On 12-13 June 2019, heads of copyright offices from more than 40 African states met in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss copyright limitations and exceptions for libraries, archives, and education in the African region.

The African regional seminar was jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO). The objective of the seminar was to analyze the situation of libraries, archives and educational institutions, and copyright limitations and exceptions in WIPO member states in Africa, and to identify areas for action.

IFLA’s President Glòria Pérez-Salmerón and Secretary General Gerald Leitner are participating in the 2019 American Library Association Annual Conference, held in Washington DC.

In preparation for the launch of a new IFLA Strategy, they are inviting American library and information workers to engage in IFLA’s effort to build a strong and united global library field.

The upcoming Strategy is the result of a uniquely inclusive process, with over 30 000 people contributing their ideas. This is leading to a new type of strategy for IFLA, focusing on inspiring, engaging, enabling and connecting the field.

It is not only a framework for the actions of IFLA’s sections and headquarters, but also an offer to libraries and library associations everywhere, allowing for greater alignment and effectiveness in support of the field and the people it serves, and a stronger global voice.  

​The success of the strategy will depend on all library and information workers taking action, and raising their voices. With so many great ideas, initiatives and energy in the United States, the American library field has an indispensable role to play. 

IFLA looks forwards to working with libraries globally to make a reality of the vision of a strong and united library field powering literate, informed and participatory societies.

The 2019 edition of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) took place in The Hague from 19-21 June.

This year, IFLA was involved in organising a panel on the European Copyright Reform (a video recording of the session will be published on the EuroDIG2019 wiki), and attended sessions on a broad range of subjects in order to take stock of the latest developments in the field of internet policies. Below are the key takeaways for the library field:

Artificial Intelligence will play an increasingly large role in internet governance. AI will take on a growing number of tasks - from network operation, to routers using AI technology, to the filtering of online content. This will have an effect on libraries as physical points of access to the internet, as well as on broader matters of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and access to information.

Digital literacy needs are evolving: new skills are needed in order to avoid online harms, participate in public debate  on the regulation of new technologies, find work or understand where automated decision-making is being used, and its impact.

In several discussions, media literacy, news literacy, data literacy and algorithmic literacy were suggested as necessary complements to basic digital literacy.

As new and interactive methods of teaching these skills are developed (for instance, the "Unbias Fairness Toolkit"), libraries can combine them with their traditional expertise on assessing the quality of data and information to offer comprehensive and sophisticated literacy programmes.

The Digital Divide remains: Even though the conversation on access to information has largely shifted towards advanced literacy and media content, several stakeholders pointed out the slow progress in reducing inequalities in physical internet access.

As long as these remain, the role of libraries as public and affordable points of access is important.

The shape of internet governance is rapidly changing. The current non-binding multistakeholder model of internet governance, which leaves a lot of space for self-regulation is being challenged. Governments seem to want to play a growing role, which may mean more binding rules.

As the situation develops, IFLA will support its members to participate in these discussions at the national level in order to express the needs, values and possible contributions of libraries.

For more information on recent and upcoming events in the field of internet governance, please visit the Internet Governance Forum website.

The results of two data repositories surveys, carried out by LIBER’s Research Data Management Working Group, are now available. The report, which can be downloaded from Zenodo, summarises the answers given by managers, librarians and technical staff with regards to: The FAIRness of repositories and their data; Misconceptions related to the principles’ definition and implementation;…

The post FAIRness of Repositories & Their Data: Research Data Management Working Group Report appeared first on LIBER.

In a rapidly changing digital world, libraries are regularly re-assessing existing services and offering new ones to support research evolutions. Librarians with up-to-date digital skills can provide invaluable support to library users, and will personally benefit from better career prospects: this is why LIBER’s Digital Skills for Library Staff and Researchers Working Group is working…

The post Case Studies on European Open Science Skilling and Training Initiatives appeared first on LIBER.

If you have followed the LIBER mailing list and this blog you will have seen that the Digital Humanities and Digital Cultural Heritage working group has issued a LIBER-wide survey on digital humanities (DH). We are very pleased to now share the report following this survey with you! The report is now available on Zenodo…

The post LIBER Libraries and Digital Humanities: A Survey appeared first on LIBER.

In May 2019, I joined six young public library innovators from Africa at the 3rd African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) Conference and 5th African Library Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference was a rich learning ground for the young librarians, who were all there as a result of their participation in the Initiative for Young African Library Innovators (IYALI).

