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INNOVATING THROUGH DIGITAL ACCESS ISSUE |
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About thirty-six years ago, a man named Tim finalised documenting a promising new project and bringing his ideas to life on paper. It took him four years to bring that project from concept to reality at the CERN, and finally, in 1993, it was ready to be released to the public. The man in question was Tim Berners-Lee, and the project became known as the World Wide Web.
The ideas that laid the foundation for the Internet as we know it today were met with scepticism at the time. Today, we witness those same ideas still reshaping the way we communicate, how we access information and our interactions. Since then, we have achieved unprecedented levels of interconnectedness, and digital access has become a marker of progress across the world.
Happy reading! 📖🌐
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In addition to the Governing Board meeting held on 20 June – look out for the President's message for more about this – Vicki McDonald gave a speech at the Zagreb Library Association, while Secretary General Sharon Memis is currently participating in the German library conference in Bremen, Germany.
IFLA representatives also engaged at the June Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany, and are at the Internet Governance Forum, being held in Lillestrom, Norway, while our Regional Office for Asia-Oceania was busy engaging at CONSAL 2025 in Malaysia. |
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IFLA Townhalls – June/July |
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Join IFLA President Vicki McDonald and Secretary General Sharon Memis to hear the latest about IFLA's work, and to ask your own questions.
To accommodate participants across different time zones, multiple sessions are being offered. Please note that the content will be identical in each session, so attending more than one is not necessary. |
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Stronger, bolder, together: An invitation ✉️ |
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Radical change requires radical action from libraries, in their advocacy and practice.
Come to one of our launchpad sessions, ahead of the President and President-elect's sessions at our Congress, to hear ideas, insights and inspiration, and generate your own! |
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IFLA General Assembly 2025: Call for agenda items and resolutions |
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The IFLA General Assembly 2025 will be held on Wednesday, 20 August 2025, in a hybrid format, in Astana, Kazakhstan, and online, from 15:30 –17:30 (UTC +5).
Proposals must be submitted on the form sent to Members and reach the IFLA Secretariat by 4 July 2025. |
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Out Now: June 2025 issue of IFLA Journal |
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Featuring 23 peer-reviewed articles, essays and case studies, this 350+ page issue of IFLA Journal examines topics such as Climate Action framework for libraries, the evolution of libraries in Kazakhstan, TikTok and digital health literacy, library services to visually impaired students, KM and academic library services, data capitalism and library action, funding for a European library policy, and the FAIRification process for data stewardship. Dive in! |
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Act quickly, apply today: IFLA Emerging Leaders' Grants for WLIC 2025 |
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Are you an early-career library professional with under 15 years of experience? Then this grant is for your opportunity to network, learn, and lead on the international stage.
Review the requirements and apply by 4 July 2025 for the IFLA Emerging Leaders' Grants to attend WLIC 2025 in Astana! |
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WLIC 2025 programme updates |
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More information on the Conference programme |
| Find more information on each session with extra presentation details and speakers now added to the WLIC 2025 programme!
Delegates can decide which sessions to attend, and if you haven't registered, use this information to gain support from your employer to join us in Astana. It's all there to support your professional development. |
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| Explore topics and speakers at WLIC Satellite Meetings |
| Extra details and information on the satellite meetings being held in Astana in the days before WLIC 2025 is now available.
Leading speakers and presentations make these well worth attending. Register now to reserve your place. |
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Spotlight on Kazakhstan: Host Country of WLIC 2025 ⭐ |
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Discover the stories behind the setting of WLIC 2025! |
| Whether it's history, heritage, or fiction you're interested in, Read Kazakhstan offers a curated reading list to deepen your understanding of our host city and country. |
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| Explore Kazakhstan's rich history of libraries and librarianship! |
| Featured in the June 2025 IFLA Journal, Piotr Lapo's article traces Kazakhstan's librarianship from the Middle Ages' Otrar Library to today's library associations and consortia. |
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Travel information for WLIC 2025 delegates |
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No matter the region you're travelling to Astana from, we're here to help get you to the Conference! Explore our travel information page for regional information on estimated travel times and suggested regional routes to help you plan your journey. |
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IFLA elections and nominations: Data analysis |
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Over half of IFLA's members took part in our elections this year, while more than one in five nominated a candidate.
