Over 90% of children living in under-resourced areas of eThekwini Municipality in South Africa have expressed interest in taking up careers in science and technology after participating in Woodhurst Public Library’s STEM Makers digital skills programme.

Over the past two years (2023 - 2025) Woodhurst library has worked with partners and nine branch libraries in District 8 of the eThekwini municipal area (near the city of Durban) to organize bi-monthly coding and robotics workshops and fun school holiday Stem Makers programmes. In 2025 the programme reached 450 learners. 

Over 90% of children living in under-resourced areas of eThekwini Municipality in South Africa have expressed interest in taking up careers in science and technology after participating in Woodhurst Public Library’s STEM Makers digital skills programme.

Over the past two years (2023 - 2025) Woodhurst library has worked with partners and nine branch libraries in District 8 of the eThekwini municipal area (near the city of Durban) to organize bi-monthly coding and robotics workshops and fun school holiday Stem Makers programmes. In 2025 the programme reached 450 learners. 

The Nurture Lab at Rijeka City Library inspires creativity and innovation among young people by organizing workshops and learning activities in library spaces resourced with a wide range of digital equipment and other tools that can be used in projects that combine technology, science and art.

The Nurture Lab at Rijeka City Library inspires creativity and innovation among young people by organizing workshops and learning activities in library spaces resourced with a wide range of digital equipment and other tools that can be used in projects that combine technology, science and art.

The Nurture Lab at Rijeka City Library inspires creativity and innovation among young people by organizing workshops and learning activities in library spaces resourced with a wide range of digital equipment and other tools that can be used in projects that combine technology, science and art.

Join the next meeting of the Community of Practice (CoP) for no-fee OA publishing in Africa, that now includes over 380 members - 

Date and time: 21 January 2026 at 10:00 UTC/11:00 WAT/12:00 CAT/13:00 EAT (convert to your timezone).

Join the next meeting of the Community of Practice (CoP) for no-fee OA publishing in Africa, that now includes over 380 members - 

Date and time: 21 January 2026 at 10:00 UTC/11:00 WAT/12:00 CAT/13:00 EAT (convert to your timezone).

Join the next meeting of the Community of Practice (CoP) for no-fee OA publishing in Africa, that now includes over 380 members - 

Date and time: 21 January 2026 at 10:00 UTC/11:00 WAT/12:00 CAT/13:00 EAT (convert to your timezone).

We have renewed our agreement with the Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing for three years, until 2028. For the first time, the EIFL-IOP agreement includes free or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for publishing in open access in IOP hybrid journals in addition to free or discounted read access to the IOPscience Extra package.

EIFL has negotiated free access to the IOPscience Extra package for 19 EIFL partner countries, and discounted access for nine EIFL partner countries.

We have renewed our agreement with the Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing for three years, until 2028. For the first time, the EIFL-IOP agreement includes free or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for publishing in open access in IOP hybrid journals in addition to free or discounted read access to the IOPscience Extra package.

EIFL has negotiated free access to the IOPscience Extra package for 19 EIFL partner countries, and discounted access for nine EIFL partner countries.

We have renewed our agreement with the Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing for three years, until 2028. For the first time, the EIFL-IOP agreement includes free or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for publishing in open access in IOP hybrid journals in addition to free or discounted read access to the IOPscience Extra package.

EIFL has negotiated free access to the IOPscience Extra package for 19 EIFL partner countries, and discounted access for nine EIFL partner countries.

We have renewed our agreement with the Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing for three years, until 2028. For the first time, the EIFL-IOP agreement includes free or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for publishing in open access in IOP hybrid journals in addition to free or discounted read access to the IOPscience Extra package.

EIFL has negotiated free access to the IOPscience Extra package for 19 EIFL partner countries, and discounted access for nine EIFL partner countries.

EIFL has renewed and expanded its agreement with World Scientific for one year, until the end of 2026. The renewed agreement provides waived or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for authors to publish in 145 hybrid or gold (fully) open access journals in various fields.

Over the last three decades, World Scientific has established itself as the largest international scientific publisher in the Asia-Pacific region. 

EIFL has negotiated waived APCs for 26 EIFL partner countries, and discounted APCs for eight EIFL partner countries.

EIFL has renewed and expanded its agreement with World Scientific for one year, until the end of 2026. The renewed agreement provides waived or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for authors to publish in 145 hybrid or gold (fully) open access journals in various fields.

