Register and join the IFLA WLIC 2021 'Let's work together for the future', 17-19 August 2021. 

 

Robust engagement and creative approaches to adopting, supporting and promoting the IFLA Guidelines

IFLA WLIC 2021: A Solutions Room on Implementing the "IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes": Stakeholder Perspectives and Buy-in Locally and Globally, with IFLA President Christine Mackenzie, President-Elect Barbara Lison and others:

When:  August 18, 9-10 pm Chicago (CDT) / 10-11pm New York (EDT) / August 19, 4-5 am The Hague (CEST) / 10-11 am Beijing (CST) / 12-1 pm Melbourne (AEST)

Where:  (Libraries Enable - Zoom Discussion Room 1) - WLIC registration required.

The session will bring leaders and stakeholders together for robust engagement and creative approaches to adopting, supporting and promoting the IFLA Guidelines to develop LIS education programs, appropriate to a diverse community and relevant to its local contexts in a globalised economy. The IFLA Building Strong LIS Education (BSLISE) Working Group will explore how the IFLA leadership, staff, and units, as well as other appropriate LIS entities, can move the Guidelines forward. Moreover, the deliberations will inform the implementation of the Guidelines, and its alignment with opportunity #10 in IFLA’s Global Vision: We must give young professionals effective opportunities to learn, develop and lead. The Section on Education and Training, the Library Theory and Research Section, and LIS Education in Developing Countries SIG will consider the input and perspectives shared in the Guidelines implementation process.

Speakers:

• Christine Mackenzie (Australia) – Welcome to Solutions Session on “IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes”
• Jaya Raju (South Africa) – Setting the Stage for the “IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes”
• Clara M. Chu (United States) – Global North Stakeholder Perspectives and Buy-in
• Diljit Singh (Malaysia) – Global South Stakeholder Perspectives and Buy-In
• Barbara Lison (Germany) – IFLA’s role in the implementation of new “IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes”

Register and join the IFLA WLIC 2021 'Let's work together for the future', 17-19 August 2021. 

 

Robust engagement and creative approaches to adopting, supporting and promoting the IFLA Guidelines

IFLA WLIC 2021: A Solutions Room on Implementing the "IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes": Stakeholder Perspectives and Buy-in Locally and Globally, with IFLA President Christine Mackenzie, President-Elect Barbara Lison and others:

When:  August 18, 9-10 pm Chicago (CDT) / 10-11pm New York (EDT) / August 19, 4-5 am The Hague (CEST) / 10-11 am Beijing (CST) / 12-1 pm Melbourne (AEST)

Where:  (Libraries Enable - Zoom Discussion Room 1) - WLIC registration required.

The session will bring leaders and stakeholders together for robust engagement and creative approaches to adopting, supporting and promoting the IFLA Guidelines to develop LIS education programs, appropriate to a diverse community and relevant to its local contexts in a globalised economy. The IFLA Building Strong LIS Education (BSLISE) Working Group will explore how the IFLA leadership, staff, and units, as well as other appropriate LIS entities, can move the Guidelines forward. Moreover, the deliberations will inform the implementation of the Guidelines, and its alignment with opportunity #10 in IFLA’s Global Vision: We must give young professionals effective opportunities to learn, develop and lead. The Section on Education and Training, the Library Theory and Research Section, and LIS Education in Developing Countries SIG will consider the input and perspectives shared in the Guidelines implementation process.

Speakers:

• Christine Mackenzie (Australia) – Welcome to Solutions Session on “IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes”
• Jaya Raju (South Africa) – Setting the Stage for the “IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes”
• Clara M. Chu (United States) – Global North Stakeholder Perspectives and Buy-in
• Diljit Singh (Malaysia) – Global South Stakeholder Perspectives and Buy-In
• Barbara Lison (Germany) – IFLA’s role in the implementation of new “IFLA Guidelines for Professional LIS Education Programmes”

A new IFLA survey gathers insights on the state of libraries in the digital ecosystem in 2021.

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a global initiative that brings together stakeholders committed to leveraging ICT for development and bridging the digital divide. It was launched as a UN-sponsored summit in 2003 and 2005, where connecting libraries was identified as one of the WSIS Targets - an important step towards ensuring that everyone can benefit from the internet and ICTs.

A 2014 large-scale WSIS review and stock-taking report outlined the progress made in delivering on this target, and the key roles libraries play in the information society: their contributions to digital inclusion, skills-building, access to knowledge and information, and availability of cultural and local digital content.

Annual WSIS reporting: insights from the library field

Since then, annual reporting helps track the continued implementation of WSIS goals, targets and action lines. As part of this process, key stakeholders from various fields are invited to submit inputs every year. As IFLA has the opportunity to put forward insights from the library field’s perspective, we want to hear from you and to highlight the information society trends and practices which are most relevant for your libraries!

To help gather inputs from the global library field, we have launched a survey where you can share your insights and experiences with:
-    The state of library connectivity in your area;
-    ICT-based library services that help meet the needs of their constituencies (e.g. digital inclusion, digital skills training, access to cultural, educational or scientific digital materials);
-    External trends and developments that shape libraries’ ICT-based services;
-    Libraries’ web presence; and more.

Would you like to contribute to this year’s WSIS reporting around libraries? Take part in the survey by 30 September 2021!

Access the IFLA survey through Alchemer. You can also read WSIS report inputs from the global library field perspective from previous years – for example, 2019 and 2018.

Ministers from the G20 Nations met in Rome from 29-30 July for the first meeting devoted to Culture in the history of the G20.

The result of this meeting was the unanimous adoption of the “Rome Declaration of the G20 Culture Ministers” [link]. This document builds on momentum from culture-related meetings on the margins of the Saudi G20 Presidency, and reflects the aims of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 74/230 on Culture and sustainable development adopted by the General Assembly in 2019.

This Declaration inserts culture firmly in the G20 process, recognising it for its social and economic value, and stating a commitment to the protection of cultural heritage and expressions at risk.

