IFLA’s Governing Board will be meeting this Friday, 1 November, for a virtual meeting. As the first meeting since the IFLA Information Futures Summit, and with planning for 2025 well underway, the agenda is a busy one. 

Over the two-hour meeting, the Board will be discussing the following agenda items:

  • The IFLA Budget for 2025 – a draft will be on the table, with a focus both on ensuring a break-even plus budget is achieved, and supporting sustainability into the future. As highlighted in our town halls, IFLA’s overall results are affected by a number of factors, including membership, our Congress, and in particular the support of Stichting IFLA Global Libraries, set up by IFLA in 2016 to administer, on IFLA’s behalf, the grant provided by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 
  • A look back at our financial results for the 3rd quarter of 2024 (July-September), in particular comparing this to our plans at the beginning of the year.
  • IFLA membership fees for 2025, with decisions needing to reflect the decision of the General Assembly of 2022, when it set out rules around membership fee increases over the coming three years.
  • Updates on planning for WLIC 2025 in Astana, Kazakhstan, as well as a look back to what we can learn from the Information Futures Summit in Brisbane. We will also receive an update on the expressions of interest process for hosting IFLA Congresses in 2026-2029. 
  • Agreement of a terms of reference for a group to explore options around IFLA’s centenary in 2027, and in particular how to make the most of the opportunity to achieve our goals.
  • In addition, the Board will be reviewing progress against actions agreed last meeting, as well as receiving an update on work towards the goals set out for IFLA’s HQ for 2024. 

Look out for a message from the IFLA President, Vicki McDonald, reporting back on the meeting next week.