Over the last three decades, World Scientific has established itself as the largest international scientific publisher in the Asia-Pacific region. 

EIFL has negotiated waived APCs for 26 EIFL partner countries, and discounted APCs for eight EIFL partner countries.

EIFL has renewed and expanded its agreement with World Scientific for one year, until the end of 2026. The renewed agreement provides waived or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for authors to publish in 145 hybrid or gold (fully) open access journals in various fields.

Over the last three decades, World Scientific has established itself as the largest international scientific publisher in the Asia-Pacific region. 

EIFL has negotiated waived APCs for 26 EIFL partner countries, and discounted APCs for eight EIFL partner countries.

EIFL has renewed and expanded its agreement with World Scientific for one year, until the end of 2026. The renewed agreement provides waived or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for authors to publish in 145 hybrid or gold (fully) open access journals in various fields.

Over the last three decades, World Scientific has established itself as the largest international scientific publisher in the Asia-Pacific region. 

EIFL has negotiated waived APCs for 26 EIFL partner countries, and discounted APCs for eight EIFL partner countries.

EIFL has renewed and expanded its agreement with World Scientific for one year, until the end of 2026. The renewed agreement provides waived or discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs) for authors to publish in 145 hybrid or gold (fully) open access journals in various fields.

Over the last three decades, World Scientific has established itself as the largest international scientific publisher in the Asia-Pacific region. 

EIFL has negotiated waived APCs for 26 EIFL partner countries, and discounted APCs for eight EIFL partner countries.

How do you envision a project and design library buildings and facilities that will not be delivered for several years? The past 18 months has shone a new light on the need for resilient and responsive buildings. What library services and programmes will be provided in the future? How are innovative approaches to the delivery of library services imagined, implemented and accommodated in new facilities? What are the facilities that will fit future services not yet in existence? What are the challenges and debates within the design team and stakeholders as the planning and preparation are undertaken? What works best and what processes should be used? What differences, if any, are there in building a new facility or re-using and adapting an old site? On October 5th join Traci Lesneski, Philip Kent and thought leaders from Australia, Canada and The Netherlands to consider these important issues.

Register today!

The following statement was issued by Secretary General Gerald Leitner, on behalf of IFLA on 25 August 2021.

IFLA has followed closely recent legislative developments in Hungary, and in particular the provisions passed in June which prohibit the portrayal of homosexuality or gender reassignment in children’s books.

As has been noted by commentators, the breadth of the law creates the possibility that libraries, in providing access to books for young users, are covered by these provisions. As such, this raises significant questions about the ability and responsibility of libraries to fulfil their mission to provide access to information for all.

IFLA stands by its Statement on Intellectual Freedom (1999), which underlines that library collections shall reflect the plurality and diversity of society, and that selection and availability of materials should be governed by professional considerations and not by political, moral and religious views. 

In parallel, IFLA also underlines the message of the IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto (1994), which stresses the need to provide information to all, reflecting their needs, and evolutions in society. It also emphasises that ‘collections and services should not be subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship, nor commercial pressures’.

The IFLA-UNESCO School Library Manifesto underlines these same points, in connection with the development of children.

In the light of this, IFLA stresses that libraries should not face rules that prevent or hinder them from giving access to works which reflect the experience of any part of the communities they serve – including LGBTQ+ users and their families – or pressure to do so. This includes measures that make it harder for readers – in particular young readers – to find works, or the use of marks or other signs that stigmatise their use of such works.

Such steps limit the ability of library and information professionals to make their own judgements, based on professionalism and an understanding of the needs of users, in order to support the development of all members of their communities.

In parallel, IFLA also voices its support for publishers, authors and booksellers who have fallen foul of these new provisions, and calls for an end to similar restrictions elsewhere.

Gerald Leitner
​IFLA Secretary General 25 August 2021

Download the statement from our publications page.

Dear Friends,    

We are pleased to share with you the August 2021 issue of the IFLA Asia & Oceania Regional Newsletter.  

On behalf of my team, I would like to express our deepest appreciation to all our article contributors and supporters.  

Click on the PDF below to access the amazing articles we have curated for you this time!  

Happy reading and stay safe!  

Best regards,

Ms Lin Li SOH

Manager | IFLA Regional Office 
Asia & Oceania
c/o National Library Board, Singapore