Prepared by Arjun Sanyal and Anthony Martinez

1. RESPECTIVE LIBRARIES & SETTING THE AGENDA
CONVERSATIONS AND ENVISIONING FUTURES
Conversations in the International
Librarian Networking Program:
India & U.S.A
Arjun Sanyal is an Assistant Librarian at Central
University of Himachal Pradesh and a former
Assistant Professor at the Central University of
Gujarat.
Despite Arjun being an assistant librarian in an academic library, and Anthony being a trustee at a public library, both found much common ground during
their conversations grappling with big picture ideas. Ideas like, what libraries do, what the future holds for them, and what Arjun and Anthony will play in
them. One quote from an author both participants enjoy came up often during their discussions:
“Libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about
education (which is not a process that finishes the day we leave school or university), about entertainment,
about making safe spaces, and about access to information.” - Neil Gaiman, The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction
● Arjun and Anthony may have started off not knowing each other, but now they consider themselves the best of friends.
● In this long intriguing journey of librarianship, it is only by treading the uncharted paths that one can engender
innovative wonders.
● Despite being at different points in their respective librarian career paths (one a working librarian, the other a student),
Anthony and Arjun were pleasantly surprised by how the the learning process never ends regardless of position and the
extent to which they could support one another's professional ambitions and development.
1. Getting to know each
other on Zoom across
borders and timezones. A
simple conversation kicks
off a wonderful journey.
2. Celebrating professional
achievements that took
place during the program
such as receiving awards
from CILIP (Arjun) and ARL
(Anthony).
TAKEAWAYS
REFLECTIONS: THE JOURNEY AHEAD
3. Furthering the agenda of
international librarianship by
considering how libraries can
rethink the agenda of
sustainable futures.
4. Deliberating how librarians can
embark on professional development
and collaborative research
endeavours with iSchools and other
stakeholders globally.
LEFT: Central University of Himachal
Pradesh in Dharamsala, India
RIGHT: Tompkins County Public
Library in Ithaca, NY, U.S.A.
Arjun and Anthony would like to extend their deepest thanks and
gratitude to the ALA International Relations Roundtable for this
opportunity, the International Librarian Networking Program
organizers, and liaison Yongming Wang for all their help and
encouragement.
Anthony Martinez is a graduate student at the
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and a
former trustee at the Tompkins County Public
Library.
● Keep striving for social justice because that is one the library professionals’ calling.
● Keep calm, keep the smile on your face and carry on.
● LIbraries are dynamic socio-cultural milieu that spur the creative urge individuals.
● Learn, unlearn, again learn and innovate for sustainable futures.
“Practitioners have a privileged discourse
with empirical reality.”
-Mary Ann Swain, “Models of Collaboration & Competition: The
University Expectation,” Association for Library and Information
Science Education Annual Conference, 1989