ICS hosts first Addis International School Librarians Exchange

ICS Addis is a hub for learning — even for professional librarians!

A group of librarians gathered at ICS Addis for a conference focused on professional development, exchanging ideas, and fostering connection.  

“I’ve been noticing a need for collaboration among Addis librarians for a while now. We are all working on the same things, trying to build library readership and the programs at our schools, but we all work on our own, without much outside support,” ICS Head Librarian Annie Harris said. 

The Addis Librarian Exchange was born after multiple attempts to unite librarians at international schools in the city.

The conference was modeled after International Baccaluareate (IB) "job-alikes," which allow educators who teach similar subjects to come together for professional growth opportunities. 

"We decided to create a similar professional development opportunity for ICS and Addis Librarians. We wanted to support a way for librarians in Addis to come together for professional learning and the exchange of ideas," Annie said.

While there are a lot of libraries across Addis, ICS has one of the most well-developed school libraries in the city. This put ICS in the unique position to support community members and act as a hub for innovation and partnerships with other schools. 

“The turnout was much better than we expected. We thought it might take a few years to build, but it turns out that many librarians were interested in the same thing — collaborating with one another to learn more," she said. 

“People felt as though they walked away with a lot of ideas and a plan for future connection." 

ICS strives to be a place of learning for all of its community members and regularly hosts professional learning opportunities for teachers, nurses, as well as facilities and school advancement professionals from around the globe. Stay tuned to our website and social media for more opportunities to attend.