We are pleased to share the experience of one of our MLA-ICC caucus members from her attendance at the EAHIL conference in Rotterdam, Netherlands that was held during May 31- June 3, 2022. Here is Alice Stoke, perspectives and views:
I attended the EAHIL Conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands from May 31-June 3, 2022. The conference theme was Broaden the Horizons: Diversity, Partnership and Innovation with a Human Touch. It was wonderful to attend an in-person conference after two years of virtual events. At every turn, I found friendly faces and lively conversation.
While this was my first time attending an international conference, the process was very smooth. There was an excellent conference website with the abstracts, slides, and supplemental content. An online scheduling site made it very easy to select and participate in different sessions. There were events each evening (first-timers conference attendees reception, welcome reception, conference dinner). The local organizing committee went above and beyond, providing helpful information on local accommodations, travel and the venue.
Above all, the conference program was rich and excellent and included outstanding mix of workshops, oral presentations, plenary sessions, poster sessions and exhibition time. I attended a live workshop with Wichor Bramer, and a researcher who wanted to begin a systematic review. Conference tracks included evidence synthesis, education, resources and metrics, data, and professional connections.
The size of the conference made it easy to strike up conversations and network during and between session. I made several valuable connections with health sciences librarians in Spain, where I will be spending my upcoming sabbatical. There were a handful of attendees from the US and Canada, but the majority were from Europe. I speak some Spanish and some French, but rest assured if you only speak English you would be welcomed. The conference content was all in English.
I highly recommend the EAHIL Conference to any MLA members with an interest in international collaboration or just looking for additional conference opportunities. While I was lucky enough to have professional development funding from my institution to travel to this conference, ICC members are eligible to apply for the Avraham Reis ICC International Conference Travel Grant to attend international conferences like EAHIL.