries.

2.5 Other Projects and Activities

As already described above, the motto of the past years 2017 to 2020 was ‘continuity and change’. It was possible to continue already existing activities of members of Relindial. On the African continent, René-Vincent du Grandlaunay. In Mali, Ahmadou Touré (University of Bamako) was able to continue his ideas and projects. At this point, especially his project with an implemented dialogue of students within the library deserves mention. As a result, the library there successfully became a place of dialogue and a communicative meeting point.

In the course of the large migration movements within Africa, the Middle East, and also Europe in the years 2015 and 2016, several initiatives were launched, and universities pursued integration projects. At the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, for example, small educational offerings for refugee academicians from Syria were developed together with the student initiative ‘UNA – Refugees meet students UNIFR’ in the context of guided tours through the ‘Interfakultäre Bibliothek für Geschichte und Theologie’.47 Those initiatives could be a first step, respectively building block, for future projects in the field of intercultural and interreligious dialogue.48 The task is now to make those projects known to the professional library public, and to share those experiences (as the case may be, through best practices examples).49 ln this way, an important first step in view of progress in interreligious dialogue would be taken.

2.6 Backgrounds, Topics, and Activities as Reflected in the Contributions of WLIC of the Past Years

The lectures and discussions at the annually held IFLA Congress, which is organised by Relindial, show in an impressive way the range and the interest in the issue of exchange and interreligious dialogue in libraries in different countries on different continents. Interesting contributions came from both the academic library environment, and national institutions, like for example national libraries. Also, specialty libraries were inspired by this topic. In 2018, a so-called ‘satellite meeting’ of the section of arts libraries on the topic “Global Arts and the Islamic World: Documenting Islamic Arts Worldwide” took place in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).50 There, René-Vincent du Grandlaunay had the opportunity to introduce the progress of his work on the Al-Kindi software to an audience of experts in art history.

In the past years (since 2007), the contributions of the speakers at the World Library Information Congress (WLIC) were predominantly rendered in the English language. At the same time, it must be pointed out that in the period of investigation from 2017 to 2021, contributions from almost all continents (with exception of Australia and South America) could be presented. This shows the international dimension of the issue. These lectures made clear that librarians in scientific, as well as public libraries, can create manifold opportunities in order to discuss questions on religious conflicts within the limits of a civil discourse, like for example described by Justin Parrot and Ray Pun from the USA.51 The (Wikipedia) workshops and discussion rounds mentioned there, like already described above, are conducted, for example, at the University of Bamako in Mali and successfully implemented in public libraries and school libraries within the framework of the Relindial- workshops. Examples from an academic library in the USA that is sponsored by a private Catholic university can demonstrate how conflictual the collection of a library stock in the context of a confessionally oriented university library can be, and which solution scenarios are helpful hereby.52 In this context, authors refer not least to the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965):

Since in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Moslems, this sacred synod urges all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding and to preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom.

Nostra aetate §353

This can also be understood as a kind of action guide for the everyday work in an academic library – not only with Catholic sponsorship. Besides those examples from libraries in the USA, in recent years, lectures and presentations were held on projects and developments in institutions in Africa, especially Egypt. For example, the ‘Bibliotheca Alexandrina’ set the goal not only to act as place of knowledge transfer, but also – very much in the spirit of the Egyptian government – as bridge builder for tolerance and mutual understanding, thus preventive against terrorism and terror.54

The remarkable contributions from Nigeria must also be understood against the backdrop of terror and extremism.55 Among other things, the results of a study among Nigerian university libraries were presented, who had the aim to analyse the development of collections and stocks. On the basis of this study, it was recommended to those libraries to act more professionally, i.e., without resentments and prejudices of the staff, purchase relevant stocks with additionally provided funds, and train the staff target oriented. The role of libraries in interreligious dialogue is likewise the concern of a 2019 paper by Josephine C. Igbokwe and others.56

Authors show that libraries can position themselves in this respect and render a contribution to conflict prevention and resolution of religiously influenced disputes by launching information campaigns and initiatives in terms of organising discussion events on the premises of libraries. The examples from Egypt and Nigeria, but likewise the above-mentioned project from Mali, show the commitment in libraries on the African continent to render a very concrete contribution to dialogue, and thus to conflict prevention. In the perception of the speakers, it becomes clear that libraries for them are more than a physical place. They are rethought as a kind of ‘hub’ that with diverse offers meaningfully supplements the classical service portfolio in view of dialogue and conflict prevention.57

3 Conclusion

After almost ten years of existence, the RELINDIAL SIG has revealed itself as a platform that documents and networks updated initiatives for a better dialogue of cultures and religions. Whether software tools, bibliographic, publications, projects proposed to all or specific to certain libraries, it offers a better visibility to peace initiatives sometimes very discreet, but so important as the training initiatives of students in Mali for example.

