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This Saturday, 7 December 2019, IFLA wishes to highlight an important date for European libraries: we are only 18 months from the final date of the implementation of the new European Copyright Directive in Europe, the Digital Single Market Directive. 7 June 2021 will be the deadline for Member States to complete the implementation procedure.
For many libraries, good relationships with local town halls and councils are essential. But as IFLA President Christine Mackenzie set out in interventions at the World Congress of Local and Regional Leaders, libraries can also be key partners for success.
In 2020, the Wikimedia Foundation is launching the fifth edition of One Librarian One Reference (#1Lib1Ref) which will be held from 15th of January to the 5th of February 2020!
UNESCO, in partnership with the Qatar National Library (QNL), host of one of IFLA's PAC Centres, organised a regional conference on “Supporting documentary heritage preservation in the Arab region” in Doha, Qatar on 1-2 December.
Presenters: Ellen R. Tise, Senior Director of Library and Information Services, Stellenbosch University, and Haseeb Irfanullah, Independent Consultant and Visiting Research Fellow, University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh Date and Time: December 5, 2019, 9:00 AM EDT (NY) US time REGISTER NOW
At the Third Roundtable Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Libraries in Africa, IFLA Secretary General Gerald Leitner underlined the scope for libraries to deliver on the goals set out in the Africa 2063 and UN 2030 Agendas, and called on governments to seize the opportunity.
Between 25 and 29 November 2019, IFLA participated in the 14th annual Internet Governance Forum meeting in Berlin. The key messages IFLA emphasised were the importance of policy support for public access in libraries, the role of libraries in enabling meaningful connectivity, and in generating meaningful internet content through digitisation efforts.
UNESCO has announced that Tbilisi, capital of Georgia, will be World Book Capital 2021. IFLA is looking forward to working with the authorities and libraries there to show the power of our institutions in promoting books and reading.
With IFLA’s Strategy for 2019-24 in place, now is the time to ensure that we have the right structures, as an organisation, to deliver on our vision and mission. IFLA’s Governance Review – the process for achieving this – is already well advanced.
Today we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the current edition of the Public Library Manifesto. This document, agreed by IFLA and the Member States of UNESCO, places public libraries at the heart of efforts to promote education, democracy and participation in culture.
On November 26th, IFLA was once again at WIPO, at a meeting organised by the secretariat for Non-Governmental Organizations.
The IFLA delegation represented the library and information profession at the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference.
Theme: Capture and Preservation of Born Digital News Media
With only four days to go until the 25th Anniversary of the Public Library Manifesto, it’s the last moment to look at the tools and ideas IFLA has made available. With our advocacy pack, you can take the opportunity to celebrate the work and missions of public libraries.
Four years after its creation by UNESCO, the International Day for the Universal Access to Information has been formally added to the United Nations calendar. In a resolution passed by the General Assembly, Heads of State and government, and their representatives, agreed that 28 September should be the opportunity to recall, and celebrate, the importance of this for development and democracy.
Between 25 and 29 November, 2019, IFLA will be taking part in the 14th annual Internet Governance Forum meeting in Berlin. IFLA has participated in IGF events since 2008; and we continue our involvement in policy discussions relevant for the library field: public internet access facilities, digital and information literacy, intellectual freedom in the digital sphere, and many others.
Check our our latest blog post on trends in academic and research libraries
With its new Strategy, IFLA not only has a new guiding star for the work of our professional units and headquarters team, but also a reference point for the field as a whole. With the workshop on strategies for stronger libraries in Alexandria, Egypt, IFLA brought new possibilities for alignment and synergies to the Middle East and North Africa region.
As public spaces, open to all members of the community, libraries enable people to exercise and enjoy their human rights. A new report from the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights highlights this role, and the conditions for it to be realised. It provides a useful advocacy tool for libraries.