Stay up to date with our latest developments, initiatives, and new resources!
IFLA is excited to invite colleagues from the library and museum fields, as well as from the Permanent Delegation of the UAE to UNESCO, to join us in a discussion at the Greening Education Hub. We will explore how cultural actors help implement lifelong greening community strategies, and integrate these perspectives into the work programme of the UNESCO Greening Education Partnership.
Over 50 colleagues from across Europe came together in Brussels on 21-23 November 2023 to explore tools and share views on how to ensure a strong future for our field on the continent, working hand-in-hand with other library organisations and external partners.
In October a call for candidates for co-opted members of the Europe Regional Division Committee has been announced. We are happy to share that as a result the EURDC welcomed two new members: Dagnija Baltiņa from Latvia, Director of the Special Collections Department at the National Library of Latvia and Kateryna Aleksieienko from Ukraine, Partnership Coordinator at the "Library Country" Charitable Foundation.
Digital technology is becoming indispensable to everyday life and participation in society (EuroDIG Forum, 2023). Work, schooling, commerce, banking, and government services all increasingly have digital components or may even be conducted entirely online. Digital inclusion is a crucial aspect of modern society that cannot be ignored. With the rapid advancement of technology, there is a growing need to ensure that everyone has equal access to online or digital resources and information. For people with disabilities, this issue is particularly significant. Read more to find out how Libraries and information organisations can bridge the digital exclusion gap.
The library and information field significantly advances digital inclusion through integrating audiovisual and multimedia resources. These resources play a crucial role in fostering inclusivity by addressing accessibility, cultural representation and participatory opportunities, ensuring non-discriminatory access to knowledge in educational and lifelong learning contexts. Learn more about how the IFLA Audiovisual and Multimedia (IFLA AVMS) section is collaborating to increase accessibility and findability of audiovisual and multimedia resources.
When a person in a wheelchair cannot enter the library because of the stairs - most recognize the obvious discrimination. But what about a reader who is visually impaired and cannot order a book from the library's online catalogue because it is not adapted for screen reading software? Online, just like in the physical environment, there can be digital stairs, too-narrow doors, and other barriers that leave persons with print disabilities behind. Read more about how the IFLA Libraries for Persons with Print Disabilities (IFLA LPD) Section is working to support libraries with their digital inclusion measures.
Promoting digital inclusion is an essential goal for libraries around the world, particularly so in the fields of resource sharing and document delivery. When libraries were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Document Delivery and Resource Sharing section launched the RSCVD (Resource Sharing during COVID) service, an innovative crowdsourced initiative which enabled libraries to continue to meet the information needs of their communities while working remotely. Read more about progress on this ongoing IFLA DDRS service.
Welcome to the November issue of the IFLA Newsletter!
Earlier this month, IFLA’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Division Committee met over two days in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The meeting created a momentum that will carry forwards the Committee’s work to build action to support libraries across the region over the next two years.
Today we have issued a request for proposal for an author or authors to prepare a starting point report for the next IFLA Trend Report. The call is open for two weeks, until 8 December 2023.
Any type of Green Library or library with an outstanding Green Library Project may apply for the IFLA Green Library Award. Libraries with a small budget but a great impact are explicitly invited to participate in the competition!
Here is IFLA Academic & Research Libraries (ARL) Section latest blog post, with another grant winner's experience, kindly contributed by Snehal Dilip Bhalerao from the Savitribai Phule Pune University, in Pune, India, an ARL / SAGE / Ex Libris grant winner who attended this year's IFLA Congress in Rotterdam: read blog post here
IFLA Journal is pleased to announce a Special Issue on “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Transforming Global Librarianship”.
Modern libraries and in particular public libraries have become hubs of economic community growth that offer services and resources that help people access education, the workforce and create small businesses. This becomes increasingly relevant as we approach a peak moment in the global transition towards a more digital economy. Governments must recognize the symbiotic relationship that exists between libraries, digital inclusion and economic growth and therefore engage in the drafting of specific legislation accompanied by financial support that is required to bridge the digital divide. The promotion of digital inclusion needs to be a multi-stakeholder process that remains bottom-up in order to be effective and libraries can participate in this process by actively engaging with the most affected populations. The potential of libraries needs to be recognized not only in digital cooperation strategies but also as a core part of the community's economic infrastructure.
As a founding member of the Climate Heritage Network, IFLA is excited to join in supporting a call to action for culture at COP28 – and we invite you to join as well!
As in previous years, in 2023 IFLA participated in the Internet Governance Forum that took place in Kyoto from the 8 to the 12 of October. The overarching theme of this year was "The Internet we want - Empowering all people" and it developed around many sub-themes, the most prominent ones being: Digital divides and inclusion, AI and emerging technologies, avoiding internet fragmentation, global digital governance and cooperation and cybersecurity, cybercrime and online safety.
I would like to share the news that following the Governing Board meeting of 9 November 2023, we are planning to relaunch the IFLA’s President’s Meeting.
Here is the latest blog post from the IFLA Academic & Research Libraries (ARL) Section, kindly contributed by Ezequiel Vallejo Ríos, an ARL / SAGE / Ex Libris grant winner who attended this year's IFLA Congress in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Last week, IFLA Headquarters held a Train-the-Trainers Workshop on measurement, evaluation, and demonstrating impact of library services. IFLA’s Member Engagement Officer Kristine Paberza-Ramiresa facilitated the workshop.
IFLA’s Governing Board met online on 9 November 2023. A key item on the agenda was planning for events in 2024 in the absence of a WLIC (World Library and Information Congress). Wider plans for 2024 were also high on the agenda.