Among the projects supported by the group, we can mention the upcoming creation of a portal centralising the religious bibliographies produced and put online by libraries. This project will be piloted by Fabien Vandermarcq, responsible for the communication of Relindial.

The new association structure of IFLA can ideally contribute to the professional framework of networking and exchange in the years to come. This will improve and thus promote the dialogue of religions inside and outside libraries. The commitment of all colleagues is necessary to ensure that this dialogue will develop further in the future. During the restrictions of the pandemic, online tools such as video conferences and webinars, etc. have been increasingly used and have significantly facilitated and improved communication.

The time is therefore right for theological and religious studies library colleagues and their associations to become involved in IFLA, as is the case with ATLA whose president is a faithful and active supporter of Relindial. The librarians specialised in theology and religious studies are valuable resource persons able to feed the debates with other specialised libraries. IFLA and the RELINDIAL SIG provide a promising framework for them. Increased involvement in IFLA would serve to intensify the exchange between institutions, with other experts and with professional associations. An increased presence within IFLA could bring greater support to Relindial, to consider going beyond the embryonic framework of the special interest group and to open a section dedicated to the theme of religions and dialogue in libraries.

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*

This chapter was written by Odile Dupont (part 1) and Donatus Düsterhaus (part 2, translated from the German by Markus Locker).

1

Silvano Danieli and Mauro Guerrini, Babele, Bibbia e Corano: dal testo al contest. Babel Bible and Kor’an: From Texts to Contexts (Rome: CEI, 2010).

2

Danieli and Guerrini, Babele, Bibbia e Corano, 51–52.

3

“Current IFLA Standards,” last update 18 December 2020, https://www.ifla.org/node/8750 [accessed 30 March 2022].

4

“Activities and Groups,” https//www.ifla.org/activities-and-groups#sections [accessed 30 March 2022].

5

Louise Barillot, Guide pratique pour bibliothécaires intéressés par l’IFLA, http://ww.cfibd.fr> IFLA2016-LouiseBarillot DOC [accessed 30 March 2022] (our translation).

6

https://www.atla.com/ [accessed 10 March 2021].

7

Godelieve Ginneberge, ed., Conseil International des Associations de Bibliothèques de Théologie – Internationaler Rat der Vereinigungen Theologischer Bibliotheken – International Council of Theological Library Associations 1961–1996, Instrumenta Theologica 17 (Leuven: Bibliotheek van de Faculteit Godgeleerdheid van de K.U. Leuven, 1996).

8

Paul Mech, Herman Morlion, and André J. Geuns, “Le Conseil International des Associations de Bibliothèques de Théologie,” in Conseil International des Associations de Bibliothèques de Théologie, ed. Ginneberge, 5.

9

“Rules of Procedures,” last update 22 September 2020, IFLA Rules of Procedure, https://www.ifla.org/statutes/ [accessed 30 March 2022], R20 Special Interest Groups (Article 16).

10

“The Global Digital Library on Theology and Ecumenism for free,” https://www.globethics.net/web/gtl [accessed 30 May 2022].

11

“Ethics in Higher Education,” https://www.globethics.net/ [accessed 20 March 2022].

12

“Strategic Programme on Preservation and Conservation Programme,” last update 8 December 2020, https://www.ifla.org/pac [accessed 26 March 2021].

13

“Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section,” last updated 12 January 2020, https://www.ifla.org/libraries-for-children-and-ya [accessed 30 March 2022].

14

See Thierry-Marie Courau and Fabien Vandermarcq, eds., Libraries at the Heart of Dialogue of Cultures and Religions: History, Present, Future (Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016).

15

“Fostering Global Communication Among Religions and Libraries,” https://doi.org/10.31046/atlapress.11 [accessed 30 March 2022].

16

Odile Dupont, ed., Libraries Serving Dialogue, IFLA Publications Series 163 (Berlin and Boston: Walter de Gruyter, 2014).

17

IFLA World Library and Information Congress 78th IFLA General Conference and Assembly – 11–17 August 2012, Helsinki, Finland, “Programme and Proceedings full Printable,” https://www.ifla.org/past-wlic/2012/programme-and-proceedings-full-printable.htm [accessed 30 March 2022].

18

Magali Hurtrel-Pizarro and Odile Dupont, “Tools Developed for a Better Sharing of Religious Information,” 2013, http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/220 [accessed 30 March 2022].

