For the first time in the journal's history, Library Trends has published a bilingual issue. Communities and Technologies: Realities, Challenges, and Opportunities for Librarians in Cuba was edited by Kate Williams, iSchool associate professor; Pedro Urra González, professor of information technologies at the University of Havana’s School of Library and Information Sciences; and Professor Yohannis Martí-Lahera, professor, director of information, and director of the Central Library at the University of Havana.
The issue, published in English and Spanish, includes articles that were written in English or Spanish and then translated into the other language. Translation services were provided by Steffes & Associates Language and Translation, LLC (SALT), specifically by lead translators Lisa M. Rodríguez and Lizandra Perez.
The issue highlights the value of global collaboration and knowledge sharing, focusing on the contributions of Cuba's libraries through technology and community work. It examines new directions in Cuban librarianship, particularly free and open-source resources that empower diverse individuals and organizations.
Articles address topics such as the impact of information literacy programs and services on community health, including the health of seniors; challenges and breakthroughs in institutional repositories; the use of linked open data to transform paper-based library catalogs; and the creation of a library floor plan that promotes citizen empowerment and community development. The final article emphasizes how Cuba's participation in international library work advances both Cuban and global librarianship, promoting positive, collaborative partnerships.
According to Williams, producing a bilingual issue was essential, allowing Library Trends to provide direct access to the content for audiences in Latin America and Spain.
"It was challenging, and a professional translation team was a must. Thank you to the excellent SALT translators! It also was only possible because my two co-editors, Pedro Urra and Yohannis Martí, are bilingual. We bridged not only language but also different research traditions," said Williams.
Events will be held in Urbana and Havana to celebrate and reflect on the issue. On November 18, Urra González, Martí-Lahera, and Williams will be panelists for the bilingual presentation, "Cuba-U.S. scholarly publishing: Three partners reflect"/"Publicacion academica Cuba-EEUU: Tres socios reflexionan." The talk, which is part of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) Lecture Series, will be held in room 101 International Studies Building at 3:00 p.m.
Library Trends explores critical trends in professional librarianship and includes practical applications, thorough analyses, and literature reviews. The journal is edited by Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe (MS '94), professor and coordinator for information literacy services and instruction at the University of Illinois Library, and it is published quarterly for the iSchool by The Johns Hopkins University Press.