Dear Colleagues,

A lot has happened in our Section since January. To begin with, we have prepared three sessions for the next IFLA conference (August 16-21 in Cape Town, South Africa). The first one is on libraries’ partnerships and includes a presentation by Carole Bloch from PRAESA, recipient of Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2015 -our Section’s nominee! The second one will take place at Cape Town central library and will focus on best practices in African libraries. The last one will be very special: a celebration of the Section’s 60th anniversary, with a programme including, among other “treats”, a presentation on South African literature for young people. Papers are already being uploaded and can be accessed from the programme page.

Those of you who attend the conference are also very welcome to our Standing Committee meetings – on Saturday 15th, 15:15-17:45 and Tuesday 18th, 8-9:30. And if you wish, you have the chance to offer a book to Cape Town’s children, through a project led by the American Library Association, that was carefully prepared with the Library Association of South Africa and our Section.

Our projects have continued and expanded: the 2nd, enlarged edition of The World through Picture Books was published and can be downloaded without charge, printed copies being sold by IFLA. The exhibition was presented in Australia. If your country is not represented yet, it is still possible to include it! As for Sister Libraries, new libraries have registered, from Iceland, Russia, Italy, US, Uganda… See our blog.

And a new project is beginning: the new edition of our Guidelines for Library Services for Children. So much has happened in libraries since the last edition, ten years ago! Our third, “anniversary” session in Cape Town will have round table workshops to begin gathering your input for this.

Also, as you may have noticed already, our website is being updated and reorganized… All this and more, on our Facebook page that has over 1500 followers now!

Finally, on behalf of the Section I would like to thank all Standing Committee members whose term finishes next August. Very special thanks to Kirsten Boelt – the Section was very lucky to have her as Secretary! – and warm congratulations for her election to IFLA Governing Board. I also wish to thank our great Information Coordinator, Ulla Pötsönen, for the hard, remarkable work she has done and, fortunately for the Section, will continue doing.

It has been an honour and a pleasure to chair our very active, warm and joyful Committee. Thanks to all members and to everyone who has worked with us! As Division III next Chair and new member of the Governing Board, I am very happy to be able to continue working at IFLA. Welcome and all the best to the Section’s new Committee!

All best wishes to you, dear readers, and thanks for your interest and your support,

Viviana Quinones

Viviana Quiñones
Paris, France
Chair, IFLA Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults