IFLA WLIC 2023 highlights - day one

Day one of IFLA WLIC 2023 welcomed over 3000 delegates from over 100 countries to Rotterdam, The Netherlands, setting an enthusiastic tone for the days ahead at the Opening Session. Here are some highlights from the first days!

The Opening Ceremony

The spirits were high, the energy was on fire, and the ground went literally shaking as WLIC 2023 Opening Ceremony convened. 

With remarkable keynote speakers such as Rotterdam’s Vice Mayor Alderman Said Kasmi, IFLA President Barbara Lison, Secretary of State Gunay Uslu, Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf, the Dutch National Committee chair Theo Kamperman, IFLA Secretary General Sharon Memis, and her Royal Highness Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands.

IFLA WLIC 2023 - Opening Session
At the Opening Session; Photo by Matteo Cogliati

The Opening Ceremony was conducted by Master of Ceremonies, Jermaine Berkhout, and included two moving performances by Rotterdam’s own Conny Janssen Danst.

If you missed attending our exceptional WLIC 2023 Opening Ceremony, you can access a free recording of the live stream through our YouTube channel.

Photos from this session, and many others, are available on the IFLA Flickr.

Meet people of WLIC 2023!

Throughout the week, WLIC 2023 social media volunteers are capturing delegates in a series of short video interviews (vox pops). Our first vox pop is with Ossian, a delegate from Sweden attending WLIC for the first time. Look for more in the coming days on our YouTube playlist!

August IFLA Governing Board update

At the end of IFLA’s Closing Ceremony, our current Governing Board will end its term, and a new one take up its mandate. The outgoing Board met for the last time, on 19 August, at the Ahoy Convention Centre in Rotterdam.

Read on for highlights and key actions of the meeting.

Officers’ Forum

The 2023 IFLA Officers’ Forum featured an in-depth interview with the 2023-25 IFLA President, Vicki McDonald and IFLA’s new Secretary General, Sharon Memis, by Professional Council Chair, Te Paea Paringatai. The interview was followed by the introduction of the IFLA Networks and the new Action Planning platform, Infinity.

Librarian flash mob in Rotterdam!

Exhibition opening

Exhibitions opening
Photo by Vesna Vuksan

The WLIC 2023 Exhibition opened in the Exhibition & Event Hall at the Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre. Throughout the week, over 65 commercial and non-commercial organisations are showcasing their products and services alongside the IFLA and WLIC 2024 booths.

IFLA/Systematic Public Library of the Year Award 2023 Winner announced

PLOTY 2023
Members of the Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez team; photo by Matteo Cogliati

This year’s best new public library is the Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez in Barcelona, Spain!

In collaboration with Danish software company Systematic, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) annually bestows the Public Library of the Year award together with USD 5,000 in prize money to the winning entry. This year, the competition featured 16 libraries from 11 different countries. The Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez in Barcelona is an architectural and functional marvel, resembling a stack of open books and serving as a central community hub for 240,000 residents.

Read more!

A reminder from Erasmus

Become an IFLA Member: benefit from our year-end membership offer by joining now!

become a member

Did you know that if you join now as an IFLA member or affiliate you pay at the 2023 rate and your fee will cover your membership for the rest of the year and all of 2024?

Read on to find out more about how to become and IFLA Member.