LD4 Professional Development Award, Spring 2026

[ld4-community]

On behalf of the LD4 Steering Committee, we would like to congratulate the first awardee, Adetomiwa Basiru, recipient of the Professional Development Award. The awarded funds will support travel and related expenses for attendance at the Koha Conference (KohaCon26), which will be held at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany from October 5–9, 2026.

At the conference, Adetomiwa will present, "Transforming Access to Knowledge: An Empirical Study of Koha Implementations and the Impact of Linked Data in Nigerian Libraries." The presentation explores how libraries in Nigeria are using Koha and linked data technologies to improve access to information, strengthen research discoverability, and modernize library services. Drawing on implementation experiences from academic libraries, the session will discuss how open-source systems can support increased user engagement, collaboration, and more efficient resource management while also addressing challenges related to training, infrastructure, and adoption.

The Koha Conference is an annual international event that brings together members of the Koha community for networking, learning, and collaboration. The conference features presentations, workshops, and professional development opportunities focused on open-source library systems and technologies. Sessions will be offered in both in-person and online formats, providing attendees with opportunities to engage with librarians, developers, and information professionals from around the world.

This award is made possible by our generous 2024 and 2025 LD4 Conference sponsors: OCLC, Clarivate, Casalini Libri/@cult, and EBSCO. Please join us in congratulating Adetomiwa on this achievement.

LD4 Steering Committee

Kelly Davis, Rijksmuseum
Huda Khan, Stanford University
Kalli Mathios, Stanford University
Darnelle Melvin, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Jeff Mixter, OCLC
Karly Wildenhaus, The New York Public Library