Vol. 3, No. 11: The Digital Inclusion Issue 📲

Welcome to the November IFLA Newsletter, focused on Digital Inclusion!

November 2023  —  Vol. 3, No. 11 View in your browser → THE DIGITAL INCLUSION ISSUE Welcome to the November 2023 edition of the IFLA Newsletter! There is a growing recognition of the need to address digital inclusion as part of any effort to reduce inequalities and promote cohesion. Beyond the billions who remain unconnected to the internet and all the potential it brings for access to information, there are billions more who are unable to make the most of the connectivity that they have. At last month's Internet Governance Forum, the topic of meaningful access was therefore high on the agenda. This is a theme that libraries, of course, have long prioritised. Read the full editorial → IN THE FIELD IFLA President Vicki McDonald twice wrote to members over the last month, to report the decisions of the Governing Board on 9 November, and to announce the decision to hold an in-person meeting at the end of September 2024 as a highlight of the year. Vicki has also spoken or sent messages to the International Conference on Public Libraries and Small Business in Iran, the 3rd China-CEEC Curators' Forum of Libraries Union in China, the Korean Library Association National Library Library Conference, CDNLAO, Library and Information Services Month in the Philippines, SWITCH2023 in Australia, and the Forum on the Future of World Academic Libraries in China. IFLA Headquarters also announced a series of surveys of members, volunteers, and others to hear views both about our current strategy and where we should go in our next Strategy. Strengthening capacity in measurement, evaluation and demonstrating impact of libraries Our vision of a strong, united, and sustainable library field originates in the Global Vision discussion, outlined in the ten pairs of Global Vision highlights and opportunities. Two of the ten opportunities involve measurement and evaluation and rely on our ability to demonstrate the value and impact of libraries. IFLA Headquarters held a Train-the-Trainers Workshop on measurement, evaluation, and demonstrating the impact of library services. Twelve trainers covering all of IFLA's regions are now available to train others. The workshop provided a framework and tools to strengthen the capacity of the library field when it comes to planning for impact through community engagement and how to demonstrate the impact of libraries on people's lives. Meet the trainers and read more about the programme and the next steps! Meet the trainers  → Benefit from our year-end membership offer! Did you know? There is still time to make use of our year-end membership offer, which will end on 31 December 2023. By becoming an IFLA member or affiliate now, you will pay at the 2023 rate, and your fee will cover your membership for the rest of the year and all of 2024. Join today → POLICY AND ADVOCACY IFLA's Internet Manifesto 2024: Why is it relevant and who will benefit? IFLA approved its first Internet Manifesto in 2002, providing early recognition of the vital role that the Internet plays in the library and information services field. In 2014, a second version of the manifesto was published, not only to reflect on the changes that the Internet had gone through those years, but also to reaffirm the crucial role of libraries in ensuring equitable access to the Internet and supporting freedom of access to information. Now we're working on the next iteration. Keep reading → The delivery of digital inclusion via libraries' adaptation to the digital economy The upcoming commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an invitation to reflect on the General Assembly resolution 75/1, our commitment to "shaping a shared vision on digital cooperation by providing an inclusive global framework" and the vital role that libraries can play in this process. Read more → COP28 Call to action: Culture at the heart of Climate action As a founding member of the Climate Heritage Network, IFLA is excited to join in supporting a call to action for culture at COP28 – and we invite you to join as well! Get involved → SCCR/44: Limitations & exceptions enjoy support, workplan implementation advances IFLA was proud to attend the 44th meeting of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR/44) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva on 6-8 Nov 2023. The IFLA delegation spoke on behalf of libraries, user rights and the public interest alongside civil society colleagues. Read on → Culture2030Goal campaign welcomes statements in favour of culture's role in development The Culture2030Goal campaign, of which IFLA is a founding member, has welcomed recent statements by UN Member States, the G20, the BRICS and ministers of the European Union which underline the role of culture in development, and point towards the need for a dedicated culture goal in future. Read on → PROFESSIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT Developing a library strategic response to Artificial Intelligence The IFLA Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group (AI SIG) has developed a working document to set out considerations relevant for libraries developing a strategic response to Artificial Intelligence. The text is organised around developing a set of questions that prompt reflection and action and aims to support local decision-making about AI. View the document → Digital inclusion: An aspect of accessibility for print disabled When a person in a wheelchair cannot enter the library because of the stairs, most recognise the obvious discrimination. But what about a reader who is visually impaired and cannot order a book from the library's online catalogue because it is not adapted for screen-reading software? Online, just like in the physical environment, there can be digital stairs, too-narrow doors, and