IFLA is welcoming bids from institutions willing to host IFLA Regional Offices for Asia-Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa for a 3 year term, from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026. Deadline for applications: 17 July 2023.

IFLA’s vision is of a strong and united global library field powering literate, informed and participatory societies. We see the promotion of strong national and regional fields as an essential part of this, providing the pillars on which our international work is built.

Key to delivering on this goal are IFLA’s Regional Offices. These play a key role as:

  • a bridge between our Members and Affiliates and our global Headquarters, as well as a first port of call for librarians and institutions interested in finding out more about, or benefitting from, IFLA’s work;
  • amplifiers of IFLA’s communication, as well as disseminators of materials, helping to ensure that everyone who could benefit from these can do so;
  • contributors to the development and effective delivery of responsive regional action plans; and
  • promoters of IFLA membership and sources of insight and information on regional library fields, helping to shape IFLA’s ongoing actions.

With a focus on regions with a lower number of IFLA members in proportion to their populations (Asia-Oceania, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa), they help us move towards both stronger representation of IFLA in regions, and greater support for, and engagement of, librarians globally.

Regional offices are typically hosted in national or other major libraries, which can draw on their own institution’s reputation and reach in order to fulfil their mission most effectively. They are able to dedicate staff time to the role. In return gain a visible leadership role within their regional library fields. While regional offices are expected to deliver in line with their agreements with IFLA, holding the role can fit within a broader institutional internationalisation strategy.

The successful hosts will work alongside the corresponding Regional Division Committees, but take their lead from IFLA Headquarters. It is anticipated that the Regional Offices will lead on some issues, but will work in collaboration with the Regional Division Committee on others. A good relationship between Regional Offices and Regional Division Committees is highly important.

You can consult the full call for candidates here, and should submit your responses to ifla@ifla.org using the template provided, with the subject line: IFLA Regional Office 2024-26. Deadline: 12pm CEST, 17 July 2023 (see what time this is for you).

We look forward to your bids!