Founding Principles (and what they mean for libraries)

The declaration centres on five guiding principles, all of which align with values of the library field and IFLA’s high-level advocacy work.

Culture and Creative Sectors as Drivers for Regeneration and Sustainable and Balanced Growth

This principle upholds culture as a foundation for relaunching prosperity, social cohesion and the well-being of people and communities, and especially as a force of resilience and regeneration in COVID-19 recovery and beyond.

It calls for policymakers to consider the needs of the culture sector in recovery efforts in order to fully realise the transformative power of culture for building back better.

For libraries:

This is very much in line with the #culture2030goal Statement on Culture and the Covid-19 Pandemic on which IFLA is signatory [more here].

Delivering on library values such as lifelong learning, promoting digital inclusion, media and information literacy, enabling access to information, and the preservation of and access to cultural heritage are essential for harnessing the power of culture for building back better.

For example, over the course of the 2021 International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, we have been exploring how libraries can take action to support cultural and creative actors [more here].  

Protection of Cultural Heritage

The Ministers expressed their deep concern over threats to cultural heritage from natural and human-caused disasters, including through purposeful destruction of heritage during armed conflict, illicit trafficking of cultural property, and destruction associated with climate change. 

They highlight the importance of common and coordinated research and action to strengthen the safeguarding and promotion of cultural diversity and cultural heritage in all forms – this includes the documentary heritage collections held in the world’s libraries.

For Libraries:

This Declaration recognises the need for strengthening and developing effective, sustainable, inclusive and coordinated management models and tools for protecting cultural heritage at risk. Libraries and documentary cultural heritage experts can play a vital role in developing these models and tools, as well of course as benefitting from them.

For example, note this recent article updating on the Himaya project, and initiative from Qatar National Library, host of the IFLA Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Centre, focussing on combatting trafficking of cultural property in the MENA region.

IFLA’s professional units are further involved with additional initiatives to combat trafficking – see the Fighting the Illicit Trafficking of Documentary Cultural Heritage guide here.

IFLA coordinates with fellow cultural heritage organizations and the international community on safeguarding of cultural heritage through our position on the board of Blue Shield International. See how you can get involved here.

Addressing Climate Change through Culture

In a milestone statement, this declaration acknowledges that all forms of culture offer enormous potential to drive climate action and sustainable development and contribute to finding climate solutions.

The Declaration calls for international bodies to anchor culture within the UNFCCC and other global agreements on climate action and in national policies and plans.

For libraries:

As libraries are protectors of documentary heritage, providers of information, and hubs of communities, they are vital in building resilience and inspiring climate action.

Libraries are spaces to create community and construct new ideas, informed by the resources that libraries offer. They can enhance climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information, as called for in Article 12 of the Paris Agreement [for more, see Libraries and the Paris Agreement].

IFLA participates in the Climate Heritage Network to further the role of libraries, and all cultural institutions and actors, in international climate action processes. Further discussion and the development of resources is being carried out in IFLAs Environment, Sustainability and Libraries Section.

Building Capacity through Training and Education

The Declaration underlines the need to enable cultural and creative professionals with training and education opportunities to build new capacities. This includes digital, technological, accessibility-related capacities.

It further recognises the value of connecting scientific, educational and professional systems, to promote synergies between cultural, social, environmental and economic decision-making and policies.

For libraries

The Cultural Ministers recognise the role of libraries, among other cultural actors and institutions, as key to developing these training and education opportunities.

As libraries champion lifelong learning and are at the crossroads of a variety of knowledge and resources, they can be key players in creating these cross-sectoral synergies, which allow multi-disciplinary, and multigenerational, transfer of knowledge.

Digital Transition and New Technologies for Culture

Especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Declaration recognises the importance of digital access, which includes measures to protect against risks posed by disinformation, misinformation, and fosters the creation and promotion of diverse linguistic and cultural content.

The Declaration further calls for action to overcome the digital divide, which has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic with the possibility to draw on public access facilities limited. They call for actors like libraries to work to enable access to culture through “digital tools supported by media and information literacy training, with consideration for the intellectual property rights of creators and performers of cultural content”.

For libraries:

IFLA highlighted the role of libraries in the protection and promotion of cultural expressions in the digital environment during the 3rd Civil Society Forum of the 2005 Convention this year.

Through these, IFLA upheld that equitable digital transformation means addressing a lack of digital skills and competencies, a lack of physical access to technology, lack of access to relevant content, a lack of internet access, and a lack of institutions and community spaces which provide these opportunities to their communities - both among creators, and the broader public. Libraries can address all these aspects of digital transformation.

Especially during the pandemic, IFLA has continued to call for balanced copyright laws that enable remote access to resources, and preservation of digital and digitised heritage.

Adequate Laws and Provisions for Preservation

In too many countries, libraries do not benefit from laws that facilitate their activities to preserve and safeguard heritage for the future. More still do not have provisions in copyright that make it clear that digitization can be carried out without needing to seek permissions or make payments.

This represents an unnecessary barrier to a key public interest mission of libraries, alongside archives and museums.

The Declaration therefore includes welcome recognition of the need for transnational cooperation in the field, and the development of policies that make it easier to carry out work to preserve, and allow for access, reuse and education

For libraries:

This is a welcome recognition at the highest level of the importance of progress towards international action on preservation and copyright, in order to ensure not only that libraries globally enjoy at least the same basic legal possibilities, but also that they can cooperate across borders.

IFLA will highlight this message in its engagement at the global level, and encourages Members to do the same in their own advocacy around better copyright laws for our institutions.

What’s Next

The Declaration urges governments to recognise the potential of culture and creativity as an integral part of wider policy agendas on issues such as social cohesion, employment, innovation, health and well-being, the environment, sustainable local development and human rights.

They call for work to promote and protect culture and cultural heritage to be carried out in cooperation with international organisations – a call IFLA wholeheartedly supports.

