IFLA President
The IFLA President is the Chair both of the IFLA General Assembly and the IFLA Governing Board. They provide professional leadership for the Federation, as well as being the chief representative of IFLA outside of legal and formal proceedings.
IFLA Presidents serve a term of two years, after two years as President-elect. They are directly elected by IFLA’s Membership.
IFLA President 2023-2025: Vicki McDonald
President’s Agenda: Stronger Together
It is an honour and a privilege to be given the opportunity to be IFLA President.
Libraries have been my professional life, and my participation in IFLA has been one of the most professionally rewarding experiences in this. When I started my career as a library assistant, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to work with so many talented and skilled professionals representing the global library and information sector.
I believe and know that as a sector, we can achieve so much, making a deep, lasting, positive impact on the communities that we serve. And I also believe that through IFLA, we can provide a structure and an impetus to realise this potential ever more strongly and effectively.
This is what lies behind the theme I have chosen for my presidency: Stronger Together. This is partly about IFLA itself, and how we make the most of the connections amongst ourselves, as well as our strong relationships with international organisations such as the United Nations and UNESCO.
As library professionals, we have an innate commitment to collaborate – to share our skills and expertise freely with each other – always done on the premise that there will be positive outcomes for the stakeholders and communities that we serve. That camaraderie, mutual respect and a willingness to listen and learn from each other strengthens our ability to serve and to make a positive difference.
But it is also about looking – from the individual level to that of the field as a whole – at how we fit into the wider ecosystem. How can we, working in partnership with others, find solutions to the challenges we face today? How can we contribute to collaborative efforts to deliver everything from stronger community cohesion and inclusion to better decision-making at the global level?
The world needs the energy, insight and resources of libraries – are we ready to bring them to the table? How can we make sure we are able to form partnerships for impact?
We cannot, as IFLA, take for granted our ability to do this, just as I do not take for granted the role of President. Working with my colleagues on the Governing Board, I believe that there are a number of key steps that we can take, as IFLA approaches its centenary, to make sure that we are ready.
- To build our financial sustainability, we will be looking at what partnerships we can form, and what new revenue streams we can develop
- Our Congress model needs to be reviewed to ensure that it remains relevant and impactful as a part of IFLA’s wider activities. IFLA’s President-elect, Leslie Weir, will lead a review
- We will carry out a ‘health check’ on our new governance structures, introduced in 2021, to ensure that they are delivering on their promise, and what changes might be needed
- We will do more to become truly global as the voice of libraries, through better engagement of colleagues around the world
- We will develop a new IFLA Strategy for 2024-2029, based on a collaborative process with Members and volunteers
- We will engage library associations and institutions more closely in our work, ensuring better communication in both directions, in order to build confidence and better outcomes
- We will enhance the operation of the Governing Board itself, in order to allow for frank and rigorous debate, the inclusion of member voices, and engagement of members.
Throughout my presidency, I commit in particular to sharing regularly with you about the work we are doing around these priorities, and ensuring that there are varied opportunities for you to comment and contribute. As underlined in my theme, through this I believe that we can be Stronger Together.
Biography
Vicki McDonald is a recognised leader in the library and information sector. Spanning four decades, her career has included leadership roles in public, academic and state libraries. Her professional interests include a client-centred approach to designing services and spaces, digital inclusion, services to First Nations people, and a commitment to delivering lifelong learning opportunities for the community and profession.
In 2016, her national and international experience led to her appointment as State Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of State Library of Queensland. She understands the need for a strong, relevant and innovative library service and this is reflected in State Library’s achievements under her leadership. In her current role, Vicki provides strategic leadership for a significant program to transform State Library’s services, collections and spaces through State Library’s Digital Strategy: Digital by Design. State Library is recognised for its services to First Nations communities, and for documenting and making accessible content related to Queensland’s First Nations peoples. To ensure that State Library retains its world-class status, she is championing the development of a strategy to renew spaces within the nationally recognised building.
Throughout her career, Vicki has been very active in professional associations. Vicki is current president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) for 2023-2025. She is also a past president of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).
Download Vicki’s biography [PDF]
Messages from the IFLA President
Below are links to edited versions of monthly messages sent directly to all IFLA Members—including directors and presidents of library associations—and all IFLA volunteers.