This one-day seminar will delve into myriad ways library buildings are contributing to an authentic sense of place, inspiring productive partnerships to be fostered, and creating a positive impact on the people working in and using them.

https://iflalbesseminar.wordpress.com/

Register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/placemaking-purposing-partnerships-propelling-libraries-into-the-future-registration-85258521533

Join us in Montreal and learn from local, regional and international perspectives about national, public and academic library design in new builds and in transformed historic buildings, partake in a workshop on designing inclusive buildings, and engage with an international panel about library design trends around the globe. Attendees will come away inspired, and with renewed perspective on the role the built environment plays in creating healthy, resilient communities.

 

IFLA’s Library Buildings and Equipment Section and the Environment, Sustainability and Libraries Special Interest Group invite you to submit a proposal for its Open Session at the 86th IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2020 in Dublin, Ireland, 15-21 August. The theme for the session is:

Something old – something new. Transforming an existing building into a new library

 

Many new libraries are being built to serve the growing needs of users. A new library, however does not necessarily mean that it must be a new building. This programme will focus on libraries created from existing building and on requirements and opportunities for revitalization of an old, derelict or abandoned building into a new library. We are looking for experiences with the transformation of a building with a different purpose into a library. The Programme will focus on the challenges and opportunities of this kind of transformation and the compromises which must be made for these transformations. The re-use of a building can also be an opportunity for sustainability. We are looking for best practice examples and lessons learned from all types of libraries in historic urban environment or in rural areas. Sustainability and the libraries impact on the environment is a key focus.

Proposal abstracts must be submitted by: 21 February 2020

 Selected presenters will be notified by: 9 March 2020

Authors to submit Authors’ Permission Form: 31 May 2020

Written papers due:  1 June 2020 

Presentation slides due:  7 August 2020

Read the full call for papers. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will join us in Dublin!

 

Theme: "How Fake News Impacts and Engages the Library Mission and Services "

Background

The News Media Section seeks proposals for papers to be presented at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Dublin, Ireland, from August 15-20, 2020. This open program is co-sponsored by the IFLA’s Digital Humanities / Digital Scholarship Special Interest Group, Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) Advisory Committee, and Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM) Advisory Committee.

What’s true in an age of fake news and alternative facts?

Fake news and alternative facts dog users of news media and media researchers.  The pace of this development is rapidly increasing in digital media.  With regard to this IFLA Open Programme Session, ‘fake news’ is defined as “news that conveys or incorporates false, fabricated, or deliberately misleading information, or that is characterised as or accused of doing so” (Oxford English Dictionary).  ‘Alternative fact’ is defined as “a theory posited as an alternative to another, often more widely accepted, theory” (Collins dictionary).

Possible Themes and Research Questions in This Session Could Include

• Librarians and educators as gatekeepers and fact-checkers of news for their users: How do we identify what news what is real or fake?  What are the ethical, legal and practical implications we must consider when filtering news for users?  What role, if any, does library and information science have in defining fake news and alternative facts?
• Through what channels and formats do fake news and alternative facts appear? How and why should fake news and alternative facts, if identified, be archived and preserved?
• Where are the borderlines of politically- and ideologically-biased news, fake news, and alternative facts? When politicians “spin” information via the news media, how does this affect the freedom of speech of librarians and educators?
• Fake news and alternative facts as a manufactured product: How do outlets for fake news and alternative facts attract users and consumers?  What roles do search algorithms and online advertising play in bringing fake news and alternative facts to users?  How can librarians and educators gain online authority and find their place in the digital public sphere?
• What is the role of fact-checkers in the digital news environment? By what authority do fact-checkers do their jobs?  How can librarians and educators cooperate with them?
• Fake news and alternative facts may seem to be recent phenomena, but they actually do have a long history. How do we know today which news and historical facts from a long time ago are real or fake?
• Case studies about how libraries successfully address Fake News are welcomed.

