About the IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Digital Strategies (ICADS)

NOTE: The ICADS Advisory Board has decided to close ICADS and cease its activities. This decision follows consultation with ICADS member libraries and with IFLA representatives.

There is now a strong understanding of the potential of digital library technologies and a widespread focus on digital themes in the IFLA programme. We welcome this growing digital maturity across the community, resulting from the rapid pace of change. This leads us to believe that a special national libraries group to promote awareness of digital technologies is no longer required. ICADS member libraries remain committed to promoting digital initiatives, but feel we can do this more appropriately through the work of the many sections to which we are affiliated.

ICADS, and its predecessor ICABS, has made a significant contribution to promoting and embedding digital awareness within the IFLA community

December 2011

ICADS was a joint alliance of IFLA and the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL) that was established in 2008. The focus of the ICADS alliance is strategic and state-of-the-art digital library developments at national libraries. Through a web directory of projects that resides within the framework of PADI, the alliance provided the international library community with current information, documentation and links to a wide variety of information about innovative digital projects in which partners are involved.

Background to ICADS

ICADS was established in August 2008 as a successor to ICABS (IFLA CDNL Alliance for Bibliographic Standards) which was established as a national libraries initiative in 2003. The ICABS work plan supported a number of goals relating to the development and use of bibliographic standards, resource access and managing electronic resources. Since 2003 it has become increasingly clear that a major challenge for most national libraries is managing digital resources. In response to this development, IFLA and CDNL wanted to see a stronger focus by ICABS on digital library issues. Consequently, a new framework was developed by the ICABS Advisory Board to provide a more comprehensive view of the wide range of issues related to digital library management and within which to represent relevant innovative projects and initiatives. The new framework was renamed ICADS to reflect the increased concentration on digital library development and management.

ICADS Subject focus

There are 3 broad themes within the ICADS focus. These are:

  • Creating and building digital collections
  • Managing digital collections
  • Accessing digital collections

Under each of these themes, there are a number of topics which reflect the main areas ICADS partners are currently working in. (To explore the ICADS topics, use the links at the bottom of the page).

The ICADS topics (listed under corresponding theme) are:

Creating and building digital collections:

  • Digitisation
  • Web Archiving
  • Digital Archiving-legal deposit, collaborative and commercial models

Managing digital collections:

  • Digital ingest and storage
  • Digital preservation

Accessing digital collections:

  • Digital resource discovery
  • Digital rights management

Governance of ICADS

An Advisory Board oversights the work of ICADS and meets annually at the IFLA conference. It comprises representatives at the CEO and senior officer levels from founding member institutions, the Chair of CDNL, plus two members nominated by IFLA. The Board is chaired on a rotating basis with the chairing institution also providing secretarial support.

The current members of the Advisory Board are:

 Membership of the Advisory Board will be reviewed at the annual meeting in 2010.

ICADS relationship with IFLA

To further promote its focus of activity, the alliance also works with IFLA divisions and sections to present an annual programme of events at the IFLA conference.

For further information please contact:

Chair:
Ms. Caroline Brazier Associate Director, Operations & Services (North)
British Library
Boston Spa, Wetherby, WEST YORKSHIRE, LS23 7BQ, United Kingdom
Tel: +(44)(1937)546646
Fax: +(44) (1937)546979
Email: caroline.brazier@bl.uk

Secretary:
Ms. Mandy Stewart Resource Discovery Research and Projects Manager
British Library
Boston Spa, Wetherby, WEST YORKSHIRE, LS23 7BQ, United Kingdom
Tel:  +(44)(1937)546194 
Fax: +(44)(1937)546586
Email: mandy.stewart@bl.uk

Explore ICADS topics Details about the activities listed under topics are provided by partner libraries themselves using the ICADS contribution form.

Section Archive: IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Bibliographic Standards (ICABS)

Last update: 21 December 2011