More about IFLA
Who we are
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
(IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of
library and information services and their users. It is the global voice
of the library and information profession.
Founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1927 at an international conference, we celebrated our 75th birthday
at our conference in Glasgow, Scotland in 2002. We now have over 1500
Members in approximately 150 countries around the world. IFLA was
registered in the Netherlands in 1971. The Royal Library, the national library of the Netherlands, in The Hague, generously provides the facilities for our headquarters.
Aims
IFLA is an independent, international, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. Our aims are to:
- Promote high standards of provision and delivery of library and information services
- Encourage widespread understanding of the value of good library & information services
- Represent the interests of our members throughout the world.
Core Values
In pursuing these aims IFLA embraces the following core values:
- the endorsement of the principles of freedom of access to information. ideas and works of imagination and freedom of expression embodied in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- the belief that people, communities and organizations need universal and equitable access to information, ideas and works of imagination for their social, educational, cultural, democratic and economic well-being
- the conviction that delivery of high quality library and information services helps guarantee that access
- the commitment to enable all Members of the Federation to engage in, and benefit from, its activities without regard to citizenship, disability, ethnic origin, gender, geographical location, language, political philosophy, race or religion.
Membership
We have two main categories of voting members: Association Members and
Institutional Members. Associations of library and information
professionals, of library and information services and of educational
and research institutes, within the broad field of library and
information science, are all welcome as Association Members.
Institutional Membership is designed for individual library and
information services, and all kinds of organizations in the library and
information sector. International organizations within our sphere of
interest may join as International Association Members.
National Association Members, International Association Members and
Institutional Members have voting rights in elections and meetings. They
are entitled to nominate candidates for the post of IFLA President.
Individual practitioners in the field of library and information science
may join as Personal Affiliates. They do not have voting rights, but
they provide invaluable contributions to the work of IFLA, by serving on
committees and contributing to professional programmes.
More information on IFLA Membership and joining IFLA can be found here.
Corporate Partners
More than 25 corporations in the information industry have formed a working relationship with IFLA under our Corporate Partners
scheme. In return for financial and 'in kind' support they receive a
range of benefits including opportunities to present their products and
services to our worldwide membership.
Relations with Other Bodies
We have established good working relations with a variety of other
bodies with similar interests, providing an opportunity for a regular
exchange of information and views on issues of mutual concern. We have
Formal Associate Relations with UNESCO, observer status with the United
Nations, associate status with the International Council of Scientific
Unions (ICSU) and observer status with the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) and the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO). In 1999, we established observer status with the
World Trade Organization (WTO).
In turn, we have offered consultative status to a number of
non-governmental organizations operating in related fields, including
the International Publishers Association (IPA). We are members, along with the International Council on Archives (ICA), International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), of the International Committee of the Blue Shield
(ICBS). The mission of ICBS is to collect and disseminate information
and to co-ordinate action in situations when cultural property is at
risk.
World Library and Information Congress: IFLA General Conference and Assembly
Our conference is held in August or early September in a different city
each year. More then three thousand delegates meet to exchange
experience, debate professional issues, see the latest products of the
information industry, conduct the business of IFLA and experience
something of the culture of the host country.
More information on the current conference or past and future conferences can be found here.
Regional Meetings
A range of professional meetings, seminars and workshops are held around
the world by our professional groups and Core Activities. Use the IFLA
website and IFLA Journal
to find out what is going on when and where.
Governance
The governing structure of IFLA has been revised and came into force in
2008. The revision was necessary in order to reflect the opportunities
presented by our increasingly global membership and the greater ease of
worldwide communications. For the description of the governing structure
please consult the IFLA Statutes.
Assembly
The General Assembly of Members is the supreme governing body,
consisting of delegates of voting Members. It normally meets every year
during the annual conference. It elects the President and members of the
Governing Board. It also considers general and professional resolutions
which, if approved, are usually passed to the Executive Committee and
the Professional Committee for action as appropriate.
Governing Board
The Governing Board
is responsible for the managerial and professional direction of IFLA
within guidelines approved by the Assembly. The Board consists of the
President, the President-elect, 10 directly elected Members (by postal
and/or electronic ballot, every 2 years) and 6 indirectly elected
members of the Professional Committee (by the professional groups
through the sections and divisions, and the Chair of the Management of Library Associations Section); up to 3 Members may be co-opted.
