Vol. 3, No. 1: Innovation 💡

Innovation is not just about products, but also about the way we do things. 

January 2023 — Vol. 3, No. 1 View in your browser → For those cultures celebrating a new year, it is a time to think about how we can do things differently – how we can innovate in order to achieve our goals. Many of us may be making resolutions for our own personal lives, but it can also be a chance to reflect on our professional practice, and even our work as an organisation. Innovation is therefore the topic of this first IFLA newsletter of 2023. Of course, innovation can take many forms – we cover all of them in the articles shared below. Read the full editorial→ A New Year's Message from IFLA President Barbara Lison Dear colleagues, as 2022 came to an end and the New Year starts, I wanted to write to thank all of you involved in making IFLA what it is. As a Federation, it is in our name that we are a wide community. IFLA is about bringing people together, providing a common space and a platform for doing more together than we could ever do apart. Read more → IFLA Call for Nominations 2023 The nominations process for over 800 positions on IFLA's many committees is now open! There are six weeks for candidates to come forward, and for Members and Affiliates to submit nominations for the varied positions available. Read more → IFLA Governing Board meeting report, 5-8 December 2022 Meeting face to face in The Hague provided the IFLA Governing Board time to discuss in depth the issues on which it is taking action in the short and long term. This report notes twelve highlights that we would like to share with you. Read more → IN THE FIELD IFLA President Barbara Lison joined the Serbian Library Association at its 75th Anniversary Conference in Belgrade, giving a keynote speech on IFLA and the global library field. Barbara, President-elect Vicki McDonald and the rest of the Governing Board were also in the Hague, The Netherlands for the December Governing Board meeting – see above for more! POLICY AND ADVOCACY Culture in Action: a look ahead at key topics and opportunities for 2023 Global discourse on culture and cultural heritage in 2022 can be characterised by greater recognition of the powerful potential of culture to help solve great challenges, as well as calls for action to ensure its protection in the face of natural and human-caused disaster. Read more → Happy Public Domain Day 2023! 1 January was Public Domain Day in 2023, celebrating the works that now belong to the ages (and you!). Public domain works may be copied from, remixed, incorporated into other works and generally used for free, without payment to rightsholders. They are viewed as part of the commons from which the world draws to make new art and knowledge. Read more → Libraries, information and integrity As part of IFLA's engagement at last year's High-Level Political Forum, the Dag Hammarskjold Library at the United Nations kindly hosted an IFLA session discussing the trends which are shaping how far access to information is enabling sustainable development today. Read more → Libraries and sustainable development in 2023: Trends and issues Sustainable development represents one of the broadest areas of IFLA's advocacy engagement, covering both specific work around the United Nations' 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and underlying work to build – and demonstrate – libraries' ability to contribute to a whole range of policy goals. Read more → Recent Highlights from the IFLA Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Centres IFLA's PAC Centres are hubs of knowledge for documentary heritage preservation and access – hosted in major institutions around the world. PAC Centres take initiative to identify and raise awareness of preservation and conservation issues within the library field. Read more → PROFESSIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT Innovations are opportunities IFLA's Information Technology (IT) Section and IFLA's newest Special Interest Group, the Artificial Intelligence SIG review the latest innovations in libraries. From building design to big data, single sign-on to virtual reality, read IT and AI SIG's overview of the top current innovations along with what is to come. Read more → 23 resources to get up to speed on AI in 2023: Selected by the IFLA Artificial Intelligence SIG Artificial intelligence is said to be having a dramatic, even transformative effect on many aspects of society. It will affect libraries in multiple ways, through its use in library services but also through changing the search landscape, and so information literacy. We in the IFLA Artificial Intelligence SIG feel AI is something every professional is curious about. Therefore, we have selected 23 up-to-date and openly available resources to get up to speed on the topic. Read more here. Read more → AI In Focus - Artificial Intelligence in Libraries Singapore / Hybrid: 2 - 3 March 2022 The IFLA IT Section in collaboration with the Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group will be holding a mid-term conference in Singapore on the use of AI in libraries. Hosted by National Library Board, Singapore, the programme will include keynote speakers, workshops and presentations in the practical application and ethical dimensions of AI in libraries. This is a great opportunity to discover more about a fast-developing area for libraries.  