19

IFLA SIG RELINDIAL, https://fr-fr.facebook.com/Relindial/ [accessed 30 March 2022].

20

“Religions: Libraries and Dialogue Special Interest Group,” https://www.ifla.org/relindial [accessed 30 March 2022].

21

Courau and Vandermarcq, eds., Libraries at the Heart of Dialogue of Cultures and Religions.

22

Magali Hurtrel-Pizarro, “Comment accroître la documentation sur les initiatives interreligieuses grâce à un partenariat ‘bibliothèques – association Coexister’?,” 2015, http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/1212 [accessed 30 March 2022].

23

Azam Najafqolinejad and Sedighe Shakeri, “Intercultural Cooperation of National Libraries: A Case Study of ECO National Libraries,” 2015, http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/1213 [accessed 30 March 2022].

24

Sane Ahmadou Sidi Touré, “Le dialogue interreligieux à l’Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako – Mali,” 2016, http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/1564 [accessed 30 March 2021].

25

Sane Ahmadou Sidi Touré, “‘Le débat complémentaire’ dans le cadre du dialogue interreligieux à l’Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako – Mali,” 2017, http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/1768 [accessed 20 May 2021].

26

Odile Dupont, “Relindial Cartonera Overview,” last update 9 July 2020, https://www.ifla.org/g/relindial/the-relindial-cartonera-project/ [accessed 30 March 2022].

27

Sophie Vasseur and Fabien Vandermarcq created leaflets and instructions for use in French and English posted on the IFLA website. Spanish and German were added. https://www.ifla.org/g/relindial/the-relindial-cartonera-project/.

28

Catherine Thuillier and Béatrice Leleu, Des couleurs et des religions, ça se partage! Des élèves de GS, CP, CE1 à la découverte des religions: École Montalembert – Nogent sur Marne (Nogent-sur-Marne: Infocap, 2019).

29

Irina Nehme, “Die Schulbibliothek als Ort der Integration und des interreligiösen Dialogs: Erfolgreiches Cartonera-Projekt am Hölty-Gymnasium Wunstorf/Gemeinsam kunstvolles Buch gestaltet,” BuB: Forum Bibliothek und Information 73 , no. 4 (2021): 206–207.

30

ISNI International Agency. https://isni.org/ [accessed 30 March 2022].

31

BnF, “Bibliothèques d’Orient,” https://www.bnf.fr/fr/bibliotheques-dorient [accessed 30 March 2022].

32

Donatus E. Düsterhaus, “Unity and Diversity: Collections and Connections in an Interdisciplinary and Multilingual Community.” Paper presented at: “IFLA WLIC 2016 – Columbus, OH – Connections. Collaboration. Community,” in “Session 155 – Religions: Libraries and Dialogue Special Interest Group” (SIG RELINDIAL) (August 2016), http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/1453/ [accessed 70 June 2022].

33

Jean Baubérot, Philippe Portier, and Jean-Paul Willaime, La Sécularisation en question: Religions et laïcités au prisme des sciences sociales, Bibliothèque de science politique 3 (Paris: Classiques Garnier, 2019).

34

Dominique Arot, “Les bibliothèques publiques et le fait religieux: Pour une laïcité ouverte,” Bulletin des bibliothèques de France 48, no. 6 (2003): 20–24.

35

Arot, “Les bibliothèques publiques et le fait religieux,” 24 (our translation).

36

Odile Dupont, “Travaux de Relindial et réseaux internationaux de professionnels de bibliothèques religieuses,” in Bibliothèques, religions, laïcité, ed. Fabienne Henryot (Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose nouvelles éditions – Hémisphères éditions, 2018), 149–162.

37

Raphaëlle Bats, “Après les attentats: Les Bibliothèques face à la laïcité, au pluralisme et à la citoyenneté,” in Bibliothèques, religions, laïcité, ed. Henryot, 193–205, here p. 193.

38

Odile Dupont, “Silvano Danieli et RELINDIAL: un parrainage fidèle et agissant,” in Nessuno poteva aprire il libro…: Miscellanea di studi e testimonianze per i settant’anni di fr. Silvano Danieli, OSM, ed. Mauro Guerrini, Biblioteche & bibliotecari 2 (Florence: Firenze University Press, 2019), 13–22.

39

Bernard Huchet, ed., Religions en bibliothèque, Collection Bibliothèques (Paris: Éditions du Cercle de la librairie, 2019).

40

See also: “Perspectives on the Interreligious Dialogue: Reformed Churches in Bern, Jura and Solothurn in Switzerland: Grundlagen / Interreligiöser Dialog,” https://www.refbejuso.ch/grundlagen/interreligioeser-dialog/ [accessed 18 May 2021].

