Dear colleagues and friends

Time flies and we are already in our third month of 2025! We are pleased to present you the first IFLA Asia & Oceania newsletters for the new year.

As a continuation effort to promote library professionalism in our region, the Regional Divisional Committee (“RDC”) has strengthened the professional development, knowledge exchange and regional networking through various initiatives. This includes organising a range of webinars covering diverse topics such as conservation of rare books, information integrity and the use of discovery tools for libraries. Recordings of these webinars can be found online Challenges and opportunities for rare books and special collections in the Asia – Oceania region and Exploring Information Integrity – the Role of Libraries in Asia and Oceania. Following the Discovery Tools for Libraries webinar held in December 2024, two more upcoming sessions have been planned with the next one scheduled for 21 March. More details about the webinar will be shared through the usual communication channels and social media, when available.

Beyond virtual learning, RDC has also extended its reach through in-person training sessions in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, focusing on the impact assessment of library services. Participants’ experiences from these workshops are featured in the current newsletter.

Following the 2024 IFLA Information Futures Summit in Brisbane, Australia, and subsequent discussion workshops, emerging leaders have developed a comprehensive Skills Agenda. The Agenda categories essential competencies into three main areas: Practical, Partnership and Personal Development skills.

IFLA will also be launching its biennial Regional Advocacy Priorities Survey in May 2025, building on the 2023 iteration. This survey serves as a crucial platform for library associations, institutions, and individuals worldwide to articulate their advocacy priorities and needs. A copy of the 2023 survey report could be found here. We hope all eligible members will take this opportunity to complete this survey so that we can address the needs required.

As the current term for RDC concludes, the election process for the next committee is underway. With the conclusion of the nomination phase for committee members, the elections will run from 17 March to 14 April 2025, followed by a second phase for Officer positions with nominations open from 9 June to 20 June and elections from 25 June to 9 July. Library professionals passionate about making an impact in the field are encouraged to submit their nominations during the nomination period. We look forward to more members to join us in our RDC.

Hope you will enjoy reading this newsletter and catch you all soon.

Contributed by Soh Lin Li, Chair, Regional Division Committee for Asia and Oceania