Submission Guidelines

Proposal abstracts must be submitted by 29th February 2020, must be in English, and should clearly include:

• Title of proposed paper
• Abstract of proposed paper (no more than 500 words)
• Name(s) of presenter(s) and position(s) and/or title(s)
• Employer(s) / affiliated institution(s) of presenter(s)
• Contact information including email address(es) and telephone number(s)
• Short biographical statement(s) of presenter(s)

 

Abstracts must be submitted as an MS Word attachment to:

Minna Kaukonen
Email: minna.kaukonen@helsinki.fi

and

Ann Okerson
Email: aokerson@gmail.com

The Conference Planning Committee members and proposal reviewers include:

Spencer Acadia, Mazelan Anuar, Raphaëlle Bats, Laurie Bridges, Minna Kaukonen, Ann Okerson, Anke Winsmann, and Frederick Zarndt.

Selected presenters will be notified by 27th March 2020.

Accepted Papers

• Complete accepted papers should be 3000-6000 words in length, be an original submission not published elsewhere, preferably be written in English, and must use the template that will be available with IFLA’s 2020 Guidelines for Paper Authors and Presenters.
• Complete accepted papers must be submitted as MS Word attachments to the two committee members listed above, along with accompanying presentation slides, by 15th June 2020.
• Approximately 15-20 minutes will be allotted for a summary presentation of the paper. It is strongly recommended that the presentation is supported by a visual element such as PowerPoint, Prezi, or other presentation software.

Important Dates

29 February 2020: Proposal abstracts due

27 March 2020: Acceptance notices sent to authors

15 June 2020: Completed papers and presentations submitted

Please note:

At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to deliver a summary of the paper during the program in Dublin. Abstracts should only be submitted with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

The paper must be an original submission not presented or published elsewhere. All papers that are presented at the WLIC 2020 will be made available online via the IFLA Library under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.

All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a special invitation letter can be issued to author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

For further information please see the CFP Page.

Congress Participation Grants

List of opportunities for support is available on the Apply for Grants & Awards webpage.

In October 2019, the IFLA PAC Center in Russia hosted a visitor from the IFLA PAC Centre in Qatar to facilitate exchange of expertise and cooperation between specialists from the two centres. 

This visit was the third of its kind within this framework of bilateral cooperation. These events started in 2018 with the visit of Chanaka Perera, the conservation technician from the Qatar National Library, who took part in the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Preservation of Rare Books” organized by the Library for Foreign Literature. During this visit, he also introduced conservation specialists from Russia to some of the activities of the Qatar National Library and the Qatar PAC Center. 

In April 2019, two conservation specialists Mariia Kolpakova and Evgenia Vivdenkova from the Library for Foreign Literature visited the Qatar National Library and participated in the workshop “Book Bindings Conservation”. In this workshop, the participants were introduced to various methods and techniques for the conservation of book bindings. The Russian conservation specialists drew upon the expertise of the Qatar National Library, which they found of great interest and use.

In October 2019 the Interdisciplinary Scientific and Practical Conference “Rare Books in the Context of Preservation” was held in Moscow. This conference was organized by the Library for Foreign Literature and the PAC Center for the CIS and Eastern Europe.

The main topics of the conference included the study of rare book collections of Russia and Austria, problems of preservation and conservation of rare books and sheet music, documents, photographs, in addition to other library materials. More than 100 specialists from Russia, Austria, Switzerland, and Qatar, attended the conference.

The conference was also webcasted online; the webcast received more than 220,000 views, giving this conference a wide exposure worldwide.

The participation from Qatar came through Fareed AlShishani, the Conservation Technologist at the Qatar National Library, with a presentation of an insightful paper on the Qatar National Library’s experience in risk management.

In his presentation Fareed described the different types of disasters and their risks, how to prepare for them, and minimize the damage before, during, and after the disaster. The presentation also introduced the different types of damage on library collections, resulting from various disaster hazards, and the measures to prevent such damage, with the aim to preserve the library resources and the authenticity of library materials.

We look forward for further cooperation and exchange of expertise between both PAC Centers on such important topics for the preservation and conservation of library collections.