Tue., 27 August 2019, 8:30 - 1:30 at Mitropopulos

Join us for presentations by IFLA PressReader International Marketing Award Winners 2019 and a keynote speech by Bonnie Mager from Invercargill City Libraries and Archives, New Zealand.

Bonnie Mager (keynote), Invercargill City Libraries and Archives, New Zealand: Werk. Slay. Yas Queen! Embracing the confusing world of social media.

IFLA PressReader International Marketing Award Winners 2019:
3rd Place Winner: Story Seat - 10 seats, 10 stories, 10 parks, Sunshinecoast Libraries, Australia
2nd Place Winner: Taskukirjasto tutuksi / Bring Pocket Library to Light, Vantaa City Library, Finland
1st Place Winner: UBC Library Digital Colouring Books Campaign, University of British Columbia, Canada

True Marketing Workshop, Christie Koontz, Florida State University, United States

Tue., 27 August 2019, 8:30 - 1:30 at Mitropopulos

Join us for presentations by IFLA PressReader International Marketing Award Winners 2019 and a keynote speech by Bonnie Mager from Invercargill City Libraries and Archives, New Zealand.

Bonnie Mager (keynote), Invercargill City Libraries and Archives, New Zealand: Werk. Slay. Yas Queen! Embracing the confusing world of social media.

FLA PressReader International Marketing Award Winners 2019:
3rd Place Winner: Story Seat - 10 seats, 10 stories, 10 parks, Sunshinecoast Libraries, Australia
2nd Place Winner: Taskukirjasto tutuksi / Bring Pocket Library to Light, Vantaa City Library, Finland
1st Place Winner: UBC Library Digital Colouring Books Campaign, University of British Columbia, Canada

True Marketing Workshop, Christie Koontz, Florida State University, United States

Please note that registration for the 2019 pre-conference has now closed, as we have reached the maximum number of participants.  If you have any queries regarding your registration for the pre-conference please email Steve Wise (at flaparl.chair@gmail.com).

If you have not already registered but would still like to attend, if possible, there will be a waiting list if places should become available.  Please email Steve (at iflaparl.chair@gmail.com) if you would like to join the waiting list. 

The details and programme for the pre-conference will continue to be updated on our events pages over the next few weeks.

​

In preparation for global meetings on the SDGs in July and September, IFLA has been active at the regional level. The message: that at all levels, and across the 2030 Agenda, libraries and access to information are indispensable for progress.

The process that leads to the High level Political Forum in July in New York each year passes through a series of meetings organised by each of the United Nations’ regional commissions.

These are opportunities to focus on progress – and challenges – at a continental level, and share the ideas that can help countries accelerate towards delivering the SDGs.

Libraries in all regions have much to contribute to success. IFLA has been happy to support them in showing this.

Africa

For the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, over 1100 met in Marrakesh, Morroco on 16-18 April. They focused on the theme of empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.

With just 11 years remaining to the 2030 Agenda, Africa is still far behind in the implementation of the SDGs – a major concern for participants at the Forum.

Damilare Oyedele, Co-founder & Chief Executive: Library and You represented International Federation of Library Association and Institutions (IFLA), underlining that libraries were ready to do their part.

Through a presentation at the side event organised by the NGO Major Group Africa, he explained to participants that access to information was a prerequisite for achieving the SDGs and Agenda 2063.

At other side events, he was able to reinforce the point that there is no access to information without functional and efficient libraries. This allowed for further discussion on how to realise the promise of libraries as drivers of development and motors of change. Ongoing work to explore and set out the impact of libraries would help reinforce the case.

Arab Region

Countries from the United Nations Western Asia region came together in Beirut on 9-11 April 2019. With a focus on some of the key SDG themes for this year – education, equality and political engagement – it was a strong opportunity to highlight what libraries can contribute.

The importance of information for governments was key. When decisions are taken that affect millions of people, there is a pressing need for them to be based on the best evidence, and properly implemented. But this is often lacking in a region that remains off-track on several essential goals.

Dr Fawz Abdullah and Randa Chidiac represented IFLA, participating in sessions on the engagement of adolescents and youth, rethinking inequality, and the need to find ways to support groups at greatest risk of exclusion. They intervened in each session, underlining the need to engage and empower people through information.

They also noted the work that libraries in Lebanon are already doing to promote inclusion, how IFLA helped in this, and encouraged all participants to go home and contact their library associations in order to realise this promise.

Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean

Libraries also took part in the meetings in Geneva and Santiago de Chile, once again setting out the importance of access to information for development.

In Geneva, representatives used the opportunity to engage with national delegates in order to ensure the inclusion of libraries in national development strategies.

