ACURIL 2024 Guyana

Astrid Britten is the Director of the Biblioteca Nacional Aruba (National Library of Aruba). She earned her degree in Library Science from the P. A. Tiele Academy in The Hague, Netherlands. Since 1989, she has been an active member of ACURIL and served as President from 2005 to 2006, member of the Executive Council and Coordinator of the ACURIL Conference in 2019. 

Chantal Cousins is the Manager of Research and Information at the National Library of Jamaica. She has over seven (7) years of experience as a Librarian in the school, special and public libraries. Chantal is also a researcher who is passionate about delving into and sharing information. She holds a B. A in Library and Information Studies and an M.A in Public History and Caribbean Heritage. She is also creative; thanks to her overly active mind and has worked on the concept of the Cultural and Creative Industry Policy spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture Gender Entertainment and Sport. Chantal is an avid reader who tends to keep up with trends and issues of society, mainly in the library and cultural sector.

Ms. Debra Lowe, Librarian III and Deputy University Librarian, started working at the University of Guyana Library, Turkeyen Campus, Guyana in 1984. She graduated with the following degrees at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus: a Grad. Dip. Ed., Social Studies (2004); MA. Soc. Sci., International Studies (2002); Grad. Dip. Soc. Sci., International Studies (1996) and a Bachelor in Social Sciences, Sociology (1994). With thirty plus years’ experience in the library field, Ms. Lowe in pursuit of qualifying her knowledge in the field of Library and Information Sciences, is currently pursuing a B/MLIS at the Indira Gandhi National Open University. Ms. Lowe continues to be engaged in policy formulation and decision making at the administrative level of the library. Her research interests include assessing library services, the impact of the technologies on the library and drug demand reduction. She has been engaged in varying research and has also presented and published the same.

Dihanne Saul has nearly 30 years of experience in the public library system. Her career
began as a Junior Library Assistant and progressed rapidly to the level of Professional
Librarianship at the National Library of Guyana. Ms. Saul is a highly competent librarian who is passionate about promoting early literacy and offering excellent service to patrons, especially in the Juvenile Department. Apart from her qualifications, Dihanne is solution driven with strong interpersonal skills. She is detail oriented and possesses strong managerial skills. Dihanne is proficient in the use of technology geared towards the digitalization of Libraries.
She graduated from the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) with a
certificate in Library Science. From the University of Guyana, she graduated with a
Diploma in Social Work, and a Bachelor of Social Science in Social Work. From the
University of Aberystwyth in Wales, United Kingdom, she attained a Master of Art
degree with a merit, specializing in Library and Information Studies.
There is nothing like Ms. Dihanne Saul's ability to foster a friendly and productive
learning atmosphere. She currently oversees programmes such as Library Link and
Reading, Dancing and Gardening clubs for seniors at the National Library Guyana.
Ms. Saul likes to travel, create crafts, play board games, and listen to music in her free
time.

Dr. Jeannette Lebron Ramos has experience in library environments since
the year 2000. She has dedicated his professional life to libraries and the training of their users.
She currently works as a teaching librarian, reference service coordinator
virtual in the Library System of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.
At an academic level, she has a doctorate in Documentation: Archives and Libraries in the
Digital Environment from the Carlos III University of Madrid, a master's degree in Administration
Public and another in Sciences and Information Technologies, both from the University of Puerto
Rico, Río Piedras Campus.
Dr. Lebron has actively participated by offering presentations and/or workshops on
training in professional activities in the information field in Argentina, Aruba,
Bahamas, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, El Salvador, United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico,
Dominican Republic and Suriname among others.
She is currently the president of the Latin American and Caribbean Division of the Federation.
International Library Associations and Institutions (IFLALAC) and recently coordinated the International Advocacy Seminar of this same organization and which was held
held in Puerto Rico from February 27 – March 1. She was the president of the Association of
Caribbean University, Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) 2021-2022
and ACURIL, Puerto Rico Chapter (2012-2021). He is a member of the Board of ACURIL and
of ACURIL Chapter of Puerto Rico.

Dr. Said Saillant is an interdisciplinary scholar focusing on moral epistemology and Latin American philosophy. As the 2023 NSA Fellow at the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, he he will write the first annotated bibliography in English highlighting Dominican philosophical thought. Dr. Saillant serves as Executive Director of Societas Sapiens, Inc., a Santo Domingo nonprofit. In this role, he champions linguistic justice and open access to knowledge, advocating for proactive policy and technological initiatives to stimulate dialogue in the Dominican Republic on society's relationship with emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence. His research in moral epistemology presents a fresh view of traditional concepts of morality. His current book project, “Moral Megalomania: An Alternative to Moral Agency,” takes an unorthodox stance in moral philosophy by painting humans as morally obtuse or deluded apes, a departure from the conventional view of humans as moral agents. Dr. Saillant has received fellowships and given invited talks at institutions worldwide, including Oxford, Columbia, Copenhagen University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and University of Toronto. After earning a Ph.D. in Philosophy from MIT, he furthered his research as Fellow in Philosophy at Harvard. His career also includes a stint in the hedge fund industry, which allowed him to apply his research skills to real-world financial scenarios. In his spare time, he indulges his interests in nonfiction audiobooks, basketball, and traveling the globe.