In October 2019, the IFLA PAC Center in Russia hosted a visitor from the IFLA PAC Centre in Qatar to facilitate exchange of expertise and cooperation between specialists from the two centres. 

This visit was the third of its kind within this framework of bilateral cooperation. These events started in 2018 with the visit of Chanaka Perera, the conservation technician from the Qatar National Library, who took part in the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Preservation of Rare Books” organized by the Library for Foreign Literature. During this visit, he also introduced conservation specialists from Russia to some of the activities of the Qatar National Library and the Qatar PAC Center. 

In April 2019, two conservation specialists Mariia Kolpakova and Evgenia Vivdenkova from the Library for Foreign Literature visited the Qatar National Library and participated in the workshop “Book Bindings Conservation”. In this workshop, the participants were introduced to various methods and techniques for the conservation of book bindings. The Russian conservation specialists drew upon the expertise of the Qatar National Library, which they found of great interest and use.

In October 2019 the Interdisciplinary Scientific and Practical Conference “Rare Books in the Context of Preservation” was held in Moscow. This conference was organized by the Library for Foreign Literature and the PAC Center for the CIS and Eastern Europe.

The main topics of the conference included the study of rare book collections of Russia and Austria, problems of preservation and conservation of rare books and sheet music, documents, photographs, in addition to other library materials. More than 100 specialists from Russia, Austria, Switzerland, and Qatar, attended the conference.

The conference was also webcasted online; the webcast received more than 220,000 views, giving this conference a wide exposure worldwide.

The participation from Qatar came through Fareed AlShishani, the Conservation Technologist at the Qatar National Library, with a presentation of an insightful paper on the Qatar National Library’s experience in risk management.

In his presentation Fareed described the different types of disasters and their risks, how to prepare for them, and minimize the damage before, during, and after the disaster. The presentation also introduced the different types of damage on library collections, resulting from various disaster hazards, and the measures to prevent such damage, with the aim to preserve the library resources and the authenticity of library materials.

We look forward for further cooperation and exchange of expertise between both PAC Centers on such important topics for the preservation and conservation of library collections.

In October 2019, the IFLA PAC Center in Russia hosted a visitor from the IFLA PAC Centre in Qatar to facilitate exchange of expertise and cooperation between specialists from the two centres. 

This visit was the third of its kind within this framework of bilateral cooperation. These events started in 2018 with the visit of Chanaka Perera, the conservation technician from the Qatar National Library, who took part in the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Preservation of Rare Books” organized by the Library for Foreign Literature. During this visit, he also introduced conservation specialists from Russia to some of the activities of the Qatar National Library and the Qatar PAC Center. 

In April 2019, two conservation specialists Mariia Kolpakova and Evgenia Vivdenkova from the Library for Foreign Literature visited the Qatar National Library and participated in the workshop “Book Bindings Conservation”. In this workshop, the participants were introduced to various methods and techniques for the conservation of book bindings. The Russian conservation specialists drew upon the expertise of the Qatar National Library, which they found of great interest and use.

In October 2019 the Interdisciplinary Scientific and Practical Conference “Rare Books in the Context of Preservation” was held in Moscow. This conference was organized by the Library for Foreign Literature and the PAC Center for the CIS and Eastern Europe.

The main topics of the conference included the study of rare book collections of Russia and Austria, problems of preservation and conservation of rare books and sheet music, documents, photographs, in addition to other library materials. More than 100 specialists from Russia, Austria, Switzerland, and Qatar, attended the conference.

The conference was also webcasted online; the webcast received more than 220,000 views, giving this conference a wide exposure worldwide.

The participation from Qatar came through Fareed AlShishani, the Conservation Technologist at the Qatar National Library, with a presentation of an insightful paper on the Qatar National Library’s experience in risk management.

In his presentation Fareed described the different types of disasters and their risks, how to prepare for them, and minimize the damage before, during, and after the disaster. The presentation also introduced the different types of damage on library collections, resulting from various disaster hazards, and the measures to prevent such damage, with the aim to preserve the library resources and the authenticity of library materials.

