Bill Harmer, director of the Chelsea District Library, has been chosen to attend the 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) Global Libraries Peer Learning Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa from April 22-25.
The Global Libraries Peer Learning Meeting (PLM) brings together librarians from around the world to learn from each other on the topics of exploring community engagement, building strong partnerships, assessing community needs, innovating in a local context, and strengthening the base of support from which libraries are funded, according to a press release from the library.
The meeting will bring together more than 120 library leaders world-wide.
“This is such an honor and a great opportunity for the library, Chelsea, and for me,” Harmer said in the press release, adding, “I am really anxious to meet with my colleagues and peers from all over the world to continue the professional discourse about how libraries are essential to the success of our communities.”
The BMGF’s Global Libraries program supports efforts to supply and maintain free public access to computers and the Internet in ten countries around the world.
Harmer was named one of Library Journal’s “Movers and Shakers” for 2009.
He created the Rock & Roll Library Tour, bringing live music from the band the High Strung to libraries all over America since 2005.
Harmer conducts workshops and gives presentations around the country on topics including outreach, programming, and strategic planning.
For more information visit chelsea.lib.mi.us.
So happy to be a patron of Bill’s library!
Way to go Bill. The library is doing great work.