Standards work in progress

IFLA generally uses the term “standards” to refer to the following types of documents:

• Guidelines (documents consisting of instructions, advice and models of preferred practices)
• Best practice (documents consisting of procedures and techniques based on experience and research)
• Conceptual models
• Rules for resource description
• Digital format codes

They are developed following the IFLA Standards Procedures Manual.

Once completed and endorsed by the IFLA Professional Committee on behalf of the Governing Board, these new Standards will be announced via the news feed and published in the full list of IFLA Standards.

New and revised IFLA Standards

The creation or revision of the following IFLA Standards are in progress:

In final review and endorsement stages

• Guidelines for Audiovisual and Multimedia Collection Management in Libraries (Status: review comments with Section June 2017; revisions requested).
  Further information, contact Audiovisual and Multimedia Section

In progress and expected

• Standards for Rare Books and Special Collections Professionals (working title) (expected submission date for review: end of 2020)
  Further information, contact Rare Books and Special Collections
• Guidelines for Statistical Reporting for Public Libraries (expected submission date for review May 2017)
  Further information, contact: Metropolitan Libraries Section
• Literacy Matters: Guidelines for Library-Based Literacy Programmes, revision (expected submission date for review August 2017)
  Further information, contact: Literacy and Reading Section
• Guidelines for People who are Deaf or Hearing Impaired, revision (expected submission date for review 2018)
  Further information, contact: Library Services to People with Special Needs Section

Recently published

• Guidelines for Setting Up a Digital Unification Project (endorsed by the Professional Committee in August 2019) 
• IFLA Guidelines on Public Internet Access in Libraries (endorsed by the Professional Committee in June 2019) 
• Guidelines for Library Services to Children aged 0 – 18, revised edition (endorsed by the Professional Committee in August 2018)
• Guidelines for Library Services to People Experiencing Homelessness (endorsed by the Professional Committee in August 2017)
• Guidelines for translations of the IFLA ISBD namespace in RDF (endorsed by the Professional Committee in August 2017)
• IFLA Library Reference Model: A Conceptual Model for Bibliographic Information (endorsed by the Professional Committee in August 2017)
• PRESSOO: Extension of CIDOC CRM and FRBROO for the modelling of bibliographic information pertaining to continuing resources (endorsed by the Professional Committee in March 2017)
• Definition of FRBROO: A Conceptual Model for Bibliographic Information in Object-Oriented Formalism (endorsed by the Professional Committee in December 2016)
• Statement of International Cataloguing Principles (ICP) (approved November 2016, endorsed by the Professional Committee in December 2016)
• Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development, 2nd edition (approved June 2016, endorsed by the Professional Committee in August 2016)
• Guidelines for Parliamentary Research Services (approved August 2015)
• IFLA School Library Guidelines, 2nd edition (approved June 2015)

See also the full list of IFLA Standards