Stronger Together: 100 Days of Achievement
8 December 2023This week the IFLA Governing Board met in The Hague, The Netherlands. The meeting coincided with our first 100 days.
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Building momentum towards a culture goal - IFLA at the UCLG Culture Summit 2023
8 December 2023Local governments are not just a key stakeholder for many libraries, but also a key ally in making the case for a stronger recognition of the role of culture, cultural institutions and cultural actors in advancing sustainable development. We were therefore very happy to join United Cities and Local Governments' Culture Summit, focused on building recognition of this role, and to sign a memorandum of understanding allowing us to take this work further.
The December 2023 Issue of the IFLA ENSULIB Newsletter now available online
8 December 2023Volume 3, Number 2 (December 2023 issue) of the IFLA ENSULIB Newsletter has been published and is available online as a downloadable PDF.
Libraries: a key infrastructure for adult learning and education
7 December 2023IFLA participated at the 2023 World Assembly on Adult Education, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of our sister organisation, the International Council for Adult Education. Engaging with professionals and activists from around the world, we underlined the ability and readiness of libraries to realise their potential to make a reality of learning for all.
Libraries as Pillars of Information Integrity: Event Report Released
6 December 2023The world is waking up to the importance of information integrity as a precondition for success in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. Fortunately, libraries have long not just understood the need for reliable, verifiable and accurate information, but have delivered it. They can contribute much to any future policy framework here.
Updates from COP28: Get involved in library climate advocacy
4 December 2023IFLA 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.
Building a strong and sustainable library field in Europe together – IFLA Regional Workshop for Europe and RDC Meeting
4 December 2023Over 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.
Two new members appointed to the Europe Regional Division Committee
29 November 2023In 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 Inclusion: Bridging the information gap for people with disabilities
27 November 2023Digital 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.
Digital Inclusion via Audiovisual and Multimedia accessibility
27 November 2023The 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.
Digital Inclusion - an aspect of accessibility for print disabled
27 November 2023When 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.
Document Delivery and Digital Inclusion
27 November 2023Promoting 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.
IFLA Newsletter, November 2023: The Digital Inclusion Issue
27 November 2023Welcome to the November issue of the IFLA Newsletter!
Accelerating action for libraries in the MENA region
26 November 2023Earlier 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.
Request for Proposals: IFLA Trend Report 1st Phase
24 November 2023Today 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.
IFLA Green Library Award 2024: Call for Submissions
22 November 2023Any 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!
New IFLA ARL Blog post: (another) "IFLA WLIC 2023 Grant Winners Congress Experience"
21 November 2023Here 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
Call for papers: IFLA Journal Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence (AI): Transforming Global Librarianship [deadline extended]
20 November 2023IFLA Journal is pleased to announce a Special Issue on “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Transforming Global Librarianship”.
The delivery of digital inclusion via libraries' adaptation to the digital economy
17 November 2023Modern 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.
COP28 Call to Action: Culture at the Heart of Climate Action
16 November 2023As 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!