In Santiago, the library at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) held a workshop on the role of big data in development.

With the power – and potential risks – of this technology becoming clearer, the importance of the action, skills and values of libraries becomes more important. The contribution both of the ECLAC library, and local Chilean libraries, made for a successful event with some powerful messages.

Building on this contribution, IFLA looks forward to the High-Level Political Forum next month, and new opportunities to show how libraries are indispensable partners for development.

At LIBER’s 2019 Meeting of Participants, appointments will be made to fill four Executive Board vacancies. Eleven applications have been received. The candidates are: Ms Monica Crump, Head of Collections, James Hardman Library, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Dr Andreas Brandtner MBA MSc, Library Director, University Library of Freie Universität Berlin, Germany Dr Adam…

The post 2019 LIBER Executive Board Nominations: Meet The Candidates appeared first on LIBER.

On 17 May 2019, after several years of discussion, the European Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market was published in the official journal of the European Union. It enters into force on 20 June 2019, which marks the beginning of a two-year period for member states to change their laws in order to meet the objectives of the directive.

The text is the first comprehensive review of copyright in the European Union since the Infosoc Directive of 2001, and may well be the last for another fifteen years. It aims to harmonise copyright in the EU, and to update the copyright framework to the digital world.

The content of the Directive in a nutshell

The Directive contains several provisions that impact cultural heritage institutions directly, namely:

Text and data mining

The directive gives legal clarity for text and data mining activities. Member states will have to adopt an exception applicable to research organisations, with no possibility for rightsholders to reserve this right. All other organisations or individuals, for any purpose, will also benefit from an exception to copyright for text and data mining of legally accessed works, although in this case rightsholders will have the possibility to reserve this right.

Online and cross-border teaching

The Directive establishes that use of copyrighted work in online and cross-border teaching in the European Union will be covered by an exception, unless the conditions are fulfilled for licences to be used.

Preservation of cultural heritage

While many EU member states have an exception for preservation, this now becomes mandatory in the whole Union. The new provision also gives legal clarity for cross-border preservation networks and allows for certain internal copying related to preservation to be carried out under the exception.

Digitization and making available of out-of-commerce works

After the rather unsuccessful efforts to increase access to orphan works, out of commerce works are approached differently in this Directive: an exception to copyright will apply, unless collective management organisations representative of creators in a particular category of work can give licenses. In this case, they will be able to give licenses to cultural heritage institutions for the digitisation and making available of works not only by their members, but also by non-members.  

Protection of the public domain

The directive mandates that faithful copies of works of visual art that are in the public domain shall remain in the public domain.

Some other good news beyond these specific articles is that for most exceptions and limitations to copyright, technological protection measures that stop beneficiaries from enjoying them can now be circumvented. Contractual conditions that also stop cultural heritage institutions from benefitting from exceptions and limitations can be overridden.

It is worth noting that the directive has other focuses beyond these cultural heritage-specific articles, which can still have an impact to access to information. This is the case for Article 15 (former article 11) on the protection of press publications concerning online uses, and article 17 (former article 13), on the use of protected content by online content-sharing service providers. In this case, care will be needed to ensure that the safeguards for libraries in the Directive are also present in national implementation.

Next steps

Libraries in Europe have engaged strongly in shaping this important piece of legislation to ensure that it fulfils its promise of harmonising Europe’s copyright law and updating it to the digital environment. Yet discussions are far from over. Work at the national level will be essential if Europe’s libraries are to get the best of what this text has to offer.

IFLA, working alongside partner library and research organisations, will assist its members in this task. We have established a discussion list for those involved in lobbying on the implementation of this Directive at national level, that we encourage you to join. We will also share guidance on the advocacy process that you can undertake at the national level, and an article-by-article analysis of the Directive’s provisions.

For more information, check the resources page on the EU copyright reform.

Don't hesitate to get in touch for any questions.

Rima Kypryte, EIFL Director, and Ramune Petuchovaite, EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme Manager, will participate in the 2019 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions World Library and Information Congress (IFLA WLIC 2019). The theme of the congress is Libraries: dialogue for change.

For those of you coming to Athens, please join us at our SIG business meeting: Sunday 25 August 2019 from 13.45 – 15.45 in Business Room 4 of the conference venue. 

