Vol. 3, No. 4: Open Access and Culture

April 2023 — Vol. 3, No. 4
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THE OPEN ACCESS AND CULTURE ISSUE

Welcome to the April 2023 edition of the IFLA Newsletter!

Libraries give access to and facilitate use of information. Libraries of all types carry out preservation initiatives, build knowledge platforms, and develop programmes and services for the benefit of their users.

Yet the ability to undertake these activities is not entirely in the hands of libraries, nor librarians. A key factor in determining what they can and cannot do is copyright law.

When copyright law works well, its legal framework enables libraries and supports the vital and unique contribution these institutions and the profession make.

Read the full editorial →

IFLA'S UPDATED STATEMENT ON OPEN ACCESS – A PATHWAY FORWARD

A little less than a year ago IFLA's Governing Board issued an updated statement on Open Access: "10 years of the IFLA Open Access statement: a call to action".

There is the obvious need to accelerate the spread of OA, so that no research is needlessly held behind paywalls. There is also growing awareness of how vital it is to focus on inclusion. We are seeing more and more that some models risk replicating divisions in the world, replacing barriers to access with barriers to publishing.

a group of people posing for a picture at a conference

IFLA President Barbara Lison joined with colleagues, including Seema Rampersad, President of the Special Libraries Association (far left), at the I-LIPS conference, held at the University of Galgotias in Greater Noida, India. She spoke about IFLA, and its work on advocacy and the SDGs, as well as engaging with the Indian library field in order to help ensure that librarians across India benefit from being part of a global field. She also travelled to Dhaka, Bangladesh, joining an event on the importance of advocacy and networking hosted by East-West University.

Barbara also participated in the Conference of the Hungarian Library Association, speaking to delegates, including many students, and visiting the National Library and Budapest Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library. Finally, she participated in the 225th anniversary celebrations of the National Library of Luxembourg, in a panel talking about National Libraries in the Age of Globalisation.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

WIPO building and a city street with flowering trees

WIPO Copyright Limitations & Exceptions work programme approved

Following an eventful week of discussions, the 43rd meeting of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR/43) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ended with several advances important for libraries. IFLA was proud to join partner organisations in attending as an observing organisation.

Advocacy matters: 2023 Regional Advocacy Priorities survey open

We are very happy to open the 2023 edition of the IFLA Regional Advocacy Priorities Survey, following on from the 1st edition in 2021. The survey asks associations, institutions and individuals around the world to share their priorities and needs when it comes to library advocacy. Deadline: 25 May 2023.

Meaningful access means libraries: IFLA at the World Summit on the Information Society Forum

While we have seen major progress in extending connectivity, are we doing so well in ensuring that everyone has the skills, confidence and access to content necessary to realise the potential of the internet to drive development? Not yet, but libraries can help.

a group of people sitting on a podium at a conference

IFLA at the QNL Libraries Lead Forum: GLAMs and Cultural Diplomacy

Qatar National Library held its second annual Libraries Lead Forum from 19-20 March 2023 in Doha, Qatar. This year's forum explored how galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM institutions) carry out cultural diplomacy.

Door sign "Open". Photo by James Sutton on Unsplash

Open should mean open

Open access (OA) is both old and new. The oldest online scholarly journal published continually via open access dates to 1990; the first book on the desirability and feasibility of open access dates to 1995; the Budapest OA Initiative dates to 2002.

Complete success in the goal of universal open access of scientific and scholarly information has been elusive, but the time seems to have come for a dramatic upswing in the percentage of such content that is available on open terms. Read more about the IFLA Academic and Research Library Section's long-range view.

IFLA SCITECH + OA

IFLA's Science and Technology Libraries (SCITECH) Section has hosted a number of programmes over the years that explored and addressed open access.

Programmes ranging from Open Practices (2022), Library as Driver for Open Access (2018), Open Data (2016), and Open Access Across Scientific Disciplines (2009), among others. Read more about the background of Open Access (OA) and how it is in line with SCITECH's 2023 World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) programme.

Actions of Serials & Other Continuing Resources Standing Committee (SCORE) to collaborate on Open Access Call at IFLA

At a global level the Open Access movement is currently in state of transition as it seeks to maximise the openness of data, research outputs and information financed with public funds; for this, various actors are required to develop and implement collaborative strategies.

IFLA's recently released "10 years of the IFLA open access statement: a call to action" identifies new essential areas for that action; one of them is to lead by example through collaboration with various actors in the world of Open Access.

Read on to discover SCORE's OA vocabulary work with the IFLA Open Access Working Party.

Evolving acquisition and collection development

This year, the Acquisition and Collection Development (ACD) Section continues its work to support acquisitions and collection development processes for libraries across the globe.

Following last year's focus on incorporating open access content into library collections, we shift our attention to the Open Educational Resources (OER) collection development practices. Read more about ACD's OER focus at WLIC 2023.

a man and two women sitting at a table with a laptop

IFLA's Middle East and North Africa Regional Division Committee at the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development 2023

The Middle East and North Africa leg of the United Nations' round of regional sustainable development fora, in preparation for the High Level Political Forum in July, took place last month in Beirut, Lebanon. We are grateful to Dr Imad Bachir, IFLA's representative, for this report.

a woman standing in front of a wall with logos

Providing a response to the evidence gap: libraries at the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

Gaps were at the heart of the discussion at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development in Bangkok, Thailand.

These exist both in between the situation today and the goals the United Nations has set for 2030, but also in the data and evidence we have to support progress. IFLA's representative at the event – Fathimath Nashfa of the Maldives – was able to highlight how libraries can contribute to both.

Crisis recovery and development delivery: IFLA at the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for Europe

IFLA participated actively in last week's European Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, drawing on the rich experience of Polish libraries in particular in both supporting the response to crises, and in promoting inclusive development.

a person holding a tablet with icons hovering over the tablet

Can't travel to Rotterdam this year? Join WLIC online!

After our first full virtual conference in 2021 and an in-person comeback in 2022, we are now bringing you a strong hybrid participation experience!

Watch exclusive sessions online tailored to different time zones, visit ePosters to vote for the People's choice award, or join Braindate meetings to connect with others who share your passion.

That's not all! We've got dynamic real-time interaction, simultaneous interpretation in all IFLA languages, virtual meetings in your region, and much more.

Registration is now open!

Read on and register →

Over 20 Calls for Papers are out

With hot topics covering AI, the metaverse, sustainability, news in times of conflict, citizen science, archiving LGBTQ+ lives and communities, national bibliographies, data ethics, and many more, the 2023 IFLA Congress brings a diverse set of opportunities for all to share their stories and discoveries.

We encourage you to check the Calls for Papers for Open Sessions and start preparing your proposal!

Deadlines and requirements vary, please check each of the calls for more details.

Delft library with tables and chairs and a staircase

Explore the amazing libraries of Netherlands and Belgium!

On Friday 25 August, we'll be off to visit some of the most fascinating libraries in the Netherlands and Belgium.

You can check out The Hague's famous Peace Palace Library, one of the ultramodern libraries in the northern provinces of Friesland and Groningen, or hop on a bus to Belgium to see the stunning collection of medieval manuscripts at the University of Leuven.