other barriers that leave persons with print disabilities behind. Read more about how the IFLA Libraries Serving Persons with Print Disabilities Section is working to support libraries with their digital inclusion measures. Read on → Digital inclusion via audiovisual and multimedia accessibility The library and information field significantly advances digital inclusion through the integration of audiovisual and multimedia resources. These resources play a crucial role in fostering inclusivity by addressing accessibility, cultural representation, and participatory opportunities, ensuring non-discriminatory access to knowledge in educational and lifelong learning contexts. Learn more about how the IFLA Audiovisual and Multimedia (IFLA AVMS) Section is collaborating to increase accessibility and findability of audiovisual and multimedia resources. Learn more → Digital inclusion: Bridging the information gap for people with disabilities Digital technology is becoming indispensable to everyday life and participation in society (EuroDIG Forum, 2023). Work, schooling, commerce, banking, and government services all increasingly have digital components or may even be conducted entirely online. Digital inclusion is a crucial aspect of modern society that cannot be ignored. With the rapid advancement of technology, there is a growing need to ensure that everyone has equal access to online or digital resources and information. For people with disabilities, this issue is particularly significant. Read more to find out how libraries and information organisations can bridge the global digital divide. Read more → Document delivery and digital Inclusion Promoting digital inclusion is an essential goal for libraries around the world, particularly so in the fields of resource sharing and document delivery. When libraries were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section launched the RSCVD (Resource Sharing during COVID) service, an innovative crowdsourced initiative which enabled libraries to continue to meet the information needs of their communities while working remotely. Read more about progress on this ongoing IFLA DDRS service. Continue reading → LIBRARY MAP OF THE WORLD New story: Library's makerspace to reduce health risks during the pandemic Read the story from Türkiye and learn how Sabanci University Information Centre's Collaboration Space operationalised their technology bank to reduce health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. To the story! → REGIONAL FOCUS IFLA Asia and Oceania Regional Newsletter, October 2023 We are back with another issue of the IFLA Asia & Oceania Regional Newsletter. Download the PDF to dive right into the articles. Get the newsletter → Accelerating action for libraries in the MENA region Earlier this month, IFLA's Middle East and North Africa Regional Division Committee met over two days in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The meeting created a momentum that will carry forwards the Committee's work to build action to support libraries across the region over the next two years. Continue reading → OPEN CALLS Co-opting to an IFLA Review Group The IFLA Advisory Committee on Standards invites expressions of interest from those wishing to serve as co-opted members of a Review Group for the term 2023-2027. IFLA's Review Groups maintain, support, and develop work on IFLA's technical standards, bibliographic models, linked data, and formats. Specific technical skills and experience are required to serve as an effective contributor to the ongoing standards revision processes of each Review Group. Learn more about the work of these Review Groups and how you can become a co-opted member. Find out more → Call for papers – IFLA Journal Special Issue on AI: Transforming Global Librarianship IFLA Journal is pleased to announce a special issue on "Artificial Intelligence (AI): Transforming Global Librarianship". With the rapid advancements in Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT 4, LLMs) and human interfacing (e.g., visual and voice prompting), we are at a pivotal stage of the potential transformation of library services and librarianship through the impact of AI. Submission of extended abstracts is due 8 January 2024. This special issue is scheduled for publication in the first quarter of 2025. Submit a paper → WLIC 2025: Call for Expressions of Interest 2025 The IFLA Governing Board invites Expressions of Interest (EOI) from IFLA national association members or other member representative bodies to host the 2025 IFLA World Library and Information Congress: 89th IFLA General Conference and Assembly (WLIC). Note: The 2025 EOI is directed at and open to all IFLA member national associations or other member representative bodies worldwide. Deadline: 31 January 2024. Get in touch → UPCOMING EVENTS 28 November Let no one be left behind – Assistive devices for persons with disabilities Virtual - IFLA Regional Office for Africa 4 - 6 December December 2023 IFLA Governing Board meeting The Hague, Netherlands 5 December Empowering communities: The impact of volunteering in the library field Virtual - IFLA NPSIG & CPDWL 14 December Librarying SDGs: sharing experiences for progress Virtual - IFLA Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Division NEW MEMBERS, WELCOME! IFLA warmly welcomes the following new members: Kansas State University - United States of America Nanyang Technological University – Singapore National Indigenous Knowledge & Language Alliance (NIKLA) – Canada Southern Medical University Library – China The American University of Kurdistan – Iraq Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali Library - Brunei Darussalam University of Canterbury - New Zealand University of Guelph – United States of America We look forward to your engagement and involvement! 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