Hosted in centres of expertise around the world, IFLA’s Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Centres are focal points of knowledge on regional and international issues in cultural heritage conservation and preservation. They are a key resource for IFLA’s wider work on cultural heritage.

We are happy to announce that the University of Cape Town Libraries (UCTL) have been appointed as IFLA PAC Hub. This new role will help coordinate the global network, increase participation and cooperation, and foster the exchange of best practices and information across the network and beyond.

About UCTL

Following a global call and review process, IFLA has appointed UCTL to this role for their experience both in documentary heritage preservation and conservation, as well as their interest in fostering international collaboration.

The University of Cape Town is the oldest in South Africa, and the libraries hold extensive collections, including unique African collections. The libraries have placed an increasing focus on preservation and disaster risk reduction, and are interested in sharing their experience with libraries around the world.

“After the loss of the Jagger Library in 2021, our commitment to preserving cultural and documentary heritage has been profoundly reshaped. As the IFLA PAC Hub, UCT Libraries are excited to work with the IFLA PAC network and contribute to safeguarding human knowledge through collaboration and shared learning”. – Ujala Satgoor, UCTL Executive Director

Amplifying the impact of the PAC Network

IFLA’s PAC Network includes PAC Centres spread across every IFLA region around the world, each hosted by a major institution. Each Centre has its own specific expertise and regional perspective, but also highlights specific priorities and shares knowledge globally.

We look forward to working with UCTL to help identify more opportunities to work together regionally or across the full network, including on cooperative cross-Centre projects, and connecting the PAC Centres to the worldwide cultural heritage community.

Find out more about IFLA’s PAC Centres here: https://www.ifla.org/units/pac-centres/

Stay tuned for more news on Preservation and Conservation here: PAC Centre News