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Documentary Heritage Making a Difference

Interview with the UNESCO Documentary Heritage Unit on the Memory of the World Programme and Libraries

The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in October and November 2022 with the theme, Enlisting documentary heritage to promote inclusive, just and peaceful societies.

IFLA Launches Commemorative Statement at Global Symposium Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme

The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme is celebrating its 30th anniversary from 27 October – 5 November with the theme, Enlisting documentary heritage to promote inclusive, just and peaceful societies.

Strengthening reading cities globally: IFLA participates in UNESCO World Book Capital Network meeting

IFLA attended a meeting of the UNESCO World Book Capital Network in Wroclaw, Poland, on 22-23 September, bringing the perspective of the global library field as the participating cities formally signed the Network charter, and made plans for future actions. 

Global cultural networks propose culture goal for future development frameworks

Today, the Culture2030Goal campaign (also known as #Culture2030Goal) which unites a group of global cultural networks, launched a zero-draft of a potential development goal focused on culture.

Save the Date: IFLA Side Event at MONDIACULT 2022 - Accelerating Education-Culture Linkages through Collaboration

IFLA is excited to bring the perspective of libraries to the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2022 with an official side event.

IFLA and UNESCO Celebrate 75 Years of Partnership at the 87th World Library and Information Congress (WLIC)

Félicitations! Strasbourg awarded title of World Book Capital 2024

From 23 April 2024, Strasbourg will hold the title of World Book Capital City, as announced today by UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay. IFLA congratulates all those involved in the successful bid, and looks forward to a great mandate that provides inspiration and models for cities and libraries globally. 

From Local Practice to Global Principles: Recording of HLPF Side-Event Available

You can now watch again the side-event organised by the Culture 2030 Goal campaign at the 2022 UN High Level Political Forum, highlighting how cultural actors, institutions and considerations are being integrated into local development strategies, and the lessons this offers for efforts to deliver sustainable development by 2030 and beyond.

Setting a course on culture: Respond to the Culture 2030 Goal survey!

As a founding member of the Culture 2030 Goal campaign, IFLA encourages the global library field to engage with a new survey looking to make a first key step towards defining what an explicit goal for culture in the post-2030 development framework could look like. You have until 21 June to respond.

UNESCO and IFLA: Celebrating 75 Years of Partnership

On 20-22 May 1947, IFLA’s first council meeting following the end of the Second World War was held in Oslo, Norway. It was here that IFLA signed an agreement to cooperate with the newly formed United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

Can the World Take Bold Action Towards a More Sustainable Planet? Share your thoughts!

Stockholm+50 is a key international environmental meeting coming up on 2-3 June with the theme: “Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity”.

Celebrating and supporting innovation and impact: Interview on the Europe Challenge

The European Cultural Foundation has just launched an open call for the Europe Challenge 2022, after finishing the pilot edition with a small group of libraries, who went through a year-long programme and helped to co-design the scheme, along with the partners Demsoc, Public Libraries 2030 and OBA (Amsterdam Public libraries).   We interviewed the Europe Challenge team, Nicola Mullenger and Olga Alexeeva. If you're interested to know more about how you can join and be part of a Europe-wide citizen-led change, working with your communities, read on: Deadline to apply 27 May 2022.

Promoting Reading Cities: IFLA participates in World Book Capital Network Meeting

In its role as a member of the World Book Capital (WBC) Advisory Committee, IFLA was invited to participate in a meeting of the WBC Network, held in Tbilisi, Georgia. The meeting provided an opportunity to shape core documentation, and highlight the need for future activities to include libraries and library goals, as well as to meet with IFLA Members locally.

Looking to Libraries for Resilience: stories of support in Ukraine and beyond

In times of hardship, individuals turn to one another to overcome, to recover, and to rebuild. The places where communities meet, where they can access services, and come together to support one another are therefore important for building community resilience.

Culture2030Goal campaign launches statement ahead of MONDIACULT 2022

In September, ministers and other key cultural policy decision-makers will meet in Mexico City for MONDIACULT 2022 to discuss how they can better promote sustainable development. The Culture 2030  Goal campaign, of which IFLA is a member, has released a statement in preparation for this.

Solidarity, Communication, and Compassion: Library Associations in Times of War

For the library profession, the importance of sharing information, serving their communities, and cooperating with colleagues from around the world are not minimised in times of crisis – they are strengthened.

ResiliArt x Mondiacult: Library Voices Joining the Global Conversation on Cultural Rights

 IFLA's recent ResiliArt x Mondiacult event added a library perspective to a worldwide discussion on culture's role in tackling global challenges. The outcomes of this event will help inform the agenda of the upcoming UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, Mondiacult 2022.

Libraries Upholding Cultural Rights: IFLA Welcomes Special Rapporteur for Cultural Rights Alexandra Xanthaki

IFLA welcomed the UN Special Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights Alexandra Xanthaki as she addressed the Human Rights Council for the first time during their 49th Session. An IFLA representative sat down with the Special Rapporteur following her address to discuss priorities for the coming years and highlight the ways in which libraries work to uphold cultural rights for their communities.  

The National Library of Lebanon Re-Opens to the Public

The National Library of Lebanon, together with libraries, museums, heritage sites, and buildings throughout Beirut, sustained heavy damage caused by the explosion at the port of Beirut in August 2020.