Key outcomes

The Governing Board met on Thursday 20 October 2022 by teleconference and discussed a wide range of issues including:

  1. Motions from the IFLA General Assembly
    Actions and responsibilities for addressing the various aspects included in the General Assembly motion on ‘a common basis of values for IFLA’ such as core values, whistleblowing, and war and conflict were agreed so that a full timetable can be provided in December.
  2. Update on the Plan for Securing IFLA’s Future
    The update to the plan was reviewed, noting the actions already taken and the expected actions in the coming month. The plan, which will be updated monthly, will be available on the IFLA website.
  3. IFLA SIGL Partnership
    Members of IFLA Governing Board held constructive talks with the SIGL Board who have committed to the ongoing financial support of IFLA through an easier and more transparent process. A joint workshop of both boards is planned for December.
  4. Timeline for Nominations and Elections in 2023
    The nominations process for IFLA positions 2023-2025 will open on 13 January 2023 with elections taking place in March and April. This will allow IFLA to have the results known at the beginning of May 2023.
  5. Statement on Evidence for Sustainable Development
    The Governing Board endorsed an IFLA Statement on Evidence for Sustainable Development. The statement sets out for stakeholders the need to include libraries in gathering and enabling the use of evidence to support sustainable development policy-making.
  6. Membership Fees
    Acknowledging the difficult economic situation around the world, the Governing Board chose not to apply the average inflation rate of the last year in the Netherlands – 5.8%, as stipulated in the IFLA Statutes, but to set the rate for membership fee increases in 2023 at 4%.
  7. Secretary General
    The Governing Board noted that the legal case regarding the Secretary General is still to be resolved.
  8. GB meeting with Chairs
    The Governing Board noted their recent meeting with the Chairs of the Professional and Regional Councils, Professional and Regional Divisions, and Advisory Committees, to talk about the current state of IFLA and the Plan for Securing IFLA’s Future.

Barbara Lison, IFLA President on behalf of the IFLA Governing Board.