A law librarian from the North-West University (NWU) will represent South Africa on an international stage later this year after securing a travel grant to attend a global legal information conference in the United States.

Maropene Thomas Ramabina, faculty librarian for law at the NWU’s Vanderbijlpark Campus, is the recipient of the Non-Member Grant from the International Association of Law Libraries (IALL). The grant, worth up to US$3 000, will support his participation at the 43rd Annual Conference of the IALL in Houston, Texas, from 19 to 23 October 2025.

“The grant is not just about me,” says Maropene. “It affirms the role South African law librarians can play in shaping legal information systems globally. I look forward to learning from my peers and bringing back knowledge that can support our university and broader professional networks.”

The theme of the conference is “Rule of law rising: Advancing law in a connected world”. The event will bring together law librarians, legal scholars and information professionals from around the world. Maropene’s selection was noted by the IALL Grants Committee as “exceptionally promising and of particular merit”.

He will join in discussions about legal research, digital access and the evolving role of law libraries in a globalised society.

Maropene currently serves as chairperson of the Organisation of South African Law Libraries and contributes scholarly work on copyright, artificial intelligence and legal information services. His attendance is expected to strengthen both personal and institutional networks in the legal information sector.

Dr Sabelo Chizwina, director for Information and Learning Services, welcomed the announcement. “This achievement reflects the strength of expertise within our Library and Information Services team,” said Dr Chizwina. “We are confident that Maropene’s engagement at IALL will enrich our services and promote knowledge-sharing across the sector.”

Upon his return, Maropene will lead a knowledge sharing session at the NWU, aimed at unpacking developments in international law librarianship and how these could benefit local systems and strategic goals.

“We hope this will inspire other colleagues to seek out and contribute to global platforms,” added Dr Chizwina.

Maropene Thomas Ramabina, faculty librarian for law at the NWU’s Vanderbijlpark Campus, is the recipient of the Non-Member Grant from the International Association of Law Libraries.