If IFLA’s Members approve proposed new Statutes at our extraordinary General Assembly on 12 February, nominations and elections for 2021 will start shortly afterwards. Here we share the dates and details for this process.

Every two years, IFLA’s elections and appointments see hundreds of committed volunteers chosen by their peers to lead work to bring together and strengthen the global library field.

2021 will be a special year – the first time that people will be elected or appointed in accordance with IFLA’s new Statutes and Rules of Procedure, if Members vote in favour of this in the extraordinary General Assembly to be held on 12 February.

A new President-elect and Governing Board will be chosen, including for the first time, a directly elected Treasurer, and the Chair of a new Regional Council. New Division Committees and Advisory Committees will also be formed, and many Professional Section Standing Committees welcome new members.

Successfully elected or appointed candidates would take office once the new Statutes and Rules of Procedure enter into force in August. This allows existing committees to serve out their terms, while also allowing IFLA to be ready to start work with its new structures, as planned, around the time of our 2021 World Library and Information Congress.

In order to give you an idea of the timetable that would be followed, in this case, the below offers some key dates. Further communication will follow the extraordinary General Assembly on 12 February 2021.

  • 01 March 2021: Opening of the call for nominations for the President-elect, Treasurer, Governing Board members-at-large, Professional Council Chair, Regional Council Chair, Professional Division Committee Chairs, Regional Division Committee members, Advisory Committee Chairs and members, Professional Section Standing Committee members, Review Group members
  • 13 April: (12:00 CEST): Closing of the call for nominations
  • 26 April: Opening of electronic voting for the President-elect, Treasurer, Governing Board members-at-large, Regional Council Chair, Regional Division Committee members, Professional Section Standing Committee Members
  • 3 May: Opening of electronic voting for the Professional Council Chair, Professional Division Committee Chairs
  • 24 May: (12:00 CEST): Closing of elections for President-elect, Treasurer, Governing Board members-at-large, Regional Council Chair, Regional Division Committee members, Professional Section Standing Committee Members
  • 31 May: (12:00 CEST): Closing of elections for Professional Council Chair, Professional Division Committee Chairs
  • June: (date TBD) Appointment of Advisory Committee Chairs and members by the Governing Board
  • 01 June: Publication of results of elections for President-elect, Treasurer, Governing Board members-at-large, Regional Council Chair, Regional Division Committee members
  • 14 June: Publication of results of elections for Professional Council Chair, Professional Division Committee Chairs, Professional Section Standing Committee members
  • June-August: Nominations requested and received for Officers of Professional Sections, Vice Chairs of Professional and Regional Councils and Division Committees.* Appointment of Review Group members by parent committees.
  • August: Elections for officers of Professional Sections, Vice Chairs of Professional and Regional Councils and Division Committees, and Special Interest Group Convenors and committee members. Appointments of Special Interest Group committee members by parent committees. All office-holders take up their posts the day after IFLA’s General Assembly 2021.

* The Chair of IFLA’s Management of Library Associations Section would be chosen through an electronic election, in accordance with IFLA’s new Statutes, with a nominations process starting once the composition of the Standing Committee is known.