We hope that culture will continue being an integral part of the G20 workstream in the future, and that libraries around the world will be able to take the messages of the Declaration, and incorporate them into their advocacy.

At IFLA, we will continue advocating for the critical role of libraries in delivering on these founding principles. We are ready to work across our organisation to build the advocacy capacity of our members, and amplify their impact at the international level. 

The IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing (DDRS) Standing Committee is pleased to announce the 17th Interlending and Document Supply (ILDS) Conference, hosted by Qatar National Library in Doha, Qatar from 8 to 10 March 2022.

Under the conference theme, “Sharing To Heal: Resource Sharing Through the Pandemic and Beyond,” the DDRS Standing Committee would like to challenge the interlending and document supply community to consider strategies and solutions that were created during the pandemic and how libraries across the world demonstrated resilience and used new tools and initiatives to share information.

If you have experiences to share, we are accepting proposals in English and Arabic related to the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Suggested topics may include but are not limited to:

• ILDS During COVID: Challenges and Initiatives
• ILDS After COVID: ILDS Redesigned
• Staffing
• Open Access and ILL: A Global Solution?
• Copyright
• Digital Access
• Assessment
• Collaboration
• Library Buildings

Key questions

Key questions we wish to examine in the conference include:

1. How the pandemic impacted the DDRS community, what challenges we faced as librarians and researchers, and what solutions we developed.
2. How the pandemic changed the face of DDRS and how the service was redesigned through new initiatives, new technologies, global solutions and collaborative projects such as HERMES.

Proposals

Proposals for papers should be sent to Peter D. Collins (collinsp@oclc.org) no later than 30 September 2021 and should include the following details:

1. Author(s) name, title, institution and contact information
2. Brief biographical sketch
3. Title of paper
4. Abstract (200 to 300 words)

For more information, visit the 17th IFLA ILDS Conference website.

يسر اللجنة الدائمة لمجموعة توفير الوثائق وتبادل المصادر (DDRS) التابعة للاتحاد الدولي لجمعيات ومؤسسات المكتبات (الإفلا) أن تعلن عن المؤتمر السابع عشر لخدمات الإعارة المتبادلة وتوفير الوثائق، والذي تستضيفه مكتبة قطر الوطنية في الدوحة بدولة قطر في الفترة من 8 إلى 10 مارس 2022.

تحت شِعار «نتشارك لنتعافى: تبادل مصادر المعرفة خلال الجائحة وما بعدها»، يسرنا دعوة مُجتمع «الإعارة المتبادلة بين المكتبات وتوفير الوثائق» للمشاركة بالاستراتيجيات والحلول  التي أُوجدت خلال الجائحة وكيفَ عملت المكتبات حول العالم على تطوير مرونتها وتطويعها للأدوات والمبادرات لتيسير الوصول إلى المعلومات.

إذا كانت لديك تجربة ترغب في مشاركتها، فنحن نستقبل الآن المقترحات المتعلقة بكيفية تعامل المكتبات مع جائحة كوفيد-19 وما بعدها، باللغتين العربية والإنجليزية. ويُمكن أن تشمل مواضيع الأوراق الآتي، على سبيل المثال لا الحصر:

• الإعارة المتبادلة بين المكتبات وتوفير الوثائق خلال جائحة كوفيد-19: التحديات والمبادرات
• الإعارة المتبادلة بين المكتبات وتوفير الوثائق بعد جائحة كوفيد-19: إعادة تصور الإعارة المتبادلة بين المكتبات وتوفير الوثائق
• التوظيف
• الإتاحة الحُرّة والإعارة المتبادلة بين المكتبات: هل هو الحل العالمي؟
• حقوق النشر والتأليف
• الإتاحة الرقمية
• التقييم
• التعاون
• مباني المكتبات

القضايا الرئيسة التي نرغب في مناقشتها في المؤتمر:

1. كيف أثرت الجائحة على مُجتمع توفير الوثائق وتبادل المصادر، وما التحديات التي واجهت أخصائيي المكتبات والباحثين، وما هي الحلول التي طُوّرت لمواجعة هذه التحديات؟
2. كيف غيّرت الجائحة طبيعة خدمة توفير الوثائق وتبادل المصادر، وكيفَ أُعيد تصور وتصميم الخدمة من خلال المبادارات والتقنيات الحديثة والحلول العالمية والمشاريع التعاونية مثل هيرميز HERMES.

تُرسل المقترحات إلى السيد بيتر كولينز collinsp@oclc.org في موعدٍ أقصاه 30 سبتبمر 2021، ويجب أن تتضمن التفاصيل التالية:

1. اسم المؤلف ولقبه ومؤسسته ومعلومات التواصل معه
2. فقرة تعريفية قصيرة عن المشارك
3. عنوان الورقة
4. ملخص (200 إلى 300 كلمة)

 عنوان الموقع: http://ilds.qnl.qa/index.html?pid=index&lang=ar

En el Año Iberoamericano de las Bibliotecas la Sección de América Latina y el Caribe de IFLA LAC reactiva su Boletín enero -junio. 

La Sección de América Latina y el Caribe de IFLA LAC mediante el apoyo activo del equipo Académico y de Información integrado por Carmen Elena Castrillón Vergara, Cecilia Justino Mérida, Jorge Moisés Kroll de Prado, Juan Miguel Palma Peña Luis Pestarini y Sonia Haydée Amaya hacen posible este esfuerzo regional.

Si desea compartir y aportar puede escribir a la siguiente dirección de correo: boletiniflalac@gmail.com

Recupera el Número 65 del Boletín en el siguiente enlace:

https://www.ifla.org/ES/publications/latin-america-and-the-caribbean-section-newsletter 

 

#BibliotecasQueCreanFuturos #BibliotecasInclusivas #BibliotecasInnovadoras #BibliotecasResilientes #WeAreIFLA #IFLALAC #BoletínIFLALAC #65

Following elections among incoming members of IFLA’s new Regional Division Committees, the identities of the people who will lead their work over the coming two years is now known.