The IFLA Library History Special Interest Group (SIG) decided to partner with the IFLA Section on Local History and Genealogy for a session at the IFLA 2019 conference in Athens:

Session 271, Local History Collections, Genealogy and Oral History as Critical Information Services in Libraries - Local History and Genealogy with Asia & Oceania Section and Library History (SI)

The programme for this session, on Thursday 29 August 2019  from 13:45 - 15:45 in the Trianti room is now on the conference website:

In assisting with the review of the abstracts received, I felt that  4 had a "library history" theme and two* have been listed in the session programme:

• Safeguarding the local history and tracing the genealogical history of Balifrom generation to generation | Ari Kurnia (Airlangga University, Java, Indonesia)
• Inheritance and Innovation: Local History Collections in the Academy Library | Shunqing Wang (Fudan University Library, Shanghai, China)
• *Archival research project. The unknown story of the Athens Municipal Library as part of the city’s history | Georgia Antonopoulou (Athens, Athens, Greece)Vasiliki Sfika (Athens, Athens, Greece)
• Oral Histories in Africa: Preserving Critical Knowledge | Cherie Bush (FamilySearch International, United States, United States) Russell Lynch (FamilySearch International, United States, United States)
• *The Manila American Library exhibit at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exhibition | Brendan Luyt (Nanyang Technological University, Jurong West, Singapore) Karryl Kim Sagun (Nanyang Technological University, Jurong West, Singapore

 

Dr Kerry Smith, FALIA, AM

Convenor IFLA Library History SIG

​​IFLA Journal is an international journal publishing peer reviewed articles on library and information services and the social, political and economic issues that impact access to information through libraries.

The Journal publishes research, case studies and essays that reflect the broad spectrum of the profession internationally.

Volume 45, No.2 (June 2019)

Contents:
Articles

Changing Greek libraries: A continuous dialogue 69
Georgios Glossiotis, Evgenia Vassilakaki and Eva Semertzaki

Impact of tailor-made information literacy provision on rural dwellers’ participation in sustainable development targets in Nigeria: Implications for public library services to oral societies 81
Chimezie P. Uzuegbu

Usage and impact metrics for Parliamentary libraries 104
Tarek Al Baghal

Evolving practices and professional identity: How the new ways we work can reshape us as professionals and a profession 114
Melissa Ann Fraser-Arnott

Factors for adoption of OSILS in university libraries of Bangladesh 127
Md. Jahangir Alam and Muhammad Mezbah-ul-Islam

Information-seeking behaviour of undergraduate students: A developing country perspective 140
Ahmadul Islam Howlader and Md Anwarul Islam

Status of secondary school libraries and librarians in Bangladesh 157
Zakir Hossain

Abstracts 168

 

IFLA Journal is an international journal publishing peer reviewed articles on library and information services and the social, political and economic issues that impact access to information through libraries. The Journal publishes research, case studies and essays that reflect the broad spectrum of the profession internationally. IFLA Journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

To submit an article please visit IFLA Journal on the SAGE platform.

• Editor: Steven W. Witt
• Frequency: Quarterly
• ISSN: 0340-0352
• eISSN: 1745-2651
• List of previous issues

Sign up for Email Alerts from Sage!

At the IFLA WLIC in Athens in August our section will hold a workshop. This interactive session is led by our section members. /files/assets/literacy-and-reading/literacy_toolkit_.pdf

This is a guest post from LIBER sponsor EBSCO Information Services; written by Christopher Spalding, VP, Open Source Platforms & Communities, and Tamir Borensztajn, VP of SaaS Strategy As Danial Hook noted in an interview with Robert Harrington, “An ability to understand, manipulate and interact with data pervades professional life, social life and now research life…

The post Collaboration and Engagement: A Framework for Library Futures and Vendor Partnerships appeared first on LIBER.

The Statistics and Evaluation Section of IFLA  in partnership with University of Piraeus Library are organizing a satellite meeting in Piraeus, Greece will be held 22 - 23 August 2019. 

The Conference will explore and discuss compilation and use of statistics both in the successful management and operation of libraries and in the demonstration of the value of libraries outside the profession.

Great presenters will share their knowledge, skills and experience implementing innovative assessment methodologies in a workshop or presentation style that can translate into successful applications for any Library type.

The Satellite meeting is addressed to both professionals and researchers, decision makers and ICTs, trainers and trainees, to every stakeholder of the libraries, archives and museums.

The event will precede the annual World Library and Information Congress: 85th IFLA General Conference and Assembly in Athens 24 - 30 August (IFLA WLIC 2019).

For more information and registration please visit the link below  https://sites.google.com/view/ifla-2019-unipi/registrations

IFLA’s Environmental Sustainability and Libraries Special Interest Group (ENSULIB) is pleased to announce the winner of the IFLA Green Library Award 2019. The IFLA Green Library Award was established in 2016 by ENSULIB (SIG) and generously sponsored by De Gruyter Publishing. The award is 500 Euros for the first place winner.

