Open Access (OA) is both old and new. The oldest online scholarly journal published continually via open access dates to 1990; the first book on the desirability and feasibility of open access dates to 1995; the Budapest OA initiative dates to 2002. The goal of universal open access of scientific and scholarly information has been elusive, but the time seems to have come for a dramatic upswing in the percentage of such content that is available on open terms.
This year, IFLA's Acquisition and Collection Development (ACD) Section continues its work to support acquisitions and collection development processes for libraries across the globe. Following last year’s focus on incorporating open access content into library collections, we shift our attention to Open Educational Resources (OER) collection development practices.
IFLA was represented at the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum, held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 12-14 April, joining with stakeholders from across Africa to underline how libraries can deliver equity in the online world. We are grateful to Damilare Oyedele for the below report.
A little less than a year ago, IFLA’s Governing Board issued an updated statement on Open Access: ‘10 years of the IFLA Open Access statement: a call to action’. This update was timely. Much has changed since the previous IFLA position on the topic, which was already more than 10 years old.
The IFLA Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section (SCORE) invites paper proposals to be presented at their session on 23 August 2023 at the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
We are very happy to open the 2023 edition of the IFLA Regional Advocacy Priorities Survey, following on from the 1st edition in 2021. This asks associations, institutions and individuals around the world to share their priorities and needs when it comes to library advocacy. Deadline: 25 May 2023.
For our next newsletter, the IFLA Library Services to Multicultural Populations Section is calling for stories and articles about how libraries support the preservation of minority languages, as our theme for the issue.
The IFLA Subject Analysis and Access (SAA) Section is seeking proposals for papers to be presented at their Open Session at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2023 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Theme: "Identifiers for identities: Rectifying the (mis)representation of demographic groups". The Deadline for proposal submissions (300-500 words) is 1 May 2023.
Building Strong Library and Information Science Education (BSLISE), a working group of IFLA, has launched the Library and Information Science Education Programs Map and invites contributions.
The IFLA Government Libraries Section (GOVLIB) is seeking proposals for case studies on Research Data Management (RDM) in government, to be presented at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2023 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The Middle East and North Africa leg of the United Nations' round of regional sustainable development fora, in preparation for the High Level Political Forum in July, took place last month in Beirut, Lebanon. We are grateful to Dr Imad Bachir, IFLA's representative, for this report.
The IFLA Bibliography Section is seeking proposals for papers to be presented at its Open Session at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2023 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The IFLA Information Literacy Section (ILS) announces its call for speaker proposals for presentations at their Open Session at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 21-25, 2023.
With five reports from national implementations of UNESCO's Internet Universality Indicators now published, it's a good time to see what library roles in supporting internet inclusion are recognised. This article explores these, and calls for closer engagement in libraries in future implementation efforts.
IFLA has received a statement from the Management of Library Associations Section (MLAS) on removing Halo Locher from the position of MLAS Chair and therefore from the Governing Board. The decision affects the composition of the Governing Board until a new Chair of MLAS is elected who will then become a member of the Governing Board.
The IFLA Academic and Research Libraries Section (ARL) Standing Committee held its "On social justice, diversity and inclusion in academic and research libraries" webinar on 29 March, 2023.
The coming two years will be important ones in the history of international internet governance, providing a number of key opportunities to underline what libraries need in order to fulfil their missions. The 2023 UN Committee on Science and Technology for Development provided an opportunity to set out next steps.
Sponsored by PressReader, the IFLA PressReader International Marketing Award is presented by the IFLA Section on Management and Marketing. In its 20th year, this award honors organizations that implement creative, results-oriented marketing projects or campaigns.
Gaps were at the heart of the discucssion at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development in Bangkok, Thailand. These exist both in between the situation today and the goals the United Nations have set for 2030, but also in the data and evidence we have to support progress. IFLA's representative at the event - Fathimath Nashfa of the Maldives - was about to highlight how libraries can contribute to both.
IFLA participted actively in last week's European Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, drawing on the rich experience of Polish libraries in particular in both supporting the response to crises, and in promoting inclusive development.