These Committees – a key innovation in IFLA’s governance review – have a mandate not only to strengthen the voice of regions within IFLA, but also to make the voice of libraries louder within decision-making around the world.

Responding to regional priorities, they will work to develop and deliver action plans that strengthen capacity and add value for IFLA’s Members and the wider library field, around the world.

We are therefore happy to announce that the following candidates have been successful:

 

Asia Oceania
Chair: Winston Roberts (New Zealand)

Vice-Chair: Debal Kar (India)

 

Europe

Chair: Stuart Hamilton (Ireland)

Vice-Chair: Frédéric Blin (France)

 

Latin America and the Caribbean
Chair: Alejandro Santa (Argentina)

Vice-Chair: Georgina Torres (Mexico)

 

Middle East and North Africa

Chair: Imad Bachir (Lebanon)

Vice-Chair: Abeer Al-Kuwari (Qatar)

 

North America

Chair: Julius Jefferson (United States)

Vice-Chair: Christina de Castell (Canada)

 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Chair: Sarah Kaddu (Uganda)

Vice-Chair: Ayanda Lebele (Botswana)

 

I congratulate all of the successful candidates, and thank all those who stood for election for their commitment to IFLA.

Kind regards,

Gerald Leitner
Secretary General
The Hague, Netherlands
4 August 2021

Discover the full lists of members of IFLA's Regional Division Committees 2021-2023.

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If innovation drives the future, what drives innovation is the crossing of ideas and perspectives.

This year’s World Library and Information Congress, by bringing together expertise, insights and energy from around the world, provides a unique catalyst for the innovations that will shape the future of our field. In this newsletter, find out more about the exciting opportunities to set the agenda at WLIC 2021.

In our latest newsletter, read about our President-elect’s session, where we will work together to define priorities among with trends for the future identified by the people who will lead it – the new professionals of today.

Find out more about one of our keynote speakers, Professor Karima Bennoune, UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, who will look at the evolution of these rights over time, and how libraries can ensure that everyone benefits.

And be inspired by the insights from reading champions around the world on books that have changed lives.

So don’t hesitate – get your tickets, check out our programme, and start planning for the most exciting, inclusive event on the international library calendar!

Read on in the WLIC Newsletter, Issue 6, 4 August 2021.

Kind regards,

Gerald Leitner
Secretary General
The Hague, Netherlands
4 August 2021

In the third and final story in our series focusing on reviews of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2021, we hear from libraries in four countries about their experience of engaging in this process.

The presence of references to libraries in Voluntary National and Voluntary Local Reviews provides a welcome affirmation of the role of our institutions as partners for development.

As highlighted in the two previous stories in this series, focusing on the national and local levels respectively, we are seeing a growing share of official reports do just this. Moreover, they highlight clearly the range of ways in which libraries contribute.

However, almost equally important is the possibility that Voluntary National Reviews in particular play in providing an opportunity to engage with new parts of government and other potential partners.

Through this, there can be the possibility to build new contacts and alliances that strengthen library advocacy into the longer term.

To find out more about this, we asked libraries in Denmark, Norway, Zimbabwe and Iraq about their experiences.

Not every VNR is alike

First of all, it is clear that each country will tend to make its own choices about how to run its Voluntary National Reviews. As highlighted in IFLA’s guide, the United Nations does produce a handbook setting out best practice, but countries remain free to decide how far to implement this.  

As such, it will not always be the same type of ministry in charge. In Denmark, the Finance Ministry was responsible, while in Zimbabwe the Ministry of Social Welfare was in charge. Meanwhile, in Iraq, the Ministry of planning led the process.

Interestingly, in Norway, engagement with civil society organisations (such as libraries) took place through an NGO platform which coordinated all inputs.

Furthermore, a different process may be followed in each case. In Denmark, the ministry simply made a call to all organisations around the SDGs, while in Norway, the coordinating NGO platform reached out directly to specific organisations.

Similarly in Zimbabwe, there was no public call, and in fact libraries needed to approach the ministry proactively, building on contracts made previously at the 2020 African Regional Forum for Sustainable Development.

In Iraq too, it was possible to access the process because of previous meetings between libraries and the ministry in order to talk more broadly about the SDGs.

Finally, the type of contribution expected also varied from country to country. In Denmark, Zimbabwe and Iraq, libraries submitted full papers, highlighting examples of how libraries are contributing to achieving the SDGs. In Norway, however, a much shorter summary paper was requested.

A chance to expand networks

At least in some cases, engaging in VNRs did open up new contacts within government. For example, in Denmark, the coordinating ministry is not a regular partner of libraries, but is one that could usefully be contacted in future.

In Zimbabwe also, the coordinating ministry was a new contact for the library association. Thanks to this engagement, the association has been able to create new synergies and receive key new information.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, given that links already existed, the preparation of the VNR served rather to consolidate this relationship.

Looking beyond government contacts, work around VNRs appears to be paying off in Zimbabwe, where other NGOs are starting to understand the potential of libraries.

VNRs have also helped mobilise wider networks of libraries. In Denmark, the DB 2030 Network brings together institutions committed to working towards the SDGs, while in Iraq, the VNR helped bring together a number of university libraires.

Early signs of impact

The work of libraries in each country to engage around Voluntary National Reviews, and the wider SDGs, does seem to be paying off.

The most obvious indicator is the inclusion of references to libraries in Reports. For example Zimbabwe’s report celebrated the work of the association around open data, while Norway’s cited libraries’ contribution to inclusion.

In Denmark in particular, the government even announced a new initiative, through its VNR, to strength libraries’ work to disseminate information about the SDGs, and run a Global Goals certification programme.

There is also evidence of closer links with governments, with officials in Zimbabwe and Iraq alike underlining how much they welcome library engagement, and looking forward to further cooperation.

