THE University of Guyana Library will be spearheading the hosting of the 53rd Association of Caribbean University Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) Conference in collaboration with other libraries, archives and museums at the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown Guyana, from May 12 – May 16, 2024.

ACURIL offers a regional network to exchange ideas and to promote international collaboration, research and development in all areas of the information and knowledge fields, a release from the university stated.

This year’s event is being held under the theme “From Metadata to Big Data: Trends and Hidden Treasures in Libraries, Museums, and Archives in the Caribbean.”

The sub-themes will focus on: How can libraries, museums, and archives of the Caribbean benefit from big data and AI? And Ethics, privacy concerns and the future of data in the libraries, museums, and archives of the Caribbean, the release added.

The conference will see high-level keynote speakers such as Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin, University of Guyana, Vice-Chancellor, XI; Erick Toussaint, ACURIL President 2023-2024; Jean Basptiste Marc, Logipam; Judith C. Russell, University of Florida Libraries; Nancy S. Kirkpatrick, Florida International University Libraries; and Nesha Z. Haniff, University of Michigan.

There will also be other international speakers, such as: Sheila Gobes-Ryan, University of South Florida; Amarilis González-Rivera, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, Astrid Britten, Biblioteca Nacional Aruba; Eric Kokke, School for Information, the Netherlands; and Gale King, World Bank Group just to name a few.

Apart from the presentations, the conference will encompass international booth exhibitions, city tours, cultural extravaganza, and networking opportunities, the release said.