Trend Report

Introduction

The IFLA Governing Board set up a Steering Committee (SC) to commission a major trend report modeling the evolving digital information environment.

The mandate is taken from the Key Initiatives 2011-2012: Key Initiative 1: Digital Content Programme: Driving access to content, and digital resources, for library users.

Goals/Objectives

The Trend Report shall model the evolving digital information environment. It shall provide detailing options for libraries internationally to position themselves within an evolving digital information environment, and the social, cultural, economic and legal consequences for these options. The report shall provide facts to librarians, policymakers and the public to help them better understand the role of libraries in the digital age.

The report shall be launched in 2013. It shall provide a base for the library sector for promotion, advocacy and outreach for the following 2-5 years.

Methodology

The SC conducted a SWOT analysis and examined existing vision and trend reports released by libraries and library associations regarding their scope, methodology, missing information and possible contributions in IFLA’s Trend Report.

The report shall be commissioned to an external consultant or research company.

Contribution to IFLA Strategy

Through its focus on promoting the public interest while protecting owner’s rights, the statement contributes to IFLA’s strategic directions 1, 3 and 4 in particular advocating to ensure that access to information is fair and balances users needs with creators’ rights (1b), the promotion of the preservation of information and knowledge to expand society’s knowledge base (1e), transforming the profile and standing of the profession (3) and the representation of IFLA’s members and users throughout the world (4).

IFLA is working collaboratively to build a legal, technical and professional base that enables libraries to play a major role in collecting, preserving, and offering wide access to all types of physical and digital materials.

Steering Committee

Frédéric Blin, Chair
Inga Lunden, Member
Christine Mackenzie, Member