About the Action for Development through Libraries Programme (ALP)

The Action for Development through Libraries (ALP) programme will move to IFLA Headquarters following handover from staff at the ALP office in Uppsala in February 2010. As part of this process and with changes in funding, focal areas for ALP have been reviewed, with a renewed emphasis on training and closer collaboration with IFLA’s core activities, sections and regional/language offices.

The ALP Programme was launched in 1984 at the IFLA Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.

ALP Scope and Objectives

From 2010 ALP will be the primary vehicle for delivering training based on policy and guidelines developed by IFLA’s core activities or sections. The focus for ALP projects is professional priorities for the development of the library and information profession that are linked to IFLA’s strategic priorities.

There is a preference for projects based on IFLA’s training packages and that build sustainability and capability in local library communities in developing countries or emerging economies around the world. IFLA’s training packages are customisable, flexible in content and delivery, and adaptable to meet the needs of different projects, and countries.

ALP collaborates closely with IFLA’s other Core Activities, particularly FAIFE, CLM and PAC, the sections, and regional offices and language centres to utilise the expertise and resources held in these units. It also works with IFLA members, such as national associations, as partners.

ALP places an emphasis on evaluating and reporting on projects, and will utilise an impact assessment framework and other approaches to evaluate the difference ALP funded projects make in library communities.

Building Strong Library Associations Programme

The centrepiece of the new approach to ALP is the Building Strong Library Associations Programme. This comprehensive programme offers a strategic and coordinated approach to capacity building and sustainability of library associations for the benefit of associations, libraries, and their communities. It allows for the delivery of new training packages aimed at developing library associations, but also the continuing deployment of IFLA’s existing workshops such as those on the IFLA Internet Manifesto, access to HIV/AIDS information through libraries, or transparency, good governance and freedom from corruption. A strength of the programme is that it allows for customization, and enables library associations to identify which IFLA training packages best suit their needs.

The programme will be available to IFLA members from September-2010.

Priorities

ALP’s focal areas are:

  • Development and sustainability of library associations, particularly through the Building Strong Library Associations programme
  • Libraries and literacy: libraries as promoters of information literacy and lifelong learning, and combating functional illiteracy
  • Promoting libraries in society, including the role of libraries in reading through the IFLA /UNESCO Public Library Manifesto and the IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto
  • Access to information through ICT in libraries, and ICTD
  • Access to information by marginalised and underserved groups: for example, immigrant communities, indigenous persons, especially through the IFLA Multicultural Manifesto; access to underserved groups and persons with print or other disabilities, in partnership with the relevant sections
  • New and emerging professional practice priorities
  • Promotion of continuing professional development

Projects will have access to deliver IFLA’s existing policy-based training programmes, including Access to information on HIV/AIDS through Libraries, IFLA Internet Manifesto, and IFLA Manifesto on Transparency, Good Governance and Freedom from Corruption, and Access to public health information through libraries.

ALP Approach

Projects will:

  • Be delivered as customisable programmes allowing countries to choose activities and training that best meet their needs, with a focus on national library associations in 2010
  • Be delivered as capacity building programmes that assist library communities within countries and regions. These approaches include: train the trainer and cascade training models, promoting good practice, development of success stories and models, repeatable programmes
  • Develop achievable, practical goals for programmes that will have impact in communities where they are implemented
  • Work strategically with other IFLA core activities, sections and regional offices and language centres to develop, deliver and evaluate programmes
  • Encourage collaboration and networking within and across regions and the sector in library communities
  • Raise the profile of ALP and its work within IFLA
  • Collaborate with strategic partners and funding bodies

ALP will demonstrate outcomes of its work by:

  • Evaluating the impact of funded projects using an impact assessment framework and other evaluation methods
  • Evaluating the impact of the overall ALP programme
  • Communicating project outcomes to members, strategic partners and the library community through project reports, case studies, and success stories

Last update: 21 January 2010