The Governing Board meets at least twice per year, once at the time and
place of the annual World Library and Information Congress.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee
has executive responsibility delegated by the Governing Board to
oversee the direction of IFLA between meetings of this Board within the
policies established by the Board. The Committee consists of the
President, President-elect, the Treasurer, the Chair of the Professional
Committee, 2 members of the Governing Board, elected every 2 years by
members of the Board from among its elected members, and IFLA's
Secretary General, ex-officio.
Professional Committee
It is the duty of the Professional Committee
to ensure coordination of the work of all the IFLA units responsible
for professional activities, policies and programmes. The Committee
consists of a chair, elected by the outgoing Committee, the chair of
each of IFLA's 5 Divisions plus 2 members of the Governing Board,
elected by that Board from among its members, the President-elect, and
the Chairs of the FAIFE and CLM committees; an additional member may be
co-opted.
The Professional Committee meets at least twice per year, once at the time and place of the annual IFLA General Conference.
Core Activities
Issues common to library and information services around the world are the concern of the IFLA Core Activities.
Directed by the Professional Committee, the objectives and projects of
the Core Activities relate to the Federation's Programme and the
priorities of the Divisions and Sections. ALP (Action for Development through Libraries Programme)
has very wide scope, concentrating on the broad range of concerns
specific to the developing world. The others cover current,
internationally important issues. Preservation and Conservation (PAC), IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Digital Strategies (ICADS) and IFLA UNIMARC.
Core Activities are each managed by a Director, who reports to the
Professional Committee and Governing Board. IFLA is grateful to the
following libraries and their librarians for generously hosting these
Core Activities: Bibliothèque Nationale de France (PAC), Biblioteca
Nacional, Portugal (UNIMARC) and the British Library, United Kingdom
(ICADS).
The Action for Development through Libraries Programme (ALP), Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE), and Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM)
Core Activities, Committees, and programs are managed by the IFLA
Senior Policy Advisor. These committees report the Governing Board.
Divisions and Sections
Sections
are the primary focus for the Federation's work in a particular type of
library and information service, in an aspect of library and
information science or in a region. All IFLA Members are entitled to
register for Sections of their choice. Once registered, voting Members
have the right to nominate specialists for the Standing Committee of the
Sections for which they are registered. The Standing Committee is the
key group of professionals who develop and monitor the programme of the
Section. Sections are grouped into five Divisions.
Regional Activities
Three Regional Sections (Africa, Asia and Oceania, and Latin America and
the Caribbean) make up the Division of Regional Activities (Division
5). They are concerned with all aspects of library and information
services in their regions. They promote IFLA activities and work closely
with the IFLA Regional Offices, located in Pretoria, South Africa; Singapore and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Special Interest Groups
Special Interest Groups
may be set up, on a temporary and informal basis, to enable groups of
Members to discuss specific professional, or social and cultural issues
relating to the profession. Discussion Groups may be established for
two-years, once renewable, and must be sponsored by a Section.
Publications
The results of the programmes developed by IFLA's professional groups are recorded and disseminated in our publications.
- IFLA Journal is published four times a year. Each issue covers news of current IFLA activities and articles, selected to reflect the variety of the international information profession, ranging from freedom of information, preservation, services to the visually impaired and intellectual property.
- The Annual Report records IFLA's achievements during the previous years.
- The IFLA publications series, published by IFLA's publisher, De Gruyter Saur in Berlin, Germany includes such titles as: Digital Library Futures: User perspectives and institutional strategies, Strategies for Regenerating the Library and Information Profession, and the 3rd edition of The World Guide to Library, Archive and Information Science Associations
- The IFLA Professional Reports series feature reports of professional meetings and guidelines to best practice. Recent reports include: Using research to promote literacy and reading in libraries: Guidelines for librarians, Mobile Library Guidelines, International Resource Book for Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons: 2001-2008.
Resources
Many librarians and information professionals throughout the world, who
contribute their time, expertise and financial resources, make our
achievements possible. Approximately 60% of our income is derived from
membership fees.
Other sources of income include sales of publications, contributions in
cash and kind from our corporate partners, grants from foundations and
government agencies.
Our Core Activities programme is supported by grants from international
funding agencies and the generous support through donations and in kind
contributions by natinoal and university libraries and national
associations.
To all of them we record our grateful thanks.
IFLA Website
See our separate page on IFLA's online presence.
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