Helena Asamoah-Hassan


Helena R. Asamoah-Hassan is a Ghanaian librarian who is the present Executive Director of African Library and Information Associations and Institutions and the Board Chair for the Ghana Library Authority

Career

She is the immediate past University Librarian of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. President of the Ghana Library Association from 2002 to 2006, and the first president of the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions. She served as the Chairperson of the International Advisory Committee for UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme 2013 – 2015. A member of the IFLA Governing Board 2010 - 2012 and the Chairperson of the Management Committee of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana as well as a founding member from March 2004 to 2013

Education

Her education started at the Breman Asikuma Roman Catholic School,, Howard Memorial Primary School and continued at the Nyaniba Middle Boarding School, where she obtained her middle school certificate and then to Konongo Odumasi Secondary School for her secondary education. She gained admission to study Library Science at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria for a bachelor's degree. she obtained her Master of Arts Degree in Library Studies, and a PhD from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Positions Held

Positions held by Dr. Helena Asamoah-Hassan include and not limited to the following:
As a Librarian and a leader, she has contributed to knowledge in all aspects of Librarianship having ninety six papers to her credit. These papers were presented at Conferences and seminars at national and International level.
  1. Growth of African Research, Equity in Access and Dissemination of African content - the Catalysts.
  2. AfLIA and Library Human Capital Development for Africa’s development. 
  3. The Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana - History & Way Forward. Presented at a CARLIGH meeting held in Accra in March 2019
  4. The African Library and Information Association. Presented at the GLA Conference in Accra, 6 December 2017
  5. Contribution of Libraries to Development in Africa. Presented at the Side Event of the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, New York, USA, June 2017
  6. The Scholarly e-Information Access in Ghana – An Overview. Presented at the UNESCO –CERN Workshop held at KNUST, Kumasi, in December 2016
  7. UN agenda 2030: Sustainable Development Goals and Libraries. Presented at the International Workshop on UN Agenda 2030 and AU Agenda 2063 held at the Balme Library, University of Ghana, Legon, 5th  – 6 May 2016
  8. The Library and the Scholarly Community. Presented at the Collaborative Publishing Workshop organised by PKP/CARLIGH on 4 May 2016 at CSIR INSTI, Accra
  9. Sustaining CoP with a Strategic Plan. Presented at the Volta River Authority of Ghana Staff held at Akosombo, 21 March 2016
  10. Library Landscape in Ghana. Presented Online to Students of Melanie Sellar of San Jose University, USA on 2 November 2015.
  11. INELI – Sub Saharan Africa : Plans and Prospects. Presented at Global INELI meeting held at the Bill & Melinda Foundation Offices, Seattle, USA in May 2015.
  12. An Informed Youth in a Competitive Global World - a Dependable Partner in Decision-Making
  13. Embracing electronic scholarly publishing in Africa; the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Library, Kumasi, Ghana as a case study.
  14. University Library partnership and funding in West Africa
  15. Violence against Women
  16. Gender and Development
  17. Widowhood Practices among the Akan of Ghana - Yesterday and Today
  18. Women Creating a Sturdy Foundation for Social Growth.
  19. Starting a new scholarly journal: the library's role in promoting scholarly publishing
  20. Transforming Anglophone Library Associations in West Africa
  21. Strengthening the Capacities of Women of the West African Sub-Region for Peace Building
  22. Memory of the World Programme – a Summary Paper presented at the UNESCO Forum, WLIC/ IFLA Conference in Milan, Italy.
  23. A Library ready for 21st century services: the case of the University of Science and Technology Library, Kumasi, Ghana. 
  24. Information: The Oil in the Wheel of National Development

    Awards