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Feb 2022 — Vol. 2, No. 2
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THE INTERNET SAFETY ISSUE

Welcome to the second edition of the IFLA newsletter for 2022, with a special focus on Safer Internet Day.

Clearly, the spread of the internet, and the increasingly major role of digital technologies in our lives, long pre-dates COVID.

However, the need to shift so much of our lives online has not only highlighted the scandal of the billions of people who remain unconnected, but also the need to ensure that those who are, can do so safely.

Safer Internet Day therefore is about raising awareness of why it is so vital to promote the skills and knowledge needed to help young people in particular be
confident and competent internet users.

Read on to find out more about work inside and outside of IFLA on this key topic, as well as updates on the World Library and Information Congress, the work of our professional and regional units, our advocacy, and upcoming events! We are IFLA!

Read the full editorial →

Gerald Leitner
IFLA Secretary General

IN CONVERSATION WITH… JOHN CARR

How to ensure child safety is a hot topic at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and arguably one of the most pressing challenges for decision-makers in the area. To hear the latest about the debate, and how libraries can engage, we talked to one of the founding members of the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Child Online Safety, John Carr.

What are the key developments from the past 12 months on child online safety and rights in your mind?

More and more high quality educational and cultural resources are becoming available online and in an even greater spread of languages, not just English and the other major European languages. Communications technologies are also improving, becoming more ubiquitous as they become cheaper and easier to use.

Schools and educational bodies, including, rather obviously, libraries are becoming more adept at using the possibilities presented by digital technologies. Partly the pandemic has driven these developments and partly it is the culmination of trends which have been gathering pace over several years.

However, what we have also seen arising during the pandemic are increased risks to children and here, in almost every liberal democracy in the world new regulatory regimes are being developed. People have given up on self-regulation because we now know it really means no regulation or inconsistently applied regulation.

Read more →

John Carr
Founding Member,
IGF Dynamic Coalition on Child Online Safety

IN THE FIELD

IFLA President Barbara Lison promoted engagement with IFLA and this year's World Library and Information Congress in Germany and beyond, through an interview with the German Institute for Network Information. The recording is now online here!

IFLA Secretary General Gerald Leitner spoke at the United Cities and Local Governments Town Hall session on Caring Systems, highlighting libraries’ experience in providing services tailored to the needs of individuals, and the need to invest in public services.

JOIN US AT WLIC 2022!

We can’t wait to see you at WLIC 2022, 26-29 July ☘️
Right now at IFLA HQ, we are busy designing a safe, inspiring and interactive programme alongside our colleagues at the Irish National Committee for those who are able to travel to meet each other face-to-face in Dublin, Ireland.

When do registrations open?
Registrations will be open in the coming weeks. We thank you for your patience while we work on the details, and encourage you to renew your membership as soon as possible (if you have not done so already) in order to benefit from your membership discounts and avoid delays once the tickets become available.

What if I can’t travel then?
To ensure that nobody misses out on the chance to connect during
#WLIC2022, key events will also be streamed - online and for free - to the entire global library field.

Where can you find out more?
Stay up to date about our speakers, industry programme, exhibition, volunteering, grants, honours, awards and professional development opportunities via our newsletter, IFLA-L, social media channels and the WLIC 2022 event page below!

Attend and share the WLIC 2022 Event Page on Facebook →

Exhibitors and Sponsors

As always, there will be many exciting opportunities for exhibitors, sponsors and partners at this year’s Congress!

Exhibitors will receive an early bird discount if they book before 28 February.
Expressions of interest for sponsorship opportunities should be submitted by
4 March.

Our team would be delighted to discuss the possibilities with you, click below to contact us by email.

Reach out to discuss partnership opportunities →

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Together for a better internet: Highlights from libraries in Poland

February is an important month for online safety education around the world, marking the annual Safer Internet Day (SID). As part of this, many educational institutions, including libraries, promote safe use of the internet and new technologies, as well as media literacy and overall online wellbeing in their communities. We interviewed New Professionals Special Interest Group Convenor Magdalena Gomułka to find out about how libraries in Poland are engaging.

Read more →

IFLA releases Statement on open library data

IFLA’s new Statement on Open Library Data calls on governments to ensure, either directly or through supporting others, the collection and open publication of data about libraries and their use.

Read more →

International Education Day: Contributing to a new social contract for education

In order to achieve sustainable development into the long-term, we need a reimagining of education systems. This call echoes UNESCO’s recent publication, the groundbreaking Futures of Education Report. This, written in the context of interlinked and often overlapping global challenges, calls for a new social contract for education. IFLA's new briefing sets out what the Report says, and what it means for libraries.