Within this, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East and North Africa stood out for their mobilisation, while overall we saw an increase in the regional diversity of the membership of our Section standing committees. |
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Libraries Driving Education for Sustainable Development |
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The IFLA Environment, Sustainability and Libraries Section (ENSULIB) is proud to announce the publication of a new book, Libraries Driving Education for Sustainable Development. This is title number 186 of the IFLA Publications Series. It is available to the world via open access, which has been generously funded by the IFLA Professional Council. |
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Tools and Resources from the field |
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How can bibliography work be made accessible to visually impaired people? |
| The IFLA Information Technology Section addresses topics that widely involve information and computer technologies, including technology sustainability and equitable access. |
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| RSCVD: Digital access through resource sharing |
| RSCVD, an initiative by the IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section, aims to promote international resource sharing to ensure access to high-quality scientific literature. |
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National Libraries support digital Access |
| Minu Raamatukogu (MIRKO) (My Library (MIRKO)) is a nationwide library lending platform managed by the National Library of Estonia. It combines the borrowing of both physical and digital publications into one convenient service |
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| REMEDIS project releases its evaluation planner |
| As part of the Horizon Europe-funded REMEDIS project (REthinking MEdia DIgital Skills), an international consortium has launched a new digital tool to support educators, librarians, civil society actors, and policymakers in evaluating Media Literacy and Digital Skills (ML&DS) interventions. |
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Standards in the open: Making IFLA Standards work on the Web |
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The IFLA Namespaces site is our central platform for publishing IFLA standards as linked data was launched in 2020. This initiative supports the broader goal of making bibliographic standards more usable, discoverable, and machine-readable—key pillars of digital access.
By structuring standards as linked data, we enable libraries, developers, and metadata professionals to integrate them directly into cataloguing tools, discovery systems, and research workflows. |
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The importance of access to and mobilisation of knowledge and information in order to address the challenges we face has never been clearer. Yet at the same time, the threats to this seem perhaps more immediate than in a long time in many parts of the world. We're therefore happy to relaunch our Advoc8 series – 8 areas where the voice of libraries needs to be heard this month. |
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Looking ahead: UN High-Level Political Forum 2025 |
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With the importance of sustainability, inclusiveness and the importance of science and evidence at the heart of the theme for this year's UN High-Level Political Forum, there is close alignment with the values and priorities of libraries. |
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Secondary Publishing Rights Adopted in Slovenian Legislation open access |
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At its session on 23 May 2025, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia unanimously adopted an amendment to the Scientific Research and Innovation Activity Act, with 76 votes in favour and none against. This marks an important step towards the achievement of the goals of the Knowledge Rights 21 Programme that IFLA administers. |
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Digital Inclusion Projects from Libraries Across North America: YouTube Videos! |
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IFLA Impact Training: Measurement, evaluation and demonstrating impact – Rotorua, New Zealand |
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On Wednesday, 30 April 2025, Jan Richards delivered the IFLA Training: Measurement, Evaluation and Demonstrating Impact training in Rotorua, New Zealand, ahead of the Public Libraries of New Zealand (PLNZ) annual forum.
The session brought together 24 participants from across Aotearoa, representing a diverse range of public libraries. |
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IFLA partners with UNESCO Office for the Caribbean and the Government of the Bahamas to support Launch of National Library |
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The Bahamas is home to over 400,000 people living across a wide spread of islands, with a rich, multicultural history and thriving tourism industry. Although the country has important historical records, a strong tradition of print media and a vibrant cultural production scene, as of today, there is no established National Library. |
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IFLA Advisory Committee on Standards: Expert Advisor - Copy Editor |
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Passionate about writing, editing, detail and supporting the library and information field to communicate its standards materials effectively?
The IFLA Advisory Committee on Standards (CoS) is seeking a talented (volunteer) copy editor to join as a committee Expert Advisor.
Is this you? Apply by 23 July 2025 |
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📢 Members, it's renewal season! |
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We're delighted that so many of you have already chosen to continue this incredible journey with us. For those still deciding, check your inbox and renew by 30 June.
Questions? We're here at membership@ifla.org
Let's keep growing, connecting, and creating impact together! |
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A Spotlight on an IFLA Member: Interview with Hasina Afroz of BRAC University |
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We're excited to share an interview with Hasina Afroz, University Librarian at BRAC University in Bangladesh, conducted by Linda Bennett of Gold Leaf. As a longstanding IFLA member, Hasina underlines how BRAC University Library continues to lead with resilience and creativity, particularly in areas where resources are limited.
In a generous gesture, Hasina nominated IFLA for a donation from Gold Leaf in recognition of her participation. We warmly congratulate Hasina on her well-deserved recognition and appreciate her contributions to the global library community.
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SOCIAL SPOTLIGHTWant to get featured here? 👇 Don't forget to @IFLA and use the #IFLA hashtag! |
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