An image of paper chain shaped like people with text

The message below accompanies the July 2025 edition of the IFLA Newsletter.

No library is an island.

Not only are we defined by the difference we make in our communities – present and future – but we are also part of a wider ecosystem that contains many other institutions, organisations and actors.

The question then is whether we are ready to see connections as a chore, or as an opportunity to do things we could never manage on our own (and to let our partners do the same!).

IFLA itself has placed a major emphasis on partnerships as drivers of innovation, impact, influence, and investment. And of course, the theme chosen by Vicki McDonald for her presidency is ‘Stronger Together’.

At a global level, we are actively looking to build relationships, including with actors who may not seem like traditional library partners, but where we can see real potential for synergy.

Across our volunteer community, the same is happening, with our committees identifying how, through equitable and strategic cooperation, we can go further.

In our wider work, we encourage and support the same logic, believing that the investment of time and imagination in creating wider networks will pay off many times over, contributing to library impact and sustainability.

This edition of our newsletter contains a range of stories highlighting these connections – with parliaments, with climate change actors, with the internet governance community and more.

In addition, you can catch up on what our President and Governing Board have been doing, read the latest about preparations for our 2025 World Library and Information Congress in Astana, Kazakhstan, check out the latest newsletters from our sectors, and be updated on our advocacy and regional work.

Don’t forget to read to the end, too, in order to find out about opportunities to engage and to meet our newest members!

Happy reading! 🤝