Dr. Jaime Rodriguez Alicea is currently Assistant Librarian III (March 2008 to the present) at the School of Education, University High School, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. He holds a Doctorate in Education (2012) from the School of Education as well as Master in Information Science and Technologies (2019) from Graduate School of Information Science and Technologies, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. He has written several articles in professional periodicals and books about Information sciences, fine art, education and history. 

Janice Harrison is the Manager of the Library Services Unit at the HEART/NSTA Trust,
This organisation is responsible for the development of Technical Vocational Education and
Training, lifelong learning, and national service in Jamaica.
Mrs Harrison holds an undergraduate and a postgraduate degree in Library and Information
Studies from the University of the West Indies. She is also a trained assessor for the National
Council for Technical Vocational Education and Training for the Library and Information
Sector. Over the years, she has served as a member of the Lead Group for the development
of Standards for Library and Information Sector.
Mrs Harrison also organizes the Library Training Programmes, which prepares library
trainees for NVQJ Library certification.
She has two daughters and enjoys gardening, watching movies and attending dance shows.

Jyoti Malik is an Indian national working with the World Bank Group (WBG) since 2010. For the last 7 years, she has led the work on archives and records management for International Finance Cooperation (IFC), including training and guidance on records management policies and procedures. Prior to this, she was responsible for the network of Records and Information Management (RIM) coordinators in the World Bank South Asia and Middle East offices.
Her current priority is the partner and customer engagement regarding the development, design, and requirements for enhancements of the information management systems at IFC. In addition, she contributes to the WBG Going Digital program by identifying ways to reduce paper, supporting the growth of eSignature and new initiatives like in-place records management.
She recently received ‘World Bank Group Privacy Innovation Award 2024’ for successful implementation of the IFC Files and the migration of IFC Network Drive records to SharePoint Online

Kamau Osborne has been an information services professional for twelve (12) years. He has a Master’s degree in Library & Information Studies with a particular interest in cataloguing & classification from Dalhousie University, a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine) and a Diploma in Human Resources Management from the Institute of Commercial Management (U.K.). Mr. Osborne has held the positions as Librarian at the Environmental Commission of Trinidad & Tobago, Librarian II and Head of Department at the Ministry of the Attorney General & Legal Affairs, Law Librarian at the Eugene Dupuch Law School and Librarian II at the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS). He joined the team at the Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, in February 2023 where he holds the position of Faculty Liaison Librarian: Social Sciences.

Keon Schwiers has a Diploma in Public Management from the University of Guyana Berbice Campus and is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in the same field. He commenced working at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus Library in 2016 as a Library Assistant, however, he is currently employed as a Registry Assistant (Temp). He is experienced in supporting library operations and providing reference assistance. Mr. Schwiers is committed to promote literacy and facilitate access to information. Overall, he periodically engages in short courses to be able to deliver in this technological age.

Ms. Kumaree Ramtahal has been a librarian at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine
Campus for the past 18 years. She works as a cataloguer but occasionally supports some of the
work in the User Services Section mainly in delivering information literacy sessions and thesis
checking. She is a graduate of Western University in Canada where she obtained her Masters in
Library and Information Science (MLIS). She also holds a Masters in Management Studies
(Human Resource Management) from The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine as well
as a BSc in Sociology and Management. Ms. Ramtahal is a Past President of ACURIL 2017-
2018 where her conference theme interrogated the issues of Open Access in Caribbean Libraries,
Archives and Museums. She also serves on the ACURIL Executive Council and is a personal member.

• Lianne Leonora is a Curaçaon historian and social activist who researches social, cultural and political effects of colonialism on identity formation and nation building in the former Dutch colonies through the lens of critical race theories studies, post- and decolonial studies and critical discourse theories. She currently serves as Senior Information Specialist in charge of conserving the Dutch Caribbean Cultural Heritage and Jewish Archives of the Mikvé-Israël Emanuel Congregation of Curaçao at Mongui Maduro Library, Curaçao. She is an IFLA Licenced Caribbean Trainer for the Building Strong Libraries Associations Program and collaborates with local and international organizations. One of her professional life goals is to collect and share knowledge, raise awareness about conservation and documentation of Cultural Heritage and Caribbean History with a focus on ensuring a de-colonial and/or inclusive and truly accessible documentation of the cultural heritage while highlighting local, regional and global connections.

