Standards Procedures Manual

The IFLA Standards Procedures Manual provides guidance for the development and revision of standards and guidelines by IFLA professional units. It seeks to establish: how to present the need for specific standards and guidelines; maximize consensus about the content and applicability; ensure high technical and editorial quality; promote consistency; and earn endorsement by IFLA and the wider library and information community.

IFLA recognizes the multiple contributions members of professional units make to the development and maintenance of IFLA standards. In some cases, financial support for the work can be obtained via Professional Council project funding.

The first edition of the IFLA Standards Procedures Manual was compiled by a Working Group established by the Committee on Standards (CoS) in early 2013. It was endorsed by the Professional Committee in 2014. A new working group was established in 2019 to review the manual and update it to align with the changes to the IFLA governance structure, simplify and clarify application. The revised edition was approved and published in December 2023.

IFLA Standards Procedures Manual 2023

The IFLA Standards Procedures Manual aims to give guidance to IFLA units on the production or revision of an IFLA standard. The IFLA Standards Procedures Manual provides guidance for the development of standards and guidelines by IFLA units. It seeks to establish: how to present the need for specifi...

Standards template

  • [MS Word]
    last revision: 15 January 2024
  • Use this file to format your standards document

Standards development proposal form (Form A)

  • [MS Word]
  • Use this form to request permission to develop a new IFLA standard

Standards approval request form (Form B)

  • [MS Word]
  • Use this form to submit your draft standard to the Advisory Committee on Standards for review

Standards minor revisions form (Form C)

  • [MS Word]
  • Use this form to indicate minor revisions to be made to an existing standard from your unit

Visualising the Standards Process

Standards process summary diagram [PDF]

Detailed standards development and approval process diagram [PDF]