We look forward for further cooperation and exchange of expertise between both PAC Centers on such important topics for the preservation and conservation of library collections.

20 იანვარს ამერიკის საელჩოს წარმომადგენელმა სალომე ჭიპაშვილმა გამართა პრეზენტაცია მრავალმხრივი ინტელექტის თეორიის შესახებ.პრეზენტაციის შემდგომ KAHOOT -ის ტესტის მეშვეობით მოსწავლეებს საშუალება მიეცათ შეემოწმებინათ მიღებული ცოდნა.

read more

ინგლისურის კლუბი ბიბლიოთეკა "ნაკადულ"_ში.

Library Publishing: Catalyst for change

The Library Publishing Special Interest Group (SIG) is holding its Open Programme at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Dublin, Ireland, August 15-21, 2020. The committee welcomes proposals for presentations at that programme.

For details, see:  https://2020.ifla.org/cfp-calls/library-publishing/

 

რუსთავის მთავარ ბიბლიოთეკასთან არსებულ ამერიკულ კუთხეში 20 იანვარს გაიმართა პროექტ "თემის ელჩების" მორიგი შეხვედრა და კონსულტაციები.

read more

This year’s theme “Libraries as Catalysts: Inspire, Engage, Enable, Connect” solicits topics that align with libraries’ need for constant evolution to accommodate the needs, expectations and learning styles of their users. These evolutions present an opportunity for libraries, both to evolve for today and plan for future change. How do we, academic librarians and our libraries, position ourselves to lead change on our campuses and the broader communities we serve?

The 60-minute session will consist of three hot topic speakers. Each speaker will have just 3 minutes to introduce their topic. Following the three brief presentations, speakers will join roundtable discussions to engage the audience on their topic. 

Please submit your abstract to Lorraine Haricombe at ljharic@austin.utexas.edu by March 6, 2020.

The IFLA WLIC will be held in Ireland Dublin from 15 – 21 August, 2020. For more information about registration see: https://2020.ifla.org/imp. ortant-dates-to-remember/

Recently posted:

• Action Plan 2019/2020
• Annual Report 2018/2019
• Minutes of Standing Committee meetings, Athens, Greece, August 2019

Smarter Bibliographies: Connecting and engaging national bibliographies with new platforms

The world of cataloguing is changing. As cataloguers, we attend conferences where machine learning is the new black and open linking techniques can help solve our current and future needs of Universal Bibliographic Control. At the same time, we are moving very fast and very slowly indeed. How to act? How to keep on curating metadata collections for the benefit of our libraries, nations and the rest of the world? The future is present but the present has not left the building.

The IFLA Bibliography Section will be hosting a 2-hour open session during the 2020 conference in Dublin, Ireland.  We are seeking papers that highlight inspiring and creative ways of creating and distributing national bibliographies.

Topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Metadata for output of national bibliographies
• Quality assessment methods
• Teamwork and productivity issues
• Updating of skills
• Incorporating non-traditional methods of scholarly communication and other grey literature
• The relevance and benefits of national bibliographies in the 21st century
• Targeting new audiences

Deadline for proposals: 1 April 2020

IFLA has joined with over 40 civil society organisations across Europe in calling for the sharing of draft guidelines on the implementation of the controversial upload filter provisions in the Copyright Directive.

While the European Union’s Copyright Directive entered into force in June 2019, it leaves a number of questions still to be resolved. Crucially, each Member State will need to make choices about how it implements the rules.

In the case of the Article 17, which includes controversial provisions about the steps that internet platforms should take to prevent copyright-infringing content being available, this task is particularly difficult.

The Article contains a number of contradictions, including provisions which appear to oblige platforms to use technology to monitor all content uploaded by users, while at the same time declaring that there should be no monitoring obligation. It also calls for measures to protect copyright exceptions and limitations, without any evidence of the existence of technological tools which can recognise them.  