Read more →

Our Common Agenda: A briefing

A key result of the United Nations' anniversary celebrations in 2020 was a declaration by Member States, setting out commitments for the future. Based on this, over the past year, the UN has worked to develop a set of proposed actions, set out in ‘Our Common Agenda’. This briefing sets out what opportunities this provides for libraries.

Read more →

Action for Access: IFLA releases January 2022 update of our Marrakesh Monitoring Report

The latest update to IFLA’s Marrakesh Monitoring Report sets out how countries around the world are protecting (or not) the rights of people with disabilities to access to information. IFLA is grateful to all those who have contributed.

Read more →

Policy and Advocacy: Looking ahead!

Throughout the first weeks of the year, IFLA has been sharing news pieces and blogs exploring what is coming up in different areas where we are active in our advocacy.

Take a look at articles on culture and heritage, climate action, the digital environment, copyright, and sustainable development!

PROFESSIONAL UNITS

IFLA’s Safer Internet Day Survey: Report in progress

IFLA’s Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section will soon publish the results of a survey into how libraries around the world are finding ways both to deliver on children’s right of access to information, while also keeping them safe.

Read more →

PROFESSIONAL UNITS

What's next from IFLA's Professional Units?

IFLA’s Professional Units bring the brightest minds in the field together to address issues relevant to libraries and library and information workers at a global level. These international, diverse and vibrant groups of library experts are dedicated to building the capacity, and realising the potential, of our profession.

Click below to find out more about the projects they are undertaking, and how you can follow and get involved with their work!

Read more about projects planned for 2022 & 2023 →

40 Years of the IFLA Section for Library Services to Multicultural Populations

*Republished with the correct hyperlink*

For 40 years, IFLA's Section for Library Services to Multicultural Populations has brought together libraries and institutions interested in the development and availability of library services designed to meet the needs of cultural and linguistic minorities.

Take a look at a
special edition of the Section's newsletter, which describes vividly the impact of their work in helping to change mindsets, assist libraries to implement new services for underserved population groups, and make a positive difference for multicultural populations around the world.

Read the newsletter →

REGIONAL FOCUS

Partnering for development: a joint interview between Jamaica's SDG focal point and libraries

Through our work around the Sustainable Development Goals, IFLA argues that libraries are essential partners for development, and should be integrated into planning and implementation. Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) provide a particular opportunity to set out where these partnerships stand, and how we can go further. In Jamaica, the team coordinating the VNR is working closely with libraries!

Read more →

IFLA's message at the UNESCO-MONDIACULT Africa Regional Consultation: Count libraries in!

The UNESCO Online Consultation on Cultural Policies for the Africa Region was held on 31 January and 1 February, hosted by the Republic of Senegal. IFLA was present, underlining the importance of integrating libraries into the design and delivery of cultural policies and strategies.

Read more →

OPEN CALLS

Impact of Library Advocacy – Funds and Initiatives Webinar

IFLA Division C hosts a monthly Webinar Series for LIS students that aims to create a place for students to share projects, research, and ideas about library-related topics. Each webinar addresses a different theme. Events are held online and are open to all (no registration fees).

March’s webinar will be dedicated to the Impact of Library Advocacy. We are seeking proposals from Library and Information Science (LIS) students who would like to present on this topic.

Deadline for submission is March 1, 2022.

Read more →

Materials for Promoting the SDGs Nationally

We are looking to update our collection of the websites, publications, posters and other materials that library associations and institutions around the world have developed in order to raise awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals, and encourage engagement with them!

Do you have great examples to share? Send them on to
da2i@ifla.org!

IFLA MEMBERSHIP

IFLA exists thanks the generous support of our Members!

Keep your eyes peeled this month for renewal notices. In case you have any questions about your membership - either new or existing - or have not received your invoice by 18 February, please reach out to our Member Services Team.

You can also login to
Member Online Services to pay directly by credit card.

To maintain your benefits, payments should be received by 31 March.

Not yet a member? With a new year of exciting professional opportunities ahead, now is a great time to join!

Become a member →

NEW MEMBERS

Libraries across every sector are welcome to join as Members of our federation, from those serving the general public or at the heart of educational institutions, to special libraries of all kinds. We greet our new members this month including our first member from the territory of Gibraltar.

University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar
Biblioteca del Congreso del Estado de Guanajuato, Mexico
Bundesverwaltungsgericht / The Federal Administrative Court, Germany
Tuvalu National Library and Archives, Tuvalu

UPCOMING EVENTS

To the events calendar →

LIBRARY MAP OF THE WORLD

New SDG Stories

Read how the National Library of Sri Lanka facilitates skills development programme to help citizens acquire skills for employment.

Read more →

Learn how the Library of the Open University of Catalonia (pictured above) helps to mainstream gender equality and empowerment of women, to help citizens acquire skills for employment.

Read more →

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT

Want to get featured here? Don’t forget to use the #WeAreIFLA hashtag!