The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions recently released its annual report for 2014. (The organization has not yet come out with a report for 2015.) The IFLA has members from every continent except Antarctica; just under half are from Europe, and institutions make up two-thirds of members. It strives to make information as freely and broadly available as possible to people worldwide, regardless of race, culture, or economic status. Some of the organization’s accomplishments for the year are below.
- Distributing the IFLA Trend Report as widely as possible, including making it available in many languages
- Hosting the World Library and Information Congress, which drew almost 4,000 people from over 130 countries, in Lyon, France
- Bringing the two-year IFLA International Leaders Programme, which trains individuals to become stronger advocates for the profession at both the regional and international levels, to a successful conclusion at the congress
- In 2015 (after the period covered by the report), the organization inaugurated a new President, American Donna Scheeder. She held a two-day summit in Cape Town, South Africa, to launch the IFLA’s Change Agenda, which seeks to strengthen the library and information profession at four levels: individual, organizational, national, and global.
The organization is also in the process of creating a strategic plan for 2016-2021. The plan will focus on bringing about social change by making access to information resources and knowledge as broadly available as possible, using innovative and creative methods. Preserving, and educating about, cultural heritage will receive special emphasis. This will build upon the 2010-2015 strategic plan’s focus on making the library and information field more dynamic, while giving librarians the tools to effect change.
To view the IFLA annual report, click here.