Marcelo Rodríguez joined the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library as the Foreign, Comparative and International Law Librarian in February 2021.  He came to us from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York City where he spent three years as their Research and Outreach Librarian and in charge of classes through the Justice for All initiative.  Marcelo also brings to the UA his research and librarian experience from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Columbia Law Library, the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, the International Criminal Court in the Hague, and the Law Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

Marcelo is active in numerous organizations, both nationally and internationally such as the American Association of Law Librarians (AALL), Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL), Association of Caribbean University, Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL), International Association of Law Libraries (IALL), Seminar of the Acquisition of Latin American Materials (SALALM), and the International Federation of Library Associations - Latin America and the Caribbean (IFLA-LAC). He is a columnist for slaw.ca and the creator of the international project Monitoring COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean. Born in Puerto Rico, he speaks Spanish and French fluently as well as reading knowledge in Hebrew and German.

Research topics of interest: International and Comparative Law, International Organizations and Supranational Unions, Latin America and the Caribbean, Territorial Law, Emoji Law, Social Media as Government Information

Marisol Florén-Romero manages FIU Law Library legal reference, outreach and legal research instruction activities. She oversees the acquisition and development of FIU Law Library’s foreign and international collection and is the Special Collections librarian. Dr. Florén-Romero additionally teaches comparative foreign and international law legal research and provides reference assistance to students and faculty of FIU Law.

Dr. Florén-Romero is the recipient of the 2015 Excellence in Librarianship award from FIU’s Faculty Senate. This honor recognizes her achievements in developing the Mario Diaz Cruz Collection, Caribbean Collection, and FIU Law Library’s other Special Collections, superior legal research techniques, and devotion to serving the FIU Law and South Florida legal community as a specialist foreign and international law librarian. As Assistant Director for Library Services, Dr. Floren-Romero has expanded FIU Law Library’s services to include enhanced reference and programming services. She is also instrumental in the activities of FIU Law Library’s Digital Initiatives Center, ensuring that open-access collections are properly cataloged with robust bibliographic information.

Member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Standing Committee, serving as Information Coordinator, Dr. Florén-Romero reports to the Foreign, Comparative & International Law Special Interest Section (FCIL-SIS) of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) regarding IFLA activities and conference proceedings. These reports, published in the FCIL Newsletter, inform foreign, comparative and international law librarians about current topics affecting their professional practice.

Dr. Florén-Romero hails from the Dominican Republic where she worked on judicial reform projects. She worked under the Supreme Court of Justice of the Dominican Republic and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) in the reform of the property rights system of the Dominican Republic; and earlier as Deputy Director in the reform of the criminal courts system of the city of Santo Domingo under the National Center for States Courts and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She previously served as an information specialist for the law firm Pellerano & Herrera, developing a bibliographic and full text database of Dominican legal materials, including the laws and decisions of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Dominican Republic. She also compiled a national bibliography of the Dominican Republic covering the years from 1844-1986; co-author of Bibliografia del Derecho Dominicano, 1844-1998 (AHHB, 1999); and reviewer of Latin American legal publications for Gaceta Judicial.

My name is Nadia Akelia Gamel Carter; I have worked as an Archivist at the National Archives of Guyana for the last 15 years. I recently completed my Master of Arts in Archives and Records Management at University College London in 2023. I have an undergraduate degree in history and geography and a post-graduate degree in international relations from the University of Guyana. I  have worked as a heritage professional on many historical projects and activities, collaborating with local and international like-minded agencies such as the National Trust, the University of Guyana, the Guyana Heritage Society, and the Institute of Historical Research. I also served as a representative on the Memory of the World Latin America Committee (MOWLAC). I have spearheaded several successful projects with the support of UNESCO and the National Archives of the Netherlands. In my spare time, I practice yoga and serve as secretary to South Vryheid’s Lust Youth Foundation and Sports Committee, promoting sports initiatives, job and health fairs. I am passionate about doing my part for the preservation of historical records for future generations.

Randy Siew is an experienced information professional with a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology from the University of Hertfordshire. He is also a certified ISO 9001 Lead Auditor from the Chartered Quality Institute. He works as a Faculty Liaison Librarian at the Alma Jordan Library at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine. Randy has also worked at the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) and The Medical Sciences Library, UWI, St. Augustine. Randy is a Library Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) and ACURIL member. He has also served on various committees at the national and regional levels. Randy's research interests include information security, quality management, circular economy, and applying digital technologies and media formats to deliver information literacy.

