Stay up to date with our latest developments, initiatives, and new resources!
The latest update to IFLA's Marrakesh Monitoring Report sets out how countries around the world are protecting (or not) the rights of people with disabilities to access to information.
During its General Conference, held on 9-24 November, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) agreed a new Recommendation on Open Science. IFLA has welcomed this work, and encourages librarians, libraries and associations to draw on this in their own practice and advocacy.
IFLA has issued the below statement in support of its German members, who are currently engaged in discussions around reforms which would create a guarantee that libraries can acquire and lend eBooks on reasonable terms, in the face of opposition.
IFLA warmly welcomes the news that there are now 100 organisations and institutions engaged in the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC), working together to ensure access to information for persons with print disabilities.
IFLA participated in the Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), held on 4-8 October 2021. With COVID rules preventing in-person attendance by non-governmental organisations, IFLA engaged remotely, alongside partners from across the culture, education and research sectors.
Stichting IFLA Foundation is delighted to receive a €3m Arcadia grant to launch the new Knowledge Rights 21 (KR21) programme to promote access to knowledge for study, research and cultural life in Europe.
IFLA has submitted comments on the South Africa Copyright Amendment Bill. In these, we have highlighted the importance of a balanced copyright framework which includes flexibilities in regard to exceptions and limitations to copyright to allow libraries, archives, museums, education and research institutions to fulfil their missions in the digital age.
Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) has emerged in the last few years as a specific means of enabling libraries to fulfil their missions. It involves libraries lending digital copies of physical works in their collections, using technological safeguards to ensure that no more copies are loaned than the library itself owns. IFLA's statement underlines the potential of CDL, and what conditions could allow it to take place.
IFLA has addressed a letter to the Colombian government, welcoming progress on passing laws to enable access to information with people with disabilities, and urging the inclusion of libraries in the implementation process.
IFLA has contributed to consultations on reforms to copyright laws in Canada and Singapore, making recommendations designed to give the best possible opportunities for libraries and their users to access and use information.
The past year has underlined how essential it is for libraries to be able to offer access to content digitally. With major expansion in demand from users, there have been both welcome moves from publishers to facilitate access, but also increasingly clear evidence of underlying challenges in the eBook market. We interviewed Sari Feldman and Alan Inouye, ALA, to get an update.
IFLA has joined with partners in signing a call for World Trade Organisation Members to make it clear that where intellectual property rights make it more difficult to tackle COVID-19 and its consequences, governments should be able to take steps to enable use of protected works.
IFLA has lent its support to efforts to ensure that least developed countries continue to enjoy greater flexibilities and lower administrative requirements in implementing trade deals. Retaining these possibilities will support investment, and more favourable laws, for education and research, and the libraries that support them.
Library Futures is a newly created organisation in the United States, focused on the questions facing libraries in the digital world, with a view both to supporting learning and capacity building on the ground, and advocating for policy change. We interviewed Jennie Rose Halperin, Executive Director of Library Futures, to find out more.
Faced with global challenges, the need to promote cooperation and collaboration amongst those looking for solutions is vital. Open science promotes just this. With UNESCO preparing a draft Recommendation on the subject, IFLA has submitted comments.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance for libraries to be able to provide services to users through digital channels, and the serious challenges faced in doing so. We interviewed the Library Association of Ireland to find out more about the situation there, and what they are doing about it.
An important part of the right to health is the right to health information and knowledge. COVID-19 has only underlined this connection. We interviewed María Angélica Fuentes Martínez and Mónica Núñez of the Association of Chilean Librarians to find out more about their involvement in a project to strengthen advocacy around this.
IFLA has released its checklist for legal deposit laws, aiming to help those analysing existing laws or planning new ones. It is intended to ensure that key issues or questions are not forgotten, but rather included in reflections on this key area of legislation for libraries and their users.
IFLA has called for South Africa’s Parliament to return the country’s Copyright Amendment Bill to the President for signature, and to reject the questionable allegations of unconstitutionality made against it.