Lessons for the future

Clearly, the diversity in the processes implemented by governments means that libraries in each country will need to do the detective work necessary to find how best to engage.

Sometimes this will be a case of making sure that you are checking the right websites or are on the right mailing lists. Other times, it will be a case of ensuring that you are well known in general in the NGO community.

Nonetheless, making the effort to identify and get to know the team responsible in general for implementing the SDGs clearly helps in general, not least in ensuring that even if there isn’t a public call for contributions, you will not be trying to engage as strangers.

A second lesson is around the value of having evidence and case studies already prepared in order to submit. This work isn’t just helpful at the time of a Voluntary National Review, but can also support your advocacy at other moments.

Finally, as seen in Iraq and Zimbabwe in particular, working around the SDGs – and in particular VNRs – can be a great way to expand networks, ensuring that a wider range of ministries know about the work of libraries, and so – ideally – can be ready to support our institutions when decisions are made.

With six countries already having expressed an interest in carrying out a VNR in 2022 (Djibouti, Eritrea, Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Tuvalu) – and likely around forty in the end again undertaking one – these are helpful experiences for libraries in each to bear in mind.

We are grateful to colleagues from the Danish Library Association, the Norwegian Library Association, the Zimbabwe Library Association and the Al-Abbas Holy Shrine Library and Manuscripts in Iraq for their support in writing this article.

Read IFLA's guide to Voluntary National Reviews.

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Closely aligned to the IFLA Key Initiative 1.4 “Shape public opinion and debate around open access and library values, including intellectual freedom and human rights”, IFLA's Africa Regional Section has been delivering exciting and impactful webinars and panel discussions related to the ever-changing digital landscape we all live in. Digital fatigue, the Infodemic, Meta literacy and Fake News Disruptions on Media are just a few of the hot topics debated.

Upcoming Webinar: "Fake News Disruptions on Media: Library Convergence: Critical Reflections"

As part of this work, the Section will proudly deliver a webinar looking at actions journalists and librarians can take together, and the role that media literacy education plays in combatting fake news. Through this, they will help realise the potential of collaboration with journalists as a route to increasing media literacy within library communities.

Join this exciting webinar on 30 July.

• IFLA website: https://www.ifla.org/node/94001
• Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/98783913915

 

 

Panel Discussion: Digital fatigue, the Infodemic and Meta literacy

In May of this year, IFLA’s Africa Section hosted a panel discussion on the subject of “Digital fatigue, Infodemic and meta literacy”. Impressive results and critical reflections came out of this discussion from the African library community. Read below and learn more about those emerging subjects and the role of librarians in the ever-changing digital landscape.

Watch an excerpt of this panel discussion and the Q&A at the end

What is the Infodemic?

The word ‘infodemic’ is a combination of "information" and "epidemic". It refers to the idea of a sweeping information disorder affecting users’ capacity to find answers to their information needs. Many African governments have responded to this situation, for example using laws to curtail fake news peddling and launching awareness campaigns encouraging users to evaluate content before sharing it. 

What is Meta-literacy?

Another key concept – meta-literacy – recognizes that meta-literate “learners,” must learn continuously, given the constantly evolving information landscape. This includes the importance of new literacies such as digital literacy, as well as of metacognitive reflection as an empowering practice for learners. 

What is Digital Fatigue?

Meanwhile, digital fatigue is a state of mental exhaustion and disengagement that occurs when people are expected to use numerous digital tools and apps to solve their information needs in a changing information landscape.

Today's learners and users communicate, create, and share information using a range of information technologies such as social media, mobile devices and apps, and virtual worlds. Librarians should continuously learn, so that they can cope with the ever-changing information landscape with varying learners and users with unique literacies.

In particular, in the context of the pandemic, they need knowledge and skills to promote information hygiene practices that can usefully contribute towards building safe digital spaces.

Rachel Fischer, one of the Panel Discussion speakers shared with us her views on digital fatigue:

Perhaps now it is prudent to include social responsibility and digital well-being in the various roles of the information professional. The information professional should promote healthy boundaries, a balanced routine, and regular breaks to offset screen time."

 

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.

      

The Serials & Other Continuing Resources Committee (SOCRS) is pleased to invite the IFLA community to our programme during IFLA WLIC 2021:

How Open Access Affects Serials Assessment

The rise of Open Access, especially in the publication of serials, has been one of the greatest changes in sharing information and learning in the modern world. This is especially true as it affects the vital work of serials assessment, an ongoing process undertaken continually by organizations and institutions around the world. How this process works and the variables that need to be taken into consideration as part of it have been impacted deeply by the rise of Open Access publishing. Managing successful and productive assessments of serials requires a holistic knowledge of publishing which fully encompasses Open Access and its position within scholarly communication; furthermore, it requires a global perspective, as Open Access publishing spreads and adapts across national boundaries. By sharing thinking and experiences about how Open Access publishing is affecting serials assessment across regions and across subjects, this programme will provide a view with both the depth and the detail needed to benefit the global library community.

Moderated by SOCRS Secretary Gaelle Bequet (France, ISSN International Centre) we're pleased to have presentations from the following speakers:

• Ana Maria Cetto (Mexico) – How Latindex assesses the quality of online journals in the free-and-open access environment
• Mathias Astell (UK) – Focus on community needs: how and why Hindawi closed ~250 Open Access journals
• Leena Shah (Singapore) – How DOAJ is improving the coverage of non-English journals in its index and fostering best publishing practices
• Kate Snow (South Africa) – The JPPS framework and how it is implemented at AJOL

Visit the WLIC Programme to find the programme time in your location. Presentations will be followed by a live Q&A session with the presenters.

