The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession. IFLA was registered in the Netherlands in 1971. The Royal Library, the national library of the Netherlands, in The Hague, generously provides the facilities for our headquarters.

Aims

IFLA is an independent, international, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. Our aims are to:

• Promote high standards of provision and delivery of library and information services


• Encourage widespread understanding of the value of good library & information services


• Represent the interests of our members throughout the world.

World Library and Information Congress: IFLA General Conference and Assembly

Our conference is held in August or early September in a different city each year. More then three thousand delegates meet to exchange experience, debate professional issues, see the latest products of the information industry, conduct the business of IFLA and experience something of the culture of the host country.

More information on the current conference or past and future conferences can be found here.

Regional Meetings

A range of professional meetings, seminars and workshops are held around the world by our professional groups and Core Activities. Use the IFLA website and IFLA Journal to find out what is going on when and where.

Core Activities

Issues common to library and information services around the world are the concern of the IFLA Core Activities. Directed by the Professional Committee, the objectives and projects of the Core Activities relate to the Federation's Programme and the priorities of the Divisions and Sections. ALP (Action for Development through Libraries Programme) has very wide scope, concentrating on the broad range of concerns specific to the developing world. The others cover current, internationally important issues.  Preservation and Conservation (PAC), IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Digital Strategies (ICADS) and IFLA UNIMARC. The Action for Development through Libraries Programme (ALP), Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE),  and Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM)

Publications

The results of the programmes developed by IFLA's professional groups are recorded and disseminated in our publications.

IFLA Journal is published four times a year. Each issue covers news of current IFLA activities and articles, selected to reflect the variety of the international information profession, ranging from freedom of information, preservation, services to the visually impaired and intellectual property.

The Annual Report records IFLA's achievements during the previous years.

The IFLA publications series, published by IFLA's publisher, De Gruyter Saur in Berlin, Germany includes such titles as: Digital Library Futures: User perspectives and institutional strategies, Strategies for Regenerating the Library and Information Profession, and the 3rd edition of The World Guide to Library, Archive and Information Science Associations

The IFLA Professional Reports series feature reports of professional meetings and guidelines to best practice. Recent reports include: Using research to promote literacy and reading in libraries: Guidelines for librarians, Mobile Library Guidelines, International Resource Book for Libraries Serving Disadvantaged Persons: 2001-2008.