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.
IFLA was proud to attend the 44th meeting of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR/44) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva on 6-8 Nov 2023. The IFLA delegation spoke on behalf of libraries, user rights and the public interest alongside civil society colleagues.
The RSCVD is moving forward with the aim of continuing its mission of providing high quality resource sharing around the world to help librarians ensure universal and equitable access to information.
Building on our popular How to Spot Fake News infographic, we are happy to release a new edition, focused on how to spot fake e-mail. This aims to give you tools you can use both to keep yourself - and your colleagues and users - safe online.
IFLA approved its fist Internet Manifesto in 2002, providing early recognition of the vital role that the Internet plays in the library and information services field. In 2014, a second version of the manifesto was published, not only to reflect on the changes that the Internet had gone through those years, but also to reaffirm the crucial role of libraries in ensuring equitable access to the Internet and supporting freedom of access to information.
Please find IFLA latest ARL Newsletter issue, # 8, published on 31 October 2023
Candidates are welcomed for several positions as co-opted members of IFLA’s Social Science Libraries Standing Committee for a term of up to four years.
The 18th IFLA ILDS (Interlending and Document Supply) Conference will be held at ADA University in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan
IFLA Asia and Oceania Regional Newsletter (October 2023)
IFLA’s Environment, Sustainability and Libraries Section (ENSULIB) is calling for expressions of interest for four, co-opted members to join our Standing Committee. We would like to see nominees especially from Asia, South-America and Africa to strengthen our diversity, but are also open to interest from other continents.
The Culture2030Goal campaign, of which IFLA is a founding member, has welcomed recent statements by UN Member States, the G20, the BRICS and ministers of the European Union which underline the role of culture in development, and point towards the need for a dedicated culture goal in future.
Over the coming weeks, IFLA will be asking its members and volunteers about your experiences of engaging with the current strategy, and ideas for the future. This will allow the Governing Board formally to launch the process of developing a Strategy for 2024-2029 at its December meeting.
Calling for immediate humanitarian aid is of the highest priority. We implore all parties to uphold respect for human rights and dignity, in line with international law, and find a pathway to peace.