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More about IFLAGeneral Info Leaflet
Who we areThe International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession.Founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1927 at an international conference, we celebrated our 75th birthday at our conference in Glasgow, Scotland in 2002. We now have over 1700 Members in 155 countries around the world. IFLA was registered in the Netherlands in 1971. The Royal Library, the national library of the Netherlands, in The Hague, generously provides the facilities for our headquarters. AimsIFLA is an independent, international, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. Our aims are to:
Core ValuesIn pursuing these aims IFLA embraces the following core values:
MembershipWe have two main categories of voting members: Association Members and Institutional Members. Associations of library and information professionals, of library and information services and of educational and research institutes, within the broad field of library and information science, are all welcome as Association Members. Institutional Membership is designed for individual library and information services, and all kinds of organizations in the library and information sector. International organizations within our sphere of interest may join as International Association Members. National Association Members, International Association Members and Institutional Members have voting rights in elections and meetings. They are entitled to nominate candidates for the post of IFLA President and for places on the Executive Committee. Individual practitioners in the field of library and information science may join as Personal Affiliates. They do not have voting rights, but they provide invaluable contributions to the work of IFLA, by serving on committees and contributing to professional programmes. More information on IFLA Membership and joining IFLA can be found here. Corporate PartnersMore than 25 corporations in the information industry have formed a working relationship with IFLA under our Corporate Partners scheme. In return for financial and 'in kind' support they receive a range of benefits including opportunities to present their products and services to our worldwide membership.Relations with other BodiesWe have established good working relations with a variety of other bodies with similar interests, providing an opportunity for a regular exchange of information and views on issues of mutual concern. We have Formal Associate Relations with UNESCO, observer status with the United Nations, associate status with the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) and observer status with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In 1999, we established observer status with the World Trade Organization (WTO). In turn, we have offered consultative status to a number of non-governmental organizations operating in related fields, including the International Publishers Association (IPA). We are members, along with the International Council on Archives (ICA), International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), of the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS). The mission of ICBS is to collect and disseminate information and to co-ordinate action in situations when cultural property is at risk.World Library and Information Congress: IFLA General Conference and CouncilOur conference is held in August or early September in a different city each year. More then three thousand delegates meet to exchange experience, debate professional issues, see the latest products of the information industry, conduct the business of IFLA and experience something of the culture of the host country.More information on the current conference or past and future conferences can be found here. Regional MeetingsA range of professional meetings, seminars and workshops are held around the world by our professional groups and Core Activities. Use IFLANET and IFLA Journal to find out what is going on when and where.GovernanceThe governing structure of IFLA has been revised and came into force in 2001. The revision was necessary in order to reflect the opportunities presented by our increasingly global membership and the greater ease of worldwide communications. For the description of the governing structure please consult IFLA's Statutes.CouncilThe General Council of Members is the supreme governing body, consisting of delegates of voting Members. It normally meets every year during the annual conference. It elects the President and members of the Governing Board. It also considers general and professional resolutions which, if approved, are usually passed to the Executive Committee and the Professional Committee for action as appropriate.Governing BoardThe Governing Board is responsible for the managerial and professional direction of IFLA within guidelines approved by Council. The Board consists of the President, the President-elect, 10 directly elected Members (by postal and/or electronic ballot, every 2 years) and 9 indirectly elected members of the Professional Committee (by the professional groups through the sections and divisions); up to 3 Members may be co-opted. The Governing Board meets at least twice per year, once at the time and place of the annual World Library and Information Congress Executive CommitteeThe Executive Committee has executive responsibility delegated by the Governing Board to oversee the direction of IFLA between meetings of this Board within the policies established by the Board. The Committee consists