I was born in Paramaribo in 1991, Suriname. For the most part, I have experience in administration,
community work and in libraries. My sociological knowledge and new skills (technical and social) have been tightened by this work. I am versatile and I aim to contribute to everything I do. I hold a licence in Sociology from the Anton de Kom University in Suriname. I am currently in training as a Librarian Assistant at Surinamese Museum Foundation Library.

Rosangela Rodriguez Pedro is an experienced Media Technology Specialist with over ten years of experience inacademic institutions. She holds a post doctorate from the Universidad de Salamanca, Spain, a doctorate in Education University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus as well as a Master of Information Sciences from the Graduate School of Information Sciences and
Technology, University of Puerto Rico,Rio Piedras Campus. She has published many articles in professionals periodicals. She has an excellent reputation for resolving problems and improving customer satisfaction. She is Organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. She demonstrates willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals.

Ms. La Rose, Librarian II, Berbice Campus Library, among her qualifications are MEd (Curriculum and Instruction) from the University of Guyana and a Graduate Certificate (Information Studies) from Robert Gordon University. Ms. La Rose research interests include research skills, technology and knowledge and information management. She engages in research and periodically presents the same at various forums and has a number of publications.

Tamar “streach” Heron holds a BEd in Mathematics Education from The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus. He is currently an Information Technician at The UWI Mona Library where his work is focused on problem-solving. He is also the founder and Chair of The UWI, Mona Library Health and Wellness Committee (LHEWco), an organization that aims to promote the health and wellness of the Library’s staff - the first organisation of its kind in the Library system. With a passion for activity surrounding holistic health, Mr. Heron has led several initiatives through LHEWco that seek to expose staff to several multidimensional approaches towards healthy living. Since the establishment of LHEWco in 2019, he has organized and hosted several webinars, presented at conferences and talk shows. He has several years’ experience in graphic design, web design, photography, video production and post-production and he has utilised these multi-faceted skills to assist in promoting LHEWco’s programmes. He lives by the motto, Above all things, is God. Then EAR, E-ducation , A-mbition and R-espect for all.

Thunnis Van Oort is a historian interested in digital methods and techniques, citizen science,
colonial history and media history. At Radboud University Nijmegen, he is part of an effort to
build a database of the population of Suriname between 1830-1950. He has been associated as
a teacher and/or researcher at universities in Utrecht, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Middelburg and
Oxford.

Trecia Pryce is a Librarian at UTech, Jamaica with 20 years of experience in librarianship. She holds both a MA in Library and Information Studies and BA in History from the University of the West Indies, Mona. She co-authored the paper - Experiences, perspectives, and emerging frameworks: COLINET libraries response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was the Chair of the 11th Biennial  (COLINET) Symposium. She has served on a number of committees in LIAJA, COLINET and CARALL

Verónica A. González, currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Florida International University, is driven by a profound passion for cultural preservation. She is a librarian in the Digital Collection Department at Florida International University Libraries. Her research focuses on Cuban and Latin American music audio preservation and community engagement. She has coordinated and collaborated on university events in both national and international contexts. Veronica oversees one of the most extensive publicly available collections of Cuban music in the United States, the Díaz-Ayala Cuban and Latin American Popular Music Collection (DAC). Verónica utilizes this collection to support research, advance preservation, access, and digitization efforts

Ximena Valdivia serves as a Cataloging and Metadata Librarian at Florida International University (FIU). She holds a BS in Library Science from the Metropolitan University of Technology in Santiago, Chile, a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida and is currently studying for her Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the FIU Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center. In her position, she is responsible for providing original and complex copy cataloging, creating metadata to maximize discovery of digital content, and providing authority control for library materials and collections with a focus on Special Collections. She has previously worked with Barry University and the University of Miami in a number of capacities on significant historical collections.

Zetsia Ponson is an Information Specialist and currently serves as the Head of the National and Special Collections Department at Biblioteca Nacional Aruba. From 2016 to 2020 she served as the Secretary-General for the Aruba National Commission for UNESCO. She has a passion for culture and (intangible) heritage. She currently heads the organizing committee for Aruba's annual Children's Book Festival and is one of the presenters of the "Biba La Bieb" library podcast, available on Soundcloud, Youtube and through BNA's digital collection platform.

Having gained a Bachelor’s in Art Education and a Master’s in Information Sciences, González currently works as a research assistant at [IN]Genios academic journal and BCBI library at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Here she contributes to different efforts related to editorial management, content creation and journal administration. She is also currently enrolled in a Doctoral Degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, at the campus.

