4000 librarians can't be wrong! Reflections on IFLA WLIC 2014

​The Closing Ceremony is rapidly approaching!  About 4000 people will have attended one or more of the over 200 sessions of IFLA WLIC 2014 by the time we are done.  Presentations, posters and projects have been enjoyed, discussed and planned.  On behalf of the Professional Committee, I hope you have had a marvelous time thus far and that your enjoyment and engagement continues through Thursday and beyond.  The Lyon Declaration has been launched and the Committee on Standards has presented us with an excellent guide to creating and planning the standards, guidelines and best practices that truly make IFLA the global voice of the profession. 

Communication has been a continuing theme for me at this Congress.  For most of us, this is the annual opportunity to save time and engender new ideas through face to face conversation.  I hope you have taken advantage of this opportunity.  Do not let it stop when you return home!  Whether you communicate through email, blogs, Twitter, Facebook or any of the many other avenues of social media, continue to talk to each other about the issues that face us as library professionals in a rapidly changing environment.  Please also continue to talk about the Trend Report.  If this is to be a living document, you need to contribute to it. 

The launch of the Lyon Declaration also points the way to the future of information discovery and use, and recognizes that the right to access and use information is vital to the functioning of all societies.  This Declaration relates specifically to the way we can move forward when the Millennium Development Goals project of the United Nations comes to an end.  Many Sections have expressed an interest in contributing to the process which is a truly wonderful development that shows the dedication of our membership.  If your section is interested in developing a brief, or if you know of an organization that might consider signing the Declaration, please contact IFLA's Policy and Projects Officer, Julia Brungs, for more details.

Finally, the IFLA Committee on Standards has produced an excellent manual for the development of standards, guidelines and best practices for IFLA.  In the past few days, draft versions of guidelines for services for persons with dyslexia and guidelines for planning the digitization of rare book materials have been endorsed by the Professional Committee and sent to the Governing Board for final approval.  Both of these documents were developed using the new Manual and all three documents will be available on the IFLA website soon.

Safe travels home!!!