Costa Rica Library Association + IFLA Strategy: allies in achieving the SDGs
03 December 2020
Closely aligned to the IFLA Key Initiative 1.1 “Show the power of libraries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”, the Costa Rican Association of Librarians (Colegio de Profesionales en Bibliotecología de Costa Rica, COPROBI) innovates for strong library strategies and towards making Costa Rican libraries allies in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
With one IFLA Strategy workshop having already taken place, COPROBI’s main objective is to work as allies in achieving the sustainable development goals.
Utilising international and national resources, such as the IFLA Strategic Directions, the DA2I report, the Declaration of Santiago (2017), the Declaration of Ministers of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean (2019), the National Policy of Social Responsibility issued by the Government of Costa Rica (2017), COPROBI has developed joint actions to promote the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals within its members and the institutions and organizations they represent.
To this end, CORPOBI has brought the various Costa Rican library professionals together, to build connections among libraries at the national level, and to establish policies related to the SDGs.
Following the four IFLA Strategic Directions, four working groups were organized with the objective proposing clear and concrete steps to implement the SDGs in the libraries of Costa Rica. 
This led to the creation of the Costa Rica National Library Strategy Plan for the implementation of the SDGs.
The YouTube launch of the Costa Rica National Library Strategy Plan for the Implementation of the SDGs
(in Spanish).
COPROBI’s President highlighted their successes on a national level, due to the IFLA Strategy:
Inspired by the IFLA Strategy, we decided to develop a National Strategic Plan for the implementation of the SDGs in libraries in Costa Rica.
To do that, we created a national network of directors of library systems, the heads of the main libraries in the country and librarians known for their work around the SDGs. And we brought them together at a workshop on IFLA’s Strategic Directions and Key Initiatives, to gather information, strengthen inter-institutional alliances on a country level and develop actions that covered most of the SDGs.
We can be proud of what we’ve done so far, and are excited to keep going!”
Read more about the Costa Rican library sector
- the Costa Rican Country Profile on the Library Map of the World
- an SDG story from Costa Rica on the Library Map of the World
- an interview with COPROBI’s President, Lidiette Quirós Ruiz
Read more about the IFLA Strategy 2019-2024
How is your library or library association engaging with the IFLA Strategy? Let us know! Post on your social media, using the hashtag #IFLAStrategy and #WeAreIFLA or send an email to Despina Gerasimidou, IFLA’s Strategic Development Officer at despina.gerasimidou@ifla.org.