of the President, President-elect, the Treasures, the Chair of the Professional Committee, 2 members of the Governing Board, elected every 2 years by members of the Board from among its elected members, and IFLA's Secretary General, ex-officio.Professional CommitteeIt is the duty of the Professional Committee to ensure coordination of the work of all the IFLA units responsible for professional activities, policies and programmes. The Committee consists of a chair, elected by the outgoing Committee, an officer of each of IFLA's 8 Divisions plus 3 members of the Governing Board, elected by that Board from among its members. The Professional Committee meets at least twice per year, once at the time and place of the annual IFLA General Conference. Core ActivitiesIssues common to library and information services around the world are the concern of the IFLA Core Activities. Directed by the Professional Committee, the objectives and projects of the Core Activities relate to the Federation's Programme and the priorities of the Divisions and Sections. One, ALP (Action for Development through Libraries Programme) has very wide scope, concentrating on the broad range of concerns specific to the developing world. The others cover current, internationally important issues: Preservation and Conservation (PAC), IFLA - CDNL Alliance for Bibliographic Standards (ICABS) and IFLA UNIMARC. The Core Activities are each managed by a Director, who reports to the Executive and Professional Committees. IFLA is grateful to the following libraries and their librarians for generously hosting the Core Activities: Bibliothèque Nationale de France (PAC), Biblioteca Nacional, Portugal (UNIMARC) and Uppsala University Library, Sweden (ALP).With generous initial funding from the Danish government, the City of Copenhagen, and the Danish library community, IFLA's office for Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) was established in Copenhagen in 1998. It has a steering committee made up of professionals from around the globe. FAIFE reports to the Executive Committee. Also reporting to the Executive Committee is the Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM). Divisions and SectionsSections are the primary focus for the Federation's work in a particular type of library and information service, in an aspect of library and information science or in a region. All IFLA Members are entitled to register for Sections of their choice. Once registered, voting Members have the right to nominate specialists for the Standing Committee of the Sections for which they are registered. The Standing Committee is the key group of professionals who develop and monitor the programme of the Section. Sections are grouped into eight Divisions.Regional ActivitiesThree Regional Sections (Africa, Asia and Oceania, and Latin America and the Caribbean) make up the Division of Regional Activities (Division 8). They are concerned with all aspects of library and information services in their regions. They promote IFLA activities and work closely with the IFLA Regional Offices, located in Pretoria, South Africa; Singapore and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Discussion GroupsDiscussion Groups may be set up, on a temporary and informal basis, to enable groups of Members to discuss specific professional, or social and cultural issues relating to the profession. Discussion Groups may be established for a two-year renewable term and must be sponsored by a Section.PublicationsThe results of the programmes developed by IFLA's professional groups are recorded and disseminated in our publications. IFLA Journal is published four times a year. Each issue covers news of current IFLA activities and articles, selected to reflect the variety of the international information profession, ranging from freedom of information, preservation, services to the visually impaired and intellectual property. The biennial Council Report records IFLA's achievements in five key areas: access to information, the electronic environment, preservation and conservation, services and standards and professional development. The IFLA publications series, published by IFLA's publisher, K G Saur Verlag in Munich, Germany includes such titles as Intelligent library buildings, and Adapting marketing to libraries in a changing worldwide environment. The IFLA Professional Reports series feature reports of professional meetings and guidelines to best practice. Recent reports include Proceedings of the IFLA/UNESCO pre-conference seminar on public libraries and Guidelines for easy-to-read materials.ResourcesMany librarians and information professionals throughout the world, who contribute their time, expertise and financial resources, make our achievements possible. About 80% of our income is derived from membership fees. Other sources of income include sales of publications, contributions in cash and kind from our corporate partners, grants from foundations and government agencies. Our professional programme is supported by grants from UNESCO, several national and international funding agencies. Twenty national libraries contribute financial support for our Core Activities in addition to the six national and university libraries which, between them, host those programmes and our headquarters. To all of them we record our grateful thanks.IFLANETOur web site IFLANET has rapidly become a prime source of information not only about IFLA, but also on a broad spectrum of library and information issues. It is hosted by the Institut de l'Information Scientifique et Technique (INIST), France. | |
