The Effect on Developing Countries of Hosting an International Conference: A Content Analysis

Abstract

This article discusses a common practice of international organizations: the rotation of conference venues and the scheduling of conferences in developing countries. A 1995 study of a small international professional organization, the International Association of School Librarianship, found that this practice has a major effect on the profession within the developing country hosting a conference. Through conferences, organizations disseminate information, stimulate professional development and leadership skills, provide access for local practitioners, and legitimatize the profession. In turn, hosting conferences allows developing countries a chance to counterbalance the dominance of an organization by Western members and academic concerns. Results from a content analysis of the IASL conference proceedings, 1972–93, reveal that conference venue has had an impact on conference topics and themes. Because hosting a conference means selecting themes and papers for inclusion, IASL members from developing countries who take on this task have helped ensure that the literature of school librarianship is as diverse as its member countries and provides relevant information from a variety of perspectives.