Arley Soto is a Librarian, co-founder of Biteca, Master in Digital Libraries and specialist in Project Management. Crossref’s ambassador and member of the editorial board in the journal Digital Library Perspectives.

Delise Thomas is a Librarian IV attached to NALIS, Educational Library Services Division. Her career in Libraries spans approximately 19 years. Ms Thomas has served in both Educational and Public Libraries across Trinidad and currently manages the Primary School Library Services Unit.  

Ms Thomas is an avid reader and is keen on literacy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature with Education (honours) from the University of the West Indies and a Masters in Library and Information Studies from the University of Aberystwyth. She has a passion for library service, a history of professionalism, an impressive work ethic and experience in management. 

Dr. Ardis Hanson is the Assistant Director of Research and Education at the Shimberg Health Sciences Library at the University of South Florida. Dr. Hanson has over 25 years of experience as a research librarian and has published extensively in behavioral health services, policy, and research. Her research focus is on language and social interaction, that is, how language is used in everyday practice to negotiate claims and identities, particularly in how behavioral health policy is created.

• Dr. Snejanka Penkova has Doctorate in Library Science and Bibliography from the State University of Culture and Arts of Saint Petersburg (Russia), 1993. She is Teaching librarian of the Library System (Business Administration Library) of the UPRRP. She has more than 15 years of experience in academic library management. She is Professor of undergraduate and graduate studies and thesis mentor at the UPR-Río Piedras (Faculty of Humanities, EGCTI) and resident professor at the Center for Academic Excellence (CEA) and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research (DEGI). She was Professor of undergraduate and graduate studies at several universities in the Dominican Republic (UNAPEC, UNIBE, UCE, Instituto Cultural-Dominico Americano), Guest professor at universities in Spain, Brazil, Haiti, and the Bulgarian Library and Information Association. She is member of of the Institutional Review Board of the UPRRP (CIPSHI),  member of Editorial Boards and Scientific Committees of international and Puerto Rican journals (QQLM e-journal, BBIA online, Fórum Empresarial). She participated in  Academic publications in several languages. She is  Evaluator (referee) of international and Puerto Rican magazines and  President of the Society of Librarians of Puerto Rico 2011-2013. Her Research interests are: evaluation of scientific publication, ethics of scientific publication, open access, altmetrics, researcher profiles, information literacy

Edwar Delgado joined OCLC in January 2013. He is the Library Consultant for The Caribbean, and the whole of Latin America.  Edwar is a graduated librarian from Universidad Javeriana in Colombia – South America. He has been in contact with OCLC since 2005 when he was selected as the first librarian from Latin America to attend the Jay Jordan OCLC-IFLA Early Career Fellowship.  After he finished the fellowship with OCLC, he returned with the goal to expose OCLC further in Colombia, which he did through his company, Contexto.  Edwar has experience in libraries and also has an MBA from University of Delaware in the United States.

Eric started working as an Education / Marketing manager in the world of libraries, archives and museums 2003. Since then he worked for two educational institutes specialised in archiving, information retrieval and document management. From the start he had a keen interest in digitalisation of information and the consequences for the information specialist.

Since June 2021 Eric is responsible for the development of a generic education program for all Information Professionals working for the Dutch Government. As a part of this project he is currently focusing on competence profiles for the Information Specialist of 2030.

Since 2007 Eric is active in the Dutch Caribbean. Since then he organised training programs for the National Archives of Suriname, Cuarcao and Aruba as well as the Anton de Kom University Library of Suriname. In 2021 / 2022 he coordinated the activities of the Library School of Suriname.

Eric is a board member of the KNVI (Royal Dutch Association for information professionals), member of the Innovation Committee of the Dutch Royal Library and an editor for the magazines Od (Governmental Information) and IP (Information Professional).

Erick Toussaint worked at FOKAL (Fondation Connaissance et Liberte) from 2009 to 2022, first as a trainer and then as coordinator of the library program. He was a member of the second cohort of INELI (International Network of Emerging Library Innovators organized by the Global Libraries division of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Previously, he served as a personal and institutional member of ACURIL’s executive council and is currently the president of the Association. He previously worked at a community librarian and has a degree in Computer Science.

Gale King is a Barbadian national who has been with the World Bank Group for 14 years within the Archives & Records unit. She is the Team Lead for the Intranet Resource Center responsible for the full lifecycle governance of M365 collaboration spaces and SharePoint sites from the Information Management perspective.
She managed an internal recognition program designed to promote the importance of good information and records management to the organization by celebrating efforts in this area. She spearheads the yearly effort to produce the Archive’s commemorative wall calendar, which highlights its 75 years of holdings and the value of institutional memory as a knowledge base for the institution’s current work.
Recently, she was recognized by her Vice Presidency for her efforts “Bringing Order to Chaos” through the governance of intranet sites and M365 collaboration spaces and by the Nielsen Norman Group as a team member of one of the “Top 10 Business Intranets”.

