Founded in 1927, the International
Federation of Library A
ssociations and Institutions, IFLA, was one of the first international non-profit,
non-governmental organizations, aiming to further the cause of librarianship. IFLA promotes
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, DISCUSSION and RESEARCH in all fields of library activity. It
considers all aspects of library work to be within its province and strives to extend its
membership to all countries. IFLA aspires to speak with authority as the global voice of the
library profession. These aims: UNIVERSALITY, COMPREHENSIVENESS, and REPRESENTATIVE STATUS give
direction to IFLA's structure as well as its professional programmes.
IFLA has a worlide impact. This claim can be substantiated with facts: by the end of
1996, the Federation had members in 144 countries, an expansion which the few progressive
librarians from 15 countries who founded IFLA in 1927 would not have expected. It offers a
professional home for library associations, libraries and librarians whatever the type of
library or the expertise. They can all find their particular group within the pyramidal
construction of IFLA's professional activities.
IFLA is perhaps one of the more privileged international organizations because the material
with wich librarians work is, by definition, international. Current issues, such as Universal
Bibliographic Control and International MARC(UBCIM), Universal Availability of Publications,
Preservation and Conservation (PAC), and Universal Dataflow and Telecommunications (UDT) are so
complex and so interwoven that the search for global solutions is absolutely necessary.
IFLA is democratically structured. The COUNCIL (= general member's meeting) is IFLA's highest
organ. Members nominate candidates for IFLA's EXECUTIVE BOARD and elections are held during
Council meetings.
Members also have the right to register for Sections and, if registered, nominate and elect
the STANDING COMMITTEES (= core groups of experts) for those groups. Through the Standing
Committees the major professional steering bodies are formed. IFLA's main steering bodies as
defined by the Statutes are the EXECUTIVE and PROFESSIONAL BOARDS.
The first has full powers of administration and management, the second deals with
coordinating and planning professional activities. The EXECUTIVE BOARD consists of an elected
President and seven elected members, with the Chairperson of the PROFESSIONAL BOARD serving as
an ex officio member.
The PROFESSIONAL BOARD is composed of the Chairperson from each of the eight Divisions, plus
a Chairperson elected from the outgoing Professional Board by the incoming PB members.
IFLA offers the following publications free of charge to its members
IFLA Directory
, contains lists of the Association members, Institutional members and Personal
affiliates, as well as representants of the IFLA Core Programmes and from the
Divisions, Sections and Round Tables. It contains also a list of IFLA publications.
IFLA Journal(quarterly) contains articles from renowned librarian and
information science professionals, with abstracts in English, French, German, and
Spanish, as well as news and reports from IFLA and other related organizations.
Medium Term Programme contains the objectives and activities of IFLA
professional groups.
IFLA membership gives you the opportunity to:
Link up to IFLA's worlwide network of library and information professionals
Participate in the activities of one or more IFLA Sections of your choice; IFLA sections
are professional groups specializing in different areas of library activity. There are
33 different sections to choose from. See item 3 for a comprehensive
list
Subscribe to up 25 Section Newsletters, free of charge when you join the section in
question;
Improve your LIS skills through workshops, seminars and poster sessions at IFLA's Annual
Conferences
Share your views, concerns and expertise with other LIS professionals and organizations
working in the field and, in turn, learn from their experiences
Enjoy substantial discounts on over 60 IFLA publications
Use IFLA to breathe new life into your specialist field and to inform other LIS
professionals of your products and services
According to IFLA's Statutes, "individuals wishing to mark their interest in and
support for the purposes of the Federation" may join IFLA as a Personal Affiliate.
Personal Affiliates receive Ifla Directory, IFLA Journal (quarterly) and
IFLA's Medium Term Programme and may join 1 IFLA Section free of charge.
Institutional Membership
Institutional Members may include libraries, library schools, bibliographical and
research institutes, and other institutions. Institutional Members receive IFLA
Directory, IFLA Journal (quarterly) and IFLA's Medium Term Programme and
may join 2 IFLA Sections free of charge
Association Membership
Association Members may include associations of libraries, librarians and library
schools, associations of bibliographical and research institutes primarily concerned
with the implementation of the purposes of IFLA. Association members must function
within the national, multinational or international library and information services.
In countries where there is no library associations, but where the library community is
represented by one single body, this body may be admitted as an Association Member.
Association Members receive IFLA Directory, IFLA Journal (quarterly) and
IFLA's Medium Term Programme and may join 4 Sections free of charge.
IFLA/LAC Regional Office
Rua da Imprensa, 16 / Sala 1108
Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Brazil
Tel.: 55 21 3225733
Fax.: 55 21 3225733
E-mailiflalac@nutecnet.com.br
THE REGIONAL OFFICE