The recording of the SIG's session for IFLA’s WLIC 2021 is completed. The session is titled "Librarians learning from the past to inspire, include and sustain" and is scheduled for Day 3 (19 August 2021) of the conference.  You will need to check the schedule for the time in your part of the world.  The underlying theme is oral histories and the 4 speakers are:

• Dr. Mary Muldowney who works at Dublin City Council’s Historians in Residence, Dublin, Ireland and her talk is titled “Decades of Change. Remembering the Library at Trinity College Dublin, 1950-2000”.  Mary is an historian who has used oral history interviews extensively in her research and publications.
• Peymaneh Salehi who is a Researcher at the National Library and Archives of Iran and her talk is on “Narratives through dialogue: A report based on Iran’s Library and Information Science Oral History Projects”.  Peymaneh is the retired librarian of the National Library and Archives of Iran and has worked for 28 years interviewing, editing, cataloging, classifying, and publishing oral history resources.
• Cara Setsu Bertram who is the Archives Program Officer for the American Library Association Archives, at the University of Illinois in the USA and Cara will speak about “Preserving the Voices of Librarians at the American Library Association Archives” where she has managed them since 2013.
• Dr.  Marica Sapro-Ficovic, from the Dubrovnik Public Library in Croatia who will tell us about “Life of libraries under siege in the war: an oral history research” the topic of her recently completed PhD.  From 2001 to the present, Marica is the Senior librarian at the Dubrovnik Public Library, and Head of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County System for public and school libraries.

 

Dr. Kerry Smith, FALIA, AM
Convenor IFLA Library History SIG
http://www.ifla.org/library-history

https://www.ifla-wlic2021.com/events/sessions/librarians-learning-from-the-past-to-inspire-include-and-sustain

 

Library Services to People with Special Needs is pleased to announce the publication of the July 2021 issue of its newsletter.  Inside you will see announcements of upcoming LSN programs, meet the new LSN Standing Committee, view the annual report, and read articles about the various activities of LSN.  We thank the outgoing Chair, Nancy Bolt, and outgoing Secretary, Helen Chan, for their dedicated service.  Click on this link for full contents:  https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/lsn/publications/newsletter_3_july_2021.pdf

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Closely aligned to the IFLA Key Initiative 2.3 "Develop standards, guidelines and other materials that foster best professional practice", IFLA's Library Services to Multicultural Populations (IFLA MCULTP) is focused on raising the standard of inclusivity for meetings and virtual events. They have developed an infographic with tips for inclusive meetings. With the global library community preparing for an inclusive virtual IFLA WLIC 2021, IFLA MCULTP's work is as relevant as ever.

When the IFLA MCULTP Standing Committee planned their Action Plan for 2019-2020, they wanted to align their working focus area "Empowering people from ethnic, cultural & linguistic minorities to become experienced library workers and grow" with the IFLA Strategy 2019-2024 and more specifically with the IFLA Strategic Direction 3 “Connect & Empower the Field”. 

The committee adopted the IFLA Key Initiative 3.1 “Provide excellent opportunities for face-to-face networking and learning” as their focus area.

Lan Gao, IFLA MCULTP’s Chair and Senior Subject Department Librarian at the Youth Services Department of the Cleveland Public Library in the United States highlighted the importance of MCULTP’s Tips for inclusive meetings infographic:

We started to develop tools for including non-native speakers of the working language, so they can build networks and strengthen their professional skills. Therefore, we created a guide with tips for inclusive meetings for use by IFLA’s Professional Units, and an infographic which can be used for meetings of any kind. 

This initiative is to not only achieve the goals of empowering minority library workers to connect with other library professionals, but also to bring cultural diversity awareness to non-minority library staff."

To allow for more committee members to participate fully in meetings and to contribute to the committee, different strategies for business meetings at the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) to become more inclusive were discussed and adopted during WLIC 2019 in Athens, Greece.
 
After WLIC 2019, Leslie Kuo, Intercultural Affairs at the Pankow District Public Library System in Germany and Teona Shainidze Krebs, Chief Public Services Officer at the Pikes Peak Library District in the United States started to compile recommendations on how to remove barriers during business meetings for those whose working language proficiency skills are limited. 

With the input from the wider MCULTP community, the recommendations were developed and later fine-tuned in May 2021. Based on this document, a summary infographic on “Methods for Meetings and Webinars – Including people with a variety of cultural and skill levels in the working language” was made in July 2021 by Lan Gao and Adjoa Boateng, IFLA MCULTP’s Information Coordinator and Head of Information Management of the BirdLife International in the United Kingdom. 

These documents will be included in the updated version of IFLA Virtual Events Handbook to reach to a wider audience.

With such tools developed and shared, the IFLA MCULTP Section would like to see library workers from cultural, ethnic, and linguistic minority groups become more empowered and have their voices heard. 

The IFLA MCULTP Section would also like to see non-minority library workers become more aware and appreciative of the linguistic variety and culture differences in the workplaces.

These tips were edited and compiled in 2021 by Leslie Kuo and Teona Shainidze Krebs, with suggestions and contributions from the IFLA MCULTP Standing Committee and the larger MCULTP community, including the Berlin Public Libraries Working Group on Diversity, Lingua Pankow (a coalition of immigrant organisations in Berlin), and the Pikes Peak Library District (Colorado, USA).

Embed these suggested practices into your meetings today.

Download the Tips for inclusive meetings infographic

• in pdf
• in jpg

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.

 

      

First, we will be holding a SIG Case Studies Session with a slate for speakers from Asia, Australia, North America, and Europe who will discuss projects on the theme, “Better together: Creating solutions to the challenges of data use, reuse, and sharing”. We hope that you will join us to learn more about the implications of data challenges for our individual users, our organizations, and our own roles as library professionals. This session will provide an overview of multiple case studies showcasing synergies in data use, reuse, sharing, documentation, description, access, and archiving among and between various communities.