This will be a hybrid conference with in-person and streamed sessions, and virtual workshops. Read more → CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: IFLA HONOURS AND AWARDS Do you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to IFLA and/or to the global library field? IFLA's Honours and Awards recognise those who have given significant service and made distinguished contributions to the profession. Deadline: 28 February 2023 Read more → REGIONAL FOCUS Libraries delivering on open government: IFLA speaks at African Peer Review Mechanism Drawing on the insights provided in the publication "The Government Information Landscape in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Improvement", IFLA presented on the role of libraries at the African Peer Review Mechanism's African Governance Seminar, highlighting our contribution to open governance goals. We are grateful to Nerisa Kamar, Information Africa Organization, for attending and providing this report. Read more → Libraries in the Sustainable Development Goals in the MENA region IFLA's Middle East and North Africa Regional Division Committee (IFLA MENA RDC) organised a webinar 'Libraries in the Plans of the Sustainable Development Goals', with the Cluster leader, 2030 Agenda and SDG Coordinator as the main speaker from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA). Read more → WLIC 2023 UPDATE Call for Posters Get ready to share the amazing project you are working on with an international audience! Submit your application before 1 April 2023 Read more → WLIC 2023 Early Bird Rates — Register by May 16, 2023 to save € 45 - 300! The Early Fee Registration and Hotel Bookings in Rotterdam during the congress are available online. Should you have a group book of ten or more attendees, please contact: wlic-registration@kit-group.org for further information on how to register your group. Read more → Library Highlights: Rotterdam Zuid On 16 September 2020, Queen Máxima opened the new Theatre Zuidplein. The venue contains a brand new branch of Bibliotheek Rotterdam (Rotterdam Public Library). Offering a wide range of books, education, information, theatre and culture, Theatre Zuidplein is a place of inspiration and connection: the new cultural heart of the Rotterdam Zuid district. Read more → Where to Stay in Rotterdam A variety of accommodation options - including rates, location and accessibility information - are now available on the conference website. Read more → Visa Requirements Do you need a visa to enter The Netherlands? Get your paperwork in order ahead of time using the links below! Visa Requirements → Letter of Invitation → Call for volunteers We are looking for volunteers who have the time, dedication and enthusiasm to assist us to deliver a successful WLIC Congress in Rotterdam! As a volunteer, you get free registration, and more importantly, you have an amazing opportunity to meet and network with fellow librarians from all over the world. Applications close on 28 February, 2023. Read more → Exhibition and sponsorship opportunities Are you interested in exhibiting at WLIC 2023 or becoming a sponsor? Get in touch ✉️ Follow the WLIC social media accounts below to ensure you don't miss any updates! UPCOMING EVENTS 26 January From ISBD to ISBDM: A bibliographic standard in transformation IFLA ISBD Review Group 26 January Digital inclusion in Sub Saharan Africa: The role of libraries IFLA Regional Division Committee for Sub-Saharan Africa 9 February IFLA C&YA Sister Libraries Event IFLA Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section 13 February Flexible Copyright Exceptions: The Next Step for Europe? Knowledge Rights 21 14 February Managing Innovation: No Innovator Is an Island IFLA Management and Marketing Section (M&M) 16 February Tools for Evidence-Based Storytelling IFLA Management and Marketing Section (M&M) 18 February Key Performance Indicators in Evaluation and Assessment of Library and Information Services IFLA Statistics and Evaluation Section Library Map of the World When it comes to innovation, the key Sustainable Development Goal is SDG9, which covers both innovation and infrastructure. Not only are these two interlinked – innovation relies strongly on having the right infrastructure in place, in particular for internet connectivity – but they are also both areas where libraries make a big difference! In particular, libraries provides access to high-speed Internet, skills development, and guidance. In many countries, public and educational libraries are the major or only providers of public Internet access at low or no cost, enabling learning, research, and innovation for all. Check our SDG stories to see how libraries drive innovation and new skills development thus contributing to the improvement of lives of people who are unable to make use of the Internet due to cost, coverage, and other reasons. Read how the Mobile Library Programme in India increases rural students' engagement by providing access to technology and learning resources Explore how the Helsingborg Public Library's Digital Centre helps to close the digital gap for elderly citizens in Sweden NEW MEMBERS IFLA warmly welcomes the following new members: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Library – Thailand National Book Chamber of Republic of Moldova – Republic of Moldova Princeton University Library – United States of America San Diego State University Library – United States of America The University of Alabama Libraries – United States of America We look forward to their engagement and involvement. SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT Want to get featured here? Don't forget to use the #WeAreIFLA hashtag! Update your preferences / Unsubscribe