In order to address these concerns, a series of stakeholder dialogues is taking place in order to inform the preparation of guidelines to Member States. IFLA is participating actively in this work as the only representative of the library field.

In this context, groups representing users are keen to ensure that the final guidelines fully reflect the input received. To do this, it is necessary to have the possibility to comment on a draft, rather than simply be presented with a final version.

To encourage the Commission to agree to this, IFLA has signed onto a joint letter led by the European Civil Liberties Union. This underlines gratitude for the willingness of the Commission to engage user rights groups in the process, and calls for the sharing of a draft of the guidelines, in the same spirit.

You can read the letter from our publications page.

Efforts to use trade measures to delay or block long-overdue copyright reforms which will benefit libraries and their users are regrettable. In its comment to a review of South Africa’s enjoyment of preferential trade rules with the United States, IFLA has therefore called for the rejection of a petition seeking to punish the country for taking steps to improve how copyright functions.

Faced with rapid evolutions in both technologies and user expectations, there is a need for copyright reform around the world in order to ensure that libraries can fulfil their mission and support development.

Efforts to prevent such reforms tend primarily to support incumbent players, and can hold back learning and research locally. It is particularly unfortunate when, having exhausted democratic means, less democratic avenues such as threats of withdrawal of trade preferences are used to stop progress.

In this context, IFLA has submitted a comment in the context of the review of whether South Africa should continue to benefit from preferential trade rules with the United States. The review has been triggered by a request from an alliance of organisations looking to prevent the signing into law of new copyright provisions that would benefit libraries and their users.  

The comment will feed into a hearing of the United States Trade Representative’s GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee into whether South Africa should continue to benefit from preferential trade treatment.

IFLA’s submission highlights issues with the timing of the request (before it is possible to gather evidence on the impact of the new law), a number of the assertions it makes about the proposed law, and the harm that may be done to America’s own interests by bringing into question the compatibility of Fair Use with international law.

We will continue to follow progress on this issue.

Access the comment on our publications page.

The Art Libraries Section of IFLA is looking back on 40 years of international collaboration of art librarians worldwide, and forward over the horizon, asking what is to be done – next?

Profound changes of the decades 1980 to 2020 provoked wide-ranging innovations in librarianship, as the internet came to dominate all areas of life in the developed world. Based on data technology, new forms of information exchange, access to literature and related sources, trans-global communication, digitization, publishing models and interpersonal communication became norms of daily life for our profession. Massively upscaled resource sharing and co-operation became routine.

The period saw new technological convergences with related sectors: scholarship (digital humanities) and museology (e.g. electronic inventories). Big-scale solutions both public and commercial, from search engines, Wikipedia and Internet Archive to WorldCat, Europeana and the DPLA, presented themselves to librarians and library users alike. The subjects in focus for art libraries expanded too, through greater inclusivity, disciplinary developments and expanded art practices.

What does all this mean for institutional networks such as the Art Libraries Section? It has fostered and published productive discussions, and undertaken noteworthy projects. Has the potential of international networking been fully exploited? Are there still important fields of common interest and collaboration to explore? Who or what could be included? What benefits can users expect when major art and museum libraries join a global communication network?

We wish to discuss papers relevant to the above-mentioned areas and beyond, focused of course on art and museum libraries, and in particular on achievements, potentials and issues of collaborations and networks, with a global perspective. Narratives and news of active and future projects are welcome, as are general considerations, theoretical reflections or viewpoints from neighbour disciplines and sectors.

More information at WLIC2020 Satellite Meetings - Call for papers.

 

Do you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to IFLA or to international librarianship? IFLA’s Honours and Awards recognise those who have given significant service and made distinguished contributions to the profession.

Bestowed annually by the IFLA Governing Board, IFLA Honours and Awards are a great opportunity to acknowledge a colleague whose efforts you admire and respect. 

The Call for Nominations is out now.  Don’t delay!

FAQs

Who can make a nomination? 
All authorised representatives of Members and Personal Affiliates.

When will the presentations be made? 
Presentations are made during the World Library and Information Congress.