• Introduction (Cory Lampert)
• You May Like - How NLB uses Machine Learning to recommand books (Wen Sze Tan)
• How to Help Clean Your Local Library: A Case Study in Library Data Scholarly (Sara Wingate Gray)
• Diversifying Collaboration: Network Complexity and Big Data (Ingrid Mason)

 

The second session is a Presentation Session in partnership with the Science & Technology Section and Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section on the topic of, “Library Carpentries: A 360 Degree Review of Supporting Data Science Skills”. This session will introduce what Carpentries are and how libraries have established programs to teach coding and offer data science skills to researchers and users globally. The goal of Carpentries is to empower users to use software and data in their work and to build capacity for librarians to feel empowered in data-centric roles and partnerships. Four speakers will address themes related to offering and supporting Library Carpentries and will share case studies and relevant experiences.

• Introduction to Library Carpentries (Sandy Avila)
• An Online Library Carpentries Workshop in Africa (Benson Muite)
• A participant's Perspective on Library Carpentries (Cheryl Loo)

 

We look forward to seeing you this year online 17-19 August 2021.

The third issue of the IFLA IT Webinar Series gave the occasion to hear Dr. Edmund Balnaves, a director at Prosentient Systems Ltd in Autralia, higlight some current best practices in academic library research data management services with special references to various RDM systems (see the presentation slides here). Dr Lynn Kleinveldt, a lecturer at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa, presented her reflections on library research data services (see the presentation slides here). The last part of the one-hour session consisted in an open discussion on the topic of library RDM services, facilitated by François-Xavier Boffy (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1).

You can access to the video recording of the webinar on the IFLA online video channel.

IFLA’s Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Centre hosted at the International Center for Research and Documentation on African Languages and Traditions (CERDOTOLA) will deliver an international conference on the topic, “Conservation and preservation of documentary heritage in Central Africa: pillars of reconciliation and peacebuilding”.

This programme was accepted for funding from UNESCO’s Participation Programme 2020-2021, through cooperation with IFLA. We are honoured to have the opportunity to further align the work of library and documentary heritage professionals with the goals of UNESCO. 

This conference, to be held 28-29 July 2021, confronts the reality of armed conflict and associated challenges in the Central African region. It seeks to share strategies for safeguarding documentary heritage collections during times of conflict, and as well to share ideas and create plans to engage local communities with heritage collections, with the goal of promoting peace and reconciliation.

Conference Activities

Over two days, participants from libraries across Francophone Central Africa and from the different regions of Cameroon will come together to learn more about the UNESCO Memory of the World programme, become familiar with existing standards and instruments for the preservation of documentary heritage and the safeguarding of cultural property during armed conflict, and exchange ideas for engaging the public in peacebuilding through engaging with collections.  

The conference and accompanying interactive workshop will guide participants to:

• Reflect on a strategy for the preservation and conservation of documentary heritage in countries in conflict;
• Propose a strategy for the preservation, accessibility and promotion of heritage in danger within their contexts;
• Propose strategies for the involvement of their communities and local populations in the process of preservation and conservation for peacebuilding and reconciliation.

By the end of the conference, participants will have gained a greater knowledge of the regional context for conflict risk preparedness, and how their institutions can have a role. Further, they will have created their own plans and strategies based on the topics discussed during the conference and with feedback from expert facilitators. 

UNESCO Participation Programme

This conference is made possible through the generous funding of the UNESCO Participation Programme 2020-2021. This programme helps UNESCO Member States and partner NGOs facilitate national, sub-regional, inter-regional and regional projects that support the goals of UNESCO.

This conference will work towards UNESCO’s overarching goal of education and culture for peacebuilding, with a focus on the Central African region.

This will be accomplished through building capacity for preservation and conservation efforts among information professionals, especially in the context of conflict zones, and developing strategies to work within their institutions for the promotion of cultural heritage as a tool for peace.

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​​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 47, No.2 (June 2021)

Contents:
Editorial

Publishing in IFLA Journal: Balancing between the global and the local
Steven W. Witt

Review Article

Knowledge and skills for accessing agricultural information by rural farmers in South-East Nigeria 119
Ugonna B. Fidelugwuowo

Original Articles

Research methodology practices among postgraduate Information Studies students in Tanzania 129
Esther Ndenje-Sichalwe and Emmanuel Frank Elia

TETFund intervention in the provision of library resources in academic libraries in Nigeria 142
Cajetan Onyeneke and Ihunanya Lovelyn Ahaneku

Channels used to deliver agricultural information and knowledge to smallholder farmers 153
Tumpe Ndimbwa, Kelefa Mwantimwa and Faraja Ndumbaro

Benefits of crowdsourcing for libraries: A case study from Africa 168
Renee Lynch, Jason C. Young, Stanley Boakye-Achampong, Chris Jowaisas, Joel Sam and Bree Norlander

Awareness, anchor and adjustment factors in the use of institutional repositories by Nigerian lecturers 182
Alice A. Bamigbola

Privacy practices in academic libraries in Ghana: Insight into three top universities 196
Bright K. Avuglah, Christopher M. Owusu-Ansah, Gloria Tachie-Donkor and Eugene B. Yeboah

Effects of service quality on satisfaction in Eastern University Library, Bangladesh 209
Md. Jahangir Alam

Role of Lebanese public school libraries in the changing information environment 223
Patricia Rahme, Gladys Saade and Nohma Khayrallah

Faculty–librarian administrative structure and collaborative activities supporting teaching and research at Vietnamese universities: A qualitative study 236
Thi Lan Nguyen and Kulthida Tuamsuk

Collections and services of public libraries in West Bengal, India: An evaluative study against the backdrop of the IFLA guidelines 250
Shamim Aktar Munshi and Mehtab Alam Ansari

Abstracts 263

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

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2021 has not just ben a record year for libraries in Voluntary National Reviews – it has also seen the highest share yet of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) recognise the contribution of libraries to delivering the SDGs.

VLRs, like VNRs, look at progress towards delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals, but focus on a town, city, or region. They build on the strong commitment shown by organisations like United Cities and Local Government, as well as the unique insights and ability of such authorities, to drive forwards coordinated policies in favour of stronger, fairer, greener development.