Shee obtained a bachelor's degree in Geography from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Later she completed a master's degree in Sciences with a specialty in Demography at the Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico and another master's degree in Information Sciences at the Graduate School of Information Sciences and Technologies of the Río Piedras Campus, of the University from Puerto Rico. In her professional career she has had the opportunity to work in various units of the University of Puerto Rico Library System. Her experience has been both in libraries specialized in Business Administration, Planning and Education, as well as in multidisciplinary units. She has also worked in the Technical Services Department, in the Acquisitions Section. She also worked on the Program for the Integration of Information Competencies into the Curriculum of the Library System. She is currently the librarian in charge of the Business Administration Library of the UPR, RP where she also coordinates the information competencies project and the development of the collection.
She has presented works at national and international events of professional associations.

Luis Joel Crespo Gonzalez is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education, Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Environments at the Ana G. Méndez University, Gurabo Campus, Puerto Rico. (In progress). He possesses a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) 2018, Administration of Academic, Public and Special Libraries, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, Puerto Rico, a Master of Information Sciences (MIS) 2013, Library Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, Puerto Rico, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) 2010, International Business, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico. He previously obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) 2005, Political Science, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Puerto Rico.

He has published several articles in prestigious publications such as Aceso, or the Caribbean Library Journal. He Is member of several professional Association and is currently Treasurer of the Association of Caribbean University, Research and Institution Libraries (ACURIL). He is currently Head of Acquisitions. University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. Rio Piedras. Library System, as well as Assistant Professor. University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. Rio Piedras.

Electronic engineer from the Polytechnic School (POLI) of the University of São Paulo (USP), with a specialization in project management in information technologies (IT) also from POLI/USP. She is currently Coordinator of IT Infrastructure at the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME/PAHO/WHO), with over 30 years of experience in IT, with an emphasis on infrastructure and including project management, system development and database administration.

Margot Thomas was appointed the first National Archivist of Saint Lucia in 1992 and since then has continued to build the National Archives Authority of Saint Lucia into a model institution for small states using the Total Records concept.

Mrs. Thomas is the author of four books including From Slavery to Freedom: Some Aspects of the Impact of Slavery on Saint Lucia and continues her research into the history of Saint Lucia.

Mrs. Thomas was:

  *  A Commonwealth Fellow in 1996

  * President of The Caribbean Branch of the International Council on Archives  (CARBICA) 1997- 2001

  * Executive member of the International Council on Archives (ICA) 1999 - 2001

  * President of the Memory of the World for Latin America and the Caribbean   2009 - 2012

In June 2008, Mrs. Thomas was among twenty-five individuals inducted into the National Heroes Gallery for Students and was presented the Eagle award for excellence in records management and archiving.

On the country’s thirty-fifth anniversary of Independence in 2014, Mrs. Thomas was the recipient of the Saint Lucia Medal of Merit (Gold) during the National Awards of Excellence for her contribution to archiving.

In May 2016, Mrs. Thomas began a new journey as a an artist specializing in portraiture.

In March 2021, Mrs. Thomas was one of thirty-two (32) women honored by the National Reparations Committee for induction into its one hundred (100) women Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Thomas holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Archives Administration and Records Management from University College, London and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English with History from the University of the West Indies, CaveHill, Barbados.

Dr. Nancy Abreu Báez earned a doctorate in Hispanic Studies with a specialty in Puerto Rican literature, a master's degree in Library and Information Science, MLS, with a concentration in academic libraries, and a bachelor's degree in Hispanic Studies with a second concentration in French Language and Literature . In addition, she completed two minor concentrations in Comparative Literature and Portuguese. All her degrees are from the Río Piedras Campus.

In the 1990s she began her career as a teaching librarian at the Natural Sciences Library. She served as automation coordinator. She was part of the team made up of librarians and professors from the Department of Biology who developed the Bibliographic Research course integrated into the General Biology 3101 course.

In the Library System, she held several positions and was chief librarian of the Circulation and Reserve Collection. She was prominent in the Puerto Rican Library and Newspaper Archive, the Caribbean Regional Library and Latin American Studies, she was Assistant Director of the Collections Department and chief librarian of the Library of Library Sciences and Computer Science. She has been a Claustral Senator. She has taught courses in the Spanish Department of the Faculty of General Studies, DECEP and the Madre Maestra University in the Dominican Republic.

As director of the Library System, she has worked on collaboration agreements with different academic institutions and libraries, such as Rutgers University, the Library of Congress of Argentina, and the National Library. Make library work visible. Promote the development of projects, among others.

