IFLA 2013: "Hello, may I help you?" #wlic2013

"Where can I get spare printer cartridges?"

"It's very busy out there... I need more people."

"I'm tasked to assist the IFLA Secretary General... Nooo don't take my picture!"

"A taxi uncle brought this back. Somebody left it in his taxi" (referring to a IFLA bag)

"Where's the technician? I finally got someone to unlock the room!"

"What's your role as a volunteer?"
"I'm a maid."
"A maid?"
"I look after (an VIP delegate)."

"I'm sleepy. The delegate is sleepy..."

"Waaaah! Uuuugh!"
(Exclamations and lamentations by some volunteers when told that the opening ceremony venue looked grand; their realisation that they have to man their posts.)



Volunteers are the lifeline of IFLA conferences.

I dropped by the secret location of the IFLA volunteer HQ (just kidding about the secret location). It's normally out of bounds for delegates but my NLB colleagues let me in.

I wanted to share a peek of what goes on behind the scenes. Obviously I'm barely scratching the surface.





The official opening ceremony was about to start when I wrote this.

3,500 delegates from 120 countries.

I'm not sure how many volunteers were involved.

Thank you to each one of you.