Language Policy
At its meeting in December 2006 IFLA's Governing Board approved the following policy with regard to the use of languages within our Federation.
Definitions and current practice
IFLA currently has seven official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian and Spanish. IFLA members are entitled to express themselves in these languages at conferences, in meetings of professional and governance bodies and in correspondence to IFLA HQ. Within the limits of its resources, IFLA provides official communications and form letters in these languages. IFLA provides abstracts in these languages of articles published in IFLA journal. IFLA attempts to provide translations of conference papers and simultaneous interpretation of conference sessions in these languages, and to respond to correspondence addressed to IFLA HQ in these languages.
As working language we consider one or more of the official languages, in which IFLA Headquarters and/or Regional Offices and Language Centres are able to communicate immediately and without outside assistance both orally and in writing and in which all IFLA communications are disseminated.
Policy regarding languages
IFLA endeavours to reach out to the world library community through publication of its publications such as manifestos, guidelines and cataloguing codes, in as many other languages as possible, both in print and on the website, usually in response to expressed demand. In most cases translations are made by volunteers from the language communities themselves, or are paid for by those communities.
Providing language services remains to be key, even vital for IFLA's congresses. However, in view of the high costs involved, we also need to remain critical in considering making expenses.
A distinction is made between official, working and other languages as defined above, and these terms should be used consistently in all our communications about language issues.
IFLA will continue to make available as many translations into all of its official languages of all relevant documents and publications as possible. This is only feasible with substantial help of the various professional language communities.
IFLA will take the initiative to hold a workshop with representatives of our IFLA language communities (translators, interpreters), possibly in 2007.
IFLA/HQ attempts to recruit speakers of other official languages than English as staff members, in order to increase the number of working languages.
At the annual conferences, additional products/services (simultaneous interpretation, translations) in locally relevant languages may be added for the account of National Committees.
Further study needs to be made of the use that is being made of simultaneous interpretation by analysing the use of headphones during future congresses.
IFLA will seek partnerships and funding from language and cultural promotion agencies.
IFLA HQ, March 2007
Translations
As a global organisation, IFLA regularly tries to bridge cultural differences across the library community—perhaps most prominent of which are those related to the diversity of the world's languages. To enhance the multilingual character of IFLA, we welcome translations of IFLA publications in any language that might serve our users, whether in one of the seven official IFLA languages or otherwise.
If you are interested in making a translation, please contact our Publications department.
Last update: 13 November 2012