She has presented conferences at several national and international conferences on library and literary topics. She was part of a group of professors from the Faculty of General Studies who participated in the III International Colloquium “Cross Collective Representations: Africas, Americas and Caribbeans. XIX-XXI Centuries” held at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University, Abidjan, Ivory Coast in November 2019. Her articles have been published in the Revista de Estudios Hispánicos, Caribbean Studies and various publications

Peter Scholing is an information scientist and researcher at Biblioteca Nacional Aruba, Aruba's National Library, responsible for digitization, digital collections and research.

As curator of the Aruba National Library's digital collections, his current main project is "Coleccion Aruba", the "Aruba Collection", a digital collection platform and information portal that aims to digitally unite and make available all of Aruba's documentary and cultural heritage that is physically scattered across different islands, countries and continents.

Mr. Scholing is a member of the Aruba National Commission for UNESCO and the current President of MoWLAC, the Regional Committee for UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ms. Peters holds a BSc. in Management from the University of Guyana Berbice Campus and is
currently pursuing an MBA at the Texila American University. She has been working at the
University of Guyana Berbice Campus Library for over 10 years, commencing as a Clerk Typist
and is currently employed as an Assistant Librarian (Temp). Ms. Peters research interests include
exploring new and innovative ways to enhance library services and streamline operations. She
has a penchant for research and excels providing research assistance such as paper formatting
and editorial work, delving into exploring then using various technological tools to its advantage.
Her dedication to enhancing patrons’ experience and her commitment to staying abreast with
technological advancements in this era as it relates to libraries make her a valuable asset to the
academic library. She periodically engages in various types of collaborative research venture

Raymond Hernandez completed his studies as a historian at the Dutch University of Groningen in 1989. After returning to his homeland Aruba, where he served as Member of Parliament, he was appointed as a scientific researcher at the Aruban Records Management Services. In 1994 he became the first director of the newly instituted department of the Historical Archives of Aruba, which became the National Archives of Aruba in 2004.

Under his guidance this service developed from a very small historical archive in the inner city of Oranjestad, to a greater and matured archival institution, where he and his colleagues manage and protect the national cultural heritage of Aruba.

Next year the National Archives will be celebrating its 30^th anniversary and is now setting up the structure, together with other Aruban cultural heritage institutions, for a new form of making their Aruban heritage visible and accessible to the whole world community.

Mr. Ronny Reinold Alders started to work in May 1991 at the National Library of Aruba in the service of the Government of Aruba. Mr. Alders obtained in 1992 the Diploma "Basisopleiding Bibliotheekpersoneel" of the Antillean Public Library Association. Mr. Alders temporarily supervised the school library of the Colegio Arubano of the Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet Onderwijs and the Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs in Oranjestad. Mr. Alders worked also temporarily at the library branch of the National Library of Aruba in San Nicolas.

Ms. La Rose, Librarian II, Berbice Campus Library, among her qualifications are MEd (Curriculum and Instruction) from the University of Guyana and a Graduate Certificate (Information Studies) from Robert Gordon University. Ms. La Rose research interests include research skills, technology and knowledge and information management. She engages in research and periodically presents the same at various forums and has a number of publications.

Library curator since 1994. She has worked at the University of Lille, the University of Savoie-Mont Blanc, the University of Grenoble-Alpes and the University of La Réunion. Since 2019 she has been working at the University of the Antilles, Pole of Guadeloupe.

João Paulo Souza is a medical-social scientist whose main interest lies in the intersection between Social Epidemiology and the Translation of Scientific Knowledge in Health Policies and Practices. With a background in obstetrics & gynecology and critical care medicine (FMRP-USP), he carried out postgraduate studies aimed at developing the concept of maternal near-miss (UNICAMP). His doctoral thesis received the Capes Theses Award in 2009. Between 2002 and 2008, he worked as an intensive care physician and medical coordinator of the Adult Intensive Care Unit of the Center for Integral Attention to Women's Health (UNICAMP). As of 2007, he gained international insertion, particularly as a consultant (2007-present) and physician at the World Health Organization (2008-2013, 2016-2017), where he developed studies and guidelines for the reduction of maternal mortality, including the theory of obstetric transition (evolution of eco-social determinants of maternal mortality). During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021), he served as an intensivist and coordinator of the 4th  Intensive Care Center at Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto, a unit dedicated to coping with COVID-19, in addition to integrating committees for the preparation of guidelines of the World Health Organization related to this condition. He became an Associate Professor at the University of São Paulo in 2014 and, in 2016, a Full Professor at the Department of Social Medicine at FMRP-USP. Between October 2019 and September 2022, he was the head of this department. He has published more than 200 scientific papers, works as a reviewer of articles, is a member of the editorial board of scientific journals and of advisory committees of funding agencies. He also advises master's and Doctoral students in Public Health. Dr João Paulo assumes the direction of the Center with the mission of consolidating BIREME as “PAHO's Evidence Center for Action in Health”.

