Happy Birthday to our IFLA Strategy!

IFLA’s Strategy is already one year old! A lot has happened over these first twelve months, both for IFLA and the world as a whole.

Since the first presentation at the World Library and Information Congress, we have seen a great mobilisation across IFLA and beyond in order to turn its vision into a reality.

With the huge disruption caused by COVID-19 to societies and the libraries that serve them, the importance of thinking strategically – and working together – has become clearer than ever.

A Strategy for Changing Times

The Strategy was designed to provide new energy and direction for everyone working across IFLA, as well as a reference point for library associations, libraries and library and information workers around the world.

Its existence is the result of a uniquely inclusive process – the IFLA Global Vision initiative – which brought together tens of thousands of librarians and library supporters.

This work allowed us to identify the priorities and strengths of our field, and to define a vision towards which we can all aim. This vision – of a strong and united global library field, powering literate, informed and participatory societies – is as valid as ever.

Indeed, in a world where innovation, creativity and resilience will be at the heart of recovery, the vision only underlines the contribution that libraries can make.

We have already made major steps towards realising this, with just a small selection of examples highlighted below. These are just the tip of the iceberg through, with hundreds of other actions underway in IFLA’s Professional Units, Members and at our Headquarters.

Christine Mackenzie, IFLA President said:

It has been both a challenging and inspiring year working with the IFLA Strategy. I have been so impressed at how the field has responded with creativity and resilience, adapting and innovating to do the best for communities. The Strategy offers us a great tool for working together, making the most of all of our contributions, to ensure libraries can go from strength to strength.”

Gerald Leitner, IFLA Secretary General said:

Faced with challenges few had foreseen, the IFLA Strategy has proved its relevance. It continues to provide a guiding light for the work of our volunteers in working to strengthen our profession, and a reference point for associations and institutions globally. I am looking forward to working further with libraries globally in order to use the IFLA Strategy to realise our collective potential in the years to come!”

Your engagement with the IFLA Strategy

As highlighted above, many associations around the world and many IFLA Professional Units have been aligning their actions to the global IFLA Strategy. See their work and get inspired to do the same:

National Library Associations & the IFLA Strategy

• Paraguayan libraries align with the IFLA Strategy
• Suriname’s libraries align with the IFLA Strategy
• Interviewing Nick Poole: a discussion about the IFLA Strategy
• #IFLAFromHome in Latvia: An Innovative National Conference in Line with the IFLA Strategy

IFLA Professional Units & the IFLA Strategy

• Can old buildings be turned into libraries? A sneak peek into ENSULIB’s upcoming open access book
• Interlibrary loaning across the globe: a gap turned into a successful new global service by an IFLA Professional Unit
• IFLA Coaching Initiative: a dynamic IFLA Professional Unit programme
• IFLA celebrates World Refugee Day

Read more about the IFLA Strategy 2019-2024

How is your library or library association engaging with the IFLA Strategy? Let us know! Post on your social media, using the hashtag #IFLAStrategy and #WeAreIFLA or send an email to Despina Gerasimidou, IFLA’s Strategic Development Officer at despina.gerasimidou@ifla.org.