Objectives

• to reward the best Green Library submission that communicates the library’s commitment to environmental sustainability;

• to create awareness of libraries’ social responsibility and leadership in environmental education.

To ENSULIB’s great delight, 34 submissions were received from around the world, including Austria (Assling and Sitzenberg-Reidling), Botswana, Bulgaria (Bratanitsa village, Burgas, Haskovo, Shumen, and Trud), Colombia (Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín), Egypt, France/Reunion, Hungary, India, Iran (Kermanshah, Rasht, and Tehran), Ireland, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa (Johannesburg and Pretoria), USA (MA, Athol and NY, New York)

When the call for reviewers went out, 18 people stepped up to help with the process. The reviewers were as diverse as those who submitted. Coming from Australia, Danmark, Finland, France, Galapagos, India, Iran, Italy, Kenya, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and United States of America. They were a blend of LIS students, library professionals (from public and academic libraries) and an architect as well.

Press Release

See full details about this year's award in the Press Release: [English – PDF]

The award will be presented at the 2019 World Library and Information Congress in Athens, Greece, Session 156: ENSULIB's Open Session and Special Presentation of Awards

Winner of the 4th IFLA Green Library Award 2019

Colombia, Cali, Biblioteca Pública Municipal Daniel Guillard: “Gaia- En mi biblioteca la tierra también es de todos”

The reviewers outlined: This initiative involves all ages and all the community in generating awareness on sustainability and green practice with visible impact. Thus, the library has innovative projects for all ages, from babies to seniors, including vulnerable people, and these projects combine information literacy, eco-literacy and reading. The library is focused on empowering their community that faces many social and economic problems to help rebuild the neighbourhood to make it eco-friendlier, while also improving social and economic conditions – without great economic means. More..

Five Runners Up

Hungary, Kiskunfélegyháza: “Sándor Petöfi Town Library’s Green Road in Art-Relic's Environment”

 

This initiative covered many of the different areas and the library is doing significant work at a level that is appropriate to their community and resources. The library has settled many projects from architectural initiatives to librarians’ participation and several activities are offered also to stakeholders. Thus, the library has been remodelled to bring it closer to environmental standards and various projects have been offered to librarians, stakeholders and users. The library has also created an Eco-Work Team to plan and coordinate future work. More..

 

Ireland, Cork: University College Cork Library - “Love Our Library”

 

For this project, the University College Cork Library receives a special recognition of excellence! The Boole Library at University College Cork has made real and provable “green” changes to their organisation, i.e., sparked real changes in the behaviour of people using and working in the library – over 1 0000 students signed a pledge to support the changes at the very beginning. Thus, this initiative offered practical solutions to pervasive waste problems and generating a major impact that can be scaled and shared by libraries around the world. The library has developed an excellent road map for other organizations to follow. An additional feature of the project is its strong and consistent communications strategy that keeps all stakeholders updated and involved. More..

 

France, Reunion: “Media Library of Saint‐Joseph – Reunion Island”

An excellent example of sustainable architectural design: an innovatively designed bioclimatic building in a tropical environment that is open to the elements and mirrors the local lifestyle. Thus, this initiative consisted on an amazing sustainable building that transcends the notion of inside/outside and has nature and green practice at the heart of all their efforts. At the same time, the architecture combines traditional architecture, the functionality of modern architecture and the incorporation of important sustainable and environmental measures. More..

 

Slovenia, Ljubljana: “Šentvid Library - the Green Library, Ljubljana City Library”

 

This initiative included environmental management and social engagement: green library building; green collections, etc. Thus, the library covers all of the areas of green libraries in their activities and in their building. The library presents a large range of regular projects that invite the whole community to examine and understand the importance of conserving natural resources and the respect of the natural environment. In addition, the projects help people to understand the importance of acting as environmentally responsible citizens. One reviewer said: “I was impressed by their connections to the local community in developing environmental programming for all ages, staff also follow green practices in their work and in the maintenance/cleaning of the building.” More..

 

USA, New York, New York: “Sustainability Initiative of the New York Library Association”

 

This initiative’s strengths are relevance, visibility and global impressiveness on going green as it brings out the emphasis of green libraries as practical contributors to environmental sustainability. The initiative showed also political courage. Many aspects of the project will serve many libraries and can be emulated by many libraries Sustainability Initiative of the New York Library Association. More..