José J. Morales-Benítez is the Research Services Librarian in the Graduate Research and Innovation Center (GRIC) at the General Library of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM). He provides support services to graduate students and faculty in all stages of the research process. José creates online educational objects and workshops on topics such as research data management, scholarly communications, and discovery and evaluation of scientific information sources, plus he co-manages UPRM’s institutional repository, Scholar@UPRM.

Judith C. Russell holds a Master of Science in Library Science from the Catholic
University of America and has served as the Dean of University Libraries at the
University of Florida in Gainesville since May 2007. Previously, Russell held multiple
positions with the U.S. Government including as Managing Director, Information
Dissemination and Superintendent of Documents at the Government Printing Office.
Active in the professional library community Russel is a former board member and
past president of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries and a former
board member of the Association of Research Libraries. She is active in the American
Library Association and the Association for College and Research Libraries. She is
Chair of the Board of Directors for Oak Hammock at the University of Florida and a
board member of the University of Florida Press, the Digital Library of the Caribbean
(dLOC), LLMC Digital, and CHORUS.

Ms. Peters holds a BSc. in Management from the University of Guyana Berbice Campus and is currently pursuing an MBA at the Texila American University. She has been working at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus Library for over 10 years, commencing as a Clerk Typist and is currently employed as an Assistant Librarian (Temp). Ms. Peters research interests include exploring new and innovative ways to enhance library services and streamline operations. She has a penchant for research and excels providing research assistance such as paper formatting and editorial work, delving into exploring then using various technological tools to its advantage. Her dedication to enhancing patrons’ experience and her commitment to staying abreast with technological advancements in this era as it relates to libraries make her a valuable asset to the academic library. She periodically engages in various types of collaborative research venture.

Ray Ganessingh is a staff member at the University of the West Indies Alma Jordan Library, St. Augustine Campus.
He has 28 year’s experience working at the Medical Sciences Library, Mt. Hope.
He is a graduate of the Aberystwyth University, Department of Library and Information Studies (DLIS), Wales in the United Kingdom (UK).
He is a member of The Library Association of Trinidad and Tobago, The Association of Caribbean University, Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Ganessingh is involved in Open Access repositories such as MedCarib and UWISpace. Mr Ganessingh views MedCarib and UWISpace as valuable tools to enhance the discoverability of Medical and Health information from the English–speaking Caribbean and accessible to the Health and Medical populations.

Nancy S. Kirkpatrick is the Dean of Libraries at Florida International University in
Miami. She joined FIU in Fall 2023 after nearly five years as the Executive Director and
CEO of OhioNet, a multitype library consortium representing a diverse membership
throughout Ohio and the region. Kirkpatrick practiced non-profit law and advocacy
before entering the library space, where she has over 15 years of experience. An ALA
Spectrum Scholar, she holds an MS in Library and Information Science from the
iSchool (formerly GSLIS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a JD from
the School of Law at the University of Richmond, and a BA in Journalism from Drake
University. Kirkpatrick has been a board member on the Open Library Foundation
since 2021, the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) since 2023, and currently

serves as Vice-Chair for the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) Members Council on
Library Services.

Nesha Z. Haniff was born in Triumph Village East Coast Demerara. She attended Central High School and in her early childhood lived in Albuoystown and later in Russell and Charlotte streets, after which she moved to the US and received from the University of Michigan, her BA in Sociology and her PhD in the Social Foundations of Education. She also received her master’s in public health from the University of Hawaii. She lectured at the University of Michigan on race, gender and health, revolving around two of her major programs the Pedagogy of Action and the Gender Consciousness Project. Although her work spanned the Caribbean, USA and South Africa, it was her seminal work on HIV developed in Guyana with the Guyanese women’s organization Red Thread that shaped her revolutionary pedagogies for students and communities in their many global locations.
Of great significance was Nesha Haniff’s publication Blaze A Fire which highlighted the Significant contributions of Caribbean women and included women in thirteen Caribbean countries ranging from women laborers to heads of government. It was written for high school students to value the contribution of women regardless of status. At that time gender was not being taught. There have been many articles, presentations, publications, accomplishments and projects but of significance is the art catalogue 60 years of Women Artists in Guyana which she edited in 1988. Indeed she worked to support the Guyana Women Artist Association and was the catalyst of this exhibition which was historic for all artists.