41

Ray Oldenburg, Celebrating the Third Place: Inspiring Stories about the “Great Good Places” at the Heart of Our Community (New York: Marlowe & Company, 2001).

42

https://www.ifla.org/DE/node/93190 [accessed 18 May 2021].

45

Nehme, “Die Schulbibliothek als Ort der Integration und des interreligiösen Dialogs”; Thuillier and Leleu, Des couleurs et des religions, ça se partage!

47

Düsterhaus, Unity and Diversity.”

48

Anne Barckow, “Interkulturelle Bibliotheksarbeit aktuell,” Bibliotheksdienst 50, no. 5 (2016): 441–455. See: https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/BD/50/5/html [accessed 18 May 2021].

49

Guido Jansen, “Bibliotheksarbeit mit Flüchtlingen im internationalen Vergleich: Plädoyer für einen grenzüberschreitenden Wissensaustausch,” BuB: Forum Bibliothek und Information: Schwerpunkt Austausch – Grenzenlos Lernen 68, no. 1 (2016): 35–37.

50

IFLA Satellite Meeting, “Global Arts and the Islamic World: Documenting Islamic Arts Worldwide” https://www.ifla.org/node/59428 [accessed 18 May 2021].

51

Raymond Pun and Justin Parrott, “Navigating and Preserving Interfaith Dialogue: Perspectives from Two Academic Librarians.” Paper presented at: “IFLA WLIC 2019 – Athens, Greece – Libraries: Dialogue for Change,” in “Session 83 – Religions: Libraries and Dialogue Special Interest Group (SIG RELINDIAL).” See http://library.ifla.org/2521/1/083-pun-en.pdf (August 2019) [accessed 18 May 2021].

52

William Welburn, Jean Zanoni, and Janice Welburn, “Libraries in Catholic Universities: Unanticipated Sites for Interreligious Dialogue… and Conflict.” Paper presented at: “IFLA WLIC 2019”. See http://library.ifla.org/2522/1/083-welburn-en.pdf (August 2019) [accessed 18 May 2021].

53

Welburn, Zanoni, and Welburn, “Libraries in Catholic Universities.” See also: “Declaration on the Relation of the Church with the Non-Christian Religions: Nostra Aetate (Rome, October 28, 1965),” http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html [accessed 18 May 2021].

54

Dina Youssef Salib, “Interreligious Dialogue for Sustainable Peace: The Library of Alexandria Building Bridges of Tolerance and Mutual Understanding.” Paper presented at: “IFLA WLIC 2018 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Transform Libraries, Transform Societies, in “Session 246 – Religions: Libraries and Dialogue SIG.” See http://library.ifla.org/2225/1/246-salib-en.pdf (August 2018) [accessed 18 May 2021].

55

Josephine C. Igbokwe, Fidelia Ngozi Enem, Desmond Chinedu Oparaku, and Chinwendu Chizoba Akpom, Curbing Religious Conflicts through Interreligious Dialogue Initiatives: Exploring the Provision of Library and Information Service Option.” Paper presented at: “IFLA WLIC 2019.” See http://library.ifla.org/2523/1/083-igbokwe-en.pdf (August 2019) [accessed 18 May 2021]; Solomon Achia Uganneya, Chinwe Veronica Anunobi, and Rebecca Ape, Application of Collection Development Policies in Documenting Religious Conflict without Sustaining Resentment in Nigerian Universities.” Paper presented at: “IFLA WLIC 2019.” See http://library.ifla.org/2520/1/083-uganneya-en.pdf (August 2019) [accessed 18 May 2021].

56

Igbokwe et al., “Curbing Religious Conflicts through Interreligious Dialogue Initiatives.”

57

See further contributions and examples that were presented during the WLIC coming from Indonesia WLIC: Dwi Fitrina Cahyaningtyas and Lasenta Adriyana, “Unity in Diversity: Harmony, Religion, and Dialog.” Paper presented at: “IFLA WLIC 2019” See http://library.ifla.org/2525/1/083-fitrina-en.pdf (August 2019) [accessed 18 May 2021]; Indah Novita Sari and Ni Putu Premierita Haryanti, “Rethinking the Special Library’s Role in Building a Foundation of Interreligious Harmony.” Paper presented at: “IFLA WLIC.” See http://library.ifla.org/2224/1/246-sari-en.pdf (August 2018) [accessed 18 May 2021].

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Theological Libraries and Library Associations in Europe

A Festschrift on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of BETH

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