As suggested in research published by IFLA earlier this year, the fact that VLRs emphasise actions taken at the level of cities and regions means that they are often more likely to include reference to libraries.

This can be because of libraries’ status as part of local government, the fact that they are more present in the minds of policy-makers at the city level than they are, necessarily, nationally, or simply that at a more local level, the role of factors like culture in development is clearer.

Following IFLA’s earlier research, showing that 59% of Reviews of SDG implementation at the city level (53% when regional reviews are also taken into account), we’ve looked at the reports published in 2021, as collected by United Cities and Local Governments’ Global Observatory on Local Democracy and Decentralisation.

These show that almost 62% of city and regional reviews – 8 out of 13 – this year highlight the importance of libraries in achieving local development.

Examples this year come from three world regions – North America, Europe, and Asia-Oceania, with a strong contingent from Scandinavia.

A broad-based contribution to SDG success

They highlight a range of themes, many going beyond the most traditional library roles of supporting literacy and reading, as well as research, although of course these remain traditional areas of strength (as in Scotland for example).

Inclusion is a key one, with Bergen (Norway) in particular celebrating the fact that its libraries are the most inclusive facilities the city has. Yet this openness to all is not taken for granted. The review of Helsingborg (Sweden) highlights the efforts of the library to reflect constantly on how to be welcoming for all, and so give everyone the possibility to benefit from public services.

Scotland’s review notes the particular potential of libraries to help groups at risk of marginalisation, for example women living on low incomes by providing access to sanitary products. Also benefitting women is the work of the National Library of Scotland to celebrate their role in history.

Uppsala (Sweden) focuses on the risk of inequality between cities and countryside, noting that library buses, the development of rural school library services, and training provide a powerful way of ensuring that people living in rural areas are not starved of information and culture.

Libraries in the city have worked to support both people at the youngest ages (through cloakroom libraries in daycare facilities) and the oldest (through deliveries and contacts) continue to learn and benefit from being part of the community. They also focus strongly on newcomers to the ity and region, helping them learn the language and acclimatise.

The civic role of libraries is also clear. Guangzhou (China) stresses the importance of libraries and museums in building pride in the city, while Helsingborg notes their role as shared public spaces. Our institutions are understood as sites for promoting wellbeing, especially among children, by Gladsaxe (Denmark).  

A particularly interesting example comes from Malmö (Sweden), which has made the library the focus of a participatory urban development effort, bringing together young people to design a new space there which can attract all members of the community. In parallel, there is a drive to engage citizens in understanding and engaging in the wider work of the library as a public service.

Finally, there are innovative efforts to work through libraries to support wider policy goals, for example in Kelowna (Canada), which lends heat-seeking cameras to users to help them understand where they should improve insulation in their houses, and so become more energy efficient.

Beyond city and regional reviews, some countries have undertaken subnational reviews, looking at the roles of regional and city governments nationally, and how they are helping.

For example, Sweden’s review sets out how libraries contribute to digital participation, while Norway considers them more broadly as a public service, and presents scores for citizen satisfaction as a wider indication of how happy people are with local services.

These approaches – in particular Sweden’s – are interesting, in that they raise the idea of governments working systematically through libraries, via local governments, in order to achieve national policy goals.

Making the case for localising the SDGs

It is also worth taking a look at the broader report by the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, highlighting contributions to delivering on the SDGs in 2021.

This underlines in particular the importance of culture and digital inclusion – both of which are clearly areas of strength for libraries – as well as making the case for localising the SDGs in general. With libraries’ emphasis on promoting bottom-up development models, built around targeted and responsible efforts to help individuals become informed and literate, this agenda is closely aligned with our own.

  

As with the results of our analysis of Voluntary National Reviews, the references to libraries in Voluntary Local Reviews are potentially useful tools for advocacy in favour of the recognition of our institutions as partners for development.

By being able to point to what others have done, we can normalise the integration of libraries not just into reports, but also into key strategic planning to achieve the SDGs.

See our article about libraries in Voluntary National Reviews in 2021.

The Zimbabwe Library Association and IFLA have prepared a joint submission for the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review of the country. Drawing on the experiences of the library field, the submission flags important trends and ways in which libraries work to support the fundamental rights to education, work, and access to science in Zimbabwe, and sets out recommendations on how more could be done.

The Universal Periodic Review is an opportunity for UN Member States to track and assess their progress on key human rights commitments and obligations once every 5 years. Since interested stakeholders can submit inputs as part of the review process, this offers libraries a good opportunity to take stock of the ways their work impacts and supports fundamental human rights, and what key trends and developments shape the landscape in which this work takes place.

Zimbabwe

The joint ZimLA-IFLA submission highights the following points:

• A focus on access and equity is a key priority for delivering on the right to education in Zimbabwe. Libraries and library organisations around the country are working to help support equitable access to educational, reading and learning materials, particularly in more remote and rural areas.
• In 2019, Zimbabwe has acceded to the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. We encourage the domestic implementation and interpretation of the Treaty (as well as further implementation of practical measures) to support as wide as possible access to information, knowledge, and education for people with disabilities.
• Over the past years, library organisations and libraries have worked to champion Open Access in Zimbabwe, as part of the fundamental right to access and benefit from scientific progress. They have also promoted the use of open data to support the enforcement of rights, especially for women and girls.
• Supporting informal workers, out-of-school youth, and other vulnerable economically active community members is a key task for delivering on the right to work. There are existing library initiatives in Zimbabwe working to support income-generating projects, which illustrate how community-based learning opportunities can help boost employability or gainful activities.

Joint ZimLA-IFLA submission for the Universal Periodic Review in Zimbabwe: [PDF - English]

To learn more about the work of libraries to protect and promote human rights, you can also take a look the stakeholder UPR submissions to Italy, Croatia, the United States, Australia, Georgia, Myanmar, Belgium, Eswatini, Greece, Ireland, and Uganda.