How do I make a nomination?
Please download your nomination form found at the bottom of this page, fill it out, and send back to us.

DEADLINE: 28 February 2020
late submissions shall not be considered

Honorary Fellow

Honorary Fellow is IFLA's highest award, and is conferred on the basis of merit on a person who has delivered long and distinguished service to IFLA. It may not necessarily be awarded every year. A nomination for Honorary Fellow is required to be supported by at least three nominators who are current IFLA Members. Nominations must include evidence to support any claims against the criteria. A nomination must be accompanied by at least two written referee reports. Referees should not also be nominators, and at least one referee should be an IFLA Member. Referees should address the nominee's suitability for the award, in relation to the criteria and may provide further information relevant to the award if desired.

In making its decision, the Executive Committee will examine only the evidence provided by the nominators and the two referee reports submitted with this nomination. The evidence and referee reports you provide should be based on the following required criteria:

1. Length of service to IFLA;
2. Type(s) of service to IFLA;
3. Outstanding achievements within that service to IFLA; and
4. Service that has brought distinction to IFLA in the international arena.

IFLA Medal

IFLA Medal is conferred on a person who has made a distinguished contribution either to IFLA or to international librarianship. It is also anticipated that one medal would be awarded each year, to a nominee from the country hosting the IFLA WLIC.

A nomination for the IFLA Medal is required to have at least two nominators who are current IFLA Members. A nomination must include evidence to support any claims of the nominee's distinguished contribution either to IFLA or to international librarianship. Each nomination shall be accompanied by at least two written referee reports. Referees should not also be nominators, and at least one referee should be an IFLA Member.

In making its decision, the Executive Committee will examine only the evidence provided by the nominators and the two referee reports submitted with this nomination. The evidence and referee reports you provide should be based on the following required criteria

1. Length of service to IFLA or the profession;
2. Nature of the distinguished contribution to IFLA or to international librarianship;
3. Significance of that contribution to IFLA or to international librarianship.

IFLA Scroll of Appreciation

IFLA Scroll of Appreciation is awarded annually by the IFLA Governing Board to the IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) National Committee for that year.  Additionally, any Member may nominate an individual who has given distinguished service to IFLA. Staff, including core activities staff, is eligible for nomination.

In making its decision, the Executive Committee will examine only the evidence provided by the nominator.

The evidence provided should be based on the following required criteria:

1. Length of service to IFLA;
2. Nature of the service to IFLA;
3. Significance of that service to IFLA, and its impact on IFLA.

The Executive Committee of the Governing Board considers all nominations in committee and in confidence. The Executive Committee bases its decisions only on the evidence submitted with the nominations and any further evidence sought from the nominees or referees.

The Executive Committee and the Secretary General shall not enter into correspondence on individual nominations. Only successful nominations will be published.

Wherever possible honours and awards shall be announced and conferred at the annual WLIC.

NOMINATION FORMS:

• Honorary Fellow [DOC] | [PDF]
• IFLA Medal [DOC] | [PDF]
• IFLA Scroll of Appreciation [DOC] | [PDF]

Nominations for awards to be conferred in 2020 are invited, in confidence, on this form which may be sent by email as an attachment, by FAX, or post:

email: ifla@ifla.org

FAX: +31 70 3834827

Post:

HONOURS and AWARDS
IFLA
P.O. Box 95312
2509 CH The Hague
The Netherlands

2019 was another great year for the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities, confirming its place as WIPO’s fastest moving and most successful treaty. Thirteen more countries joined the treaty in 2019, including two EIFL partner countries - Thailand and Zimbabwe. 

2019 was another great year for the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities, confirming its place as WIPO’s fastest moving and most successful treaty. Thirteen more countries joined the treaty in 2019, including two EIFL partner countries - Thailand and Zimbabwe. 

2019 was another great year for the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities, confirming its place as WIPO’s fastest moving and most successful treaty. Thirteen more countries joined the treaty in 2019, including two EIFL partner countries - Thailand and Zimbabwe.