Vol. 3, No. 6: The Environment and Climate Issue🌳

Welcome to the June IFLA Newsletter, focused on Environment and Climate!

June 2023  —  Vol. 3, No. 6 View in your browser → THE ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE ISSUE I'm very happy, for the first time as IFLA Secretary General, to welcome you to our newsletter. As our members and anyone on our mailing list will know, we're in the middle of tough discussions about our Congress next year – discussions that will have an impact on the future of our Federation. But this should not stop us celebrating the great work taking place right now. Over my first weeks, I have been consistently impressed at the commitment, diligence and thoughtfulness of everyone I have had the chance to work with so far, among our Governing Board, volunteer community, and Headquarters team. My goal as Secretary General is to ensure that the dedication and ability of librarians and libraries is understood by everyone. We need leaders and decision-makers in every area and every part of the world to see why libraries matter, and why it is in their interest to work with us. A great example of this is the growing recognition of the role of libraries in environment and climate action, the theme of this month's newsletter. Clearly, this is a fundamental issue for all of us, and the communities we serve. But we do not just need to be victims. Rather, libraries do have a clear and concrete role to play in helping to reduce temperature rises, cope with the change that is already happening, and mobilise populations. I hope therefore that the examples of support for climate action shared in this newsletter will not just inspire further commitment within our field, but be heard outside. The other big theme of our newsletter this month is of course our upcoming World Library and Information Congress in Rotterdam. Thanks to the work of our volunteers and the Dutch National Committee, we have a really exciting programme planned, full of innovation and insight. You can also catch up on the latest work of our professional and regional units, as well as our work around advocacy. We also welcome new members and look ahead to upcoming events or your diary. Sharon Memis IFLA Secretary General Read the full editorial → IFLA'S WORK ON ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE Caring for our planet, facing the challenges of the climate crisis, and protecting the earth's precious biodiversity requires action at all levels. While governments, cities, regions, and industry must lead on reducing emissions and limiting the rise of global average temperatures, the total economic and social transformation required to achieve climate goals must include everyone. Library and information professionals can help their communities of users to engage with climate action. They raise awareness of the issues, combat misinformation through the provision of evidence-based information and climate data, support research and monitoring efforts, and contribute to adaptation and resilience-building that include all members of society. Read more → WLIC 2023 UPDATE Grants for Virtual participation + Early bird extended Early bird rate for virtual registrations has been extended to 17 July! On top of that, we're happy to share that the Margreet Wijnstroom Grant and the IFLA WLIC Virtual Participation Grant are now available! Make sure to check the eligibility criteria of each grant and apply for the one that fits you best. Submit your application by 17 July! Apply now → IFLAcamp in the heart of Rotterdam! IFLA's New Professionals Special Interest Group and Goethe-Institut in Rotterdam will be holding the famous, one and only IFLAcamp #9 from 18 – 19 August 2023! IFLA camp is a free two-day unconference where you get to meet librarians from all over the world, learn, share and explore a variety of hot topics, amazing projects and unique campaigns. Everybody is welcome, no matter if you are a new or an experienced professional. Let's meet, learn and have fun! Register now → 189 posters and counting Ready for the sensational posters exhibition in Rotterdam? Over 190 posters will be presented during the poster sessions, covering everything from libraries in XR and VR, mental health bridges, SDG corners, joys of archival collections, sustainability, superpowers, printing heritage, data whizzes, bridging literacy gaps, hidden knowledge, medieval manuscripts and so much more! Visit the Posters area on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 August from 12:00 to 14:00 to connect with like-minded individuals, share stories, and expand your network! Read more → People of WLIC: Story of the two early career librarians "The night before the official opening of WLIC 2022, Veronica and I met in a hostel dorm room. Veronica overheard me mentioning that I'm a librarian and asked if I was in Dublin for the IFLA conference. "Me too," she said, and we quickly became friends. Since meeting at WLIC 2022, we have been supporting each other in our early careers by assisting in job searches, resume creation, and sharing stories and interview tips." Read on to see how the volunteering experience has changed lives for Veronica and Niamh! Read more → Have you registered for the Library Visits? Den Helder? Alkmaar? Or Apeldoorn, Amersfoort, Limburg, Zutphen, Assen? WLIC 2023 offers the opportunity to soak up plenty of inspiration in some of the most wonderful libraries in the Netherlands and Belgium! Have a closer look at some of the libraries and register before the visits are fully booked! Read more → Best practices from the Dutch library field Cultural programmes at the library, such as 'Hip hop in your Library', help youngsters discover their talents. They learn how to build a social network, their self-confidence gets a boost, and their mental health improves. Read on to discover best practices in the Dutch library field and register for the conference to learn more! Read more → Erasmus heritage collection added to UNESCO Memory of the World Register The Erasmus heritage collection has recently been added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. The collection is the largest Erasmus collection in the world and includes more than 3,000 old books by and about Desiderius Erasmus produced before 1900. These include rare copies and unique documents, such as Erasmus' handwritten letters, dozens of first editions and many illustrated editions of the 'Praise of Folly'. Read more → 👉 Follow the WLIC social media accounts below to ensure you don't miss any updates! IN THE FIELD IFLA's Governing Board met in person in The Hague this month – more below on this! - but our President and President-elect have also been active in engaging with our Members! IFLA President Barbara Lison met with IFLA volunteers at BiblioCon in Hannover, Germany, as well as speaking online at the Iranian conference of Information Society Specialists and at ALA Annual 2023. Meanwhile, IFLA President-elect Vicki McDonald gave the final keynote at the Australian Library and Information Association's Information Online conference, as well as joining Swedish IFLA volunteers online at their conference. GOVERNING BOARD IFLA's Governing Board met in The Hague from 7 to 9 June. This was a valuable opportunity to take stock of progress in delivering on the plan for securing IFLA's future, take key decisions for the coming months, and officially to welcome our new Secretary General, Sharon Memis. The in-person meetings provided a great chance to explore issues in depth, to examine different perspectives, and to come to formal conclusions. Read more → POLICY AND ADVOCACY Empowering libraries to lead in developing collections: President's statement on censorship In the light of regular reports of limitations on libraries' ability freely to build and maintain collections to respond to the needs of communities, IFLA President Barbara Lison has made the following statement. Read more → IFLA joins the Action for Climate Empowerment Dialogues: Bringing library voices to the ACE space for the first time Held annually in Bonn, Germany on the occasion of the UN Bonn Climate Change Conference, the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Dialogues brings together many voices from national governments and civil society. Read more → IFLA joins UNESCO Greening Education Partnership, stresses role of libraries within schools and communities Following the UN's Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, the UNESCO Section for Education for Sustainable Development has launched a global, multistakeholder partnership to coordinate efforts to get every learner climate ready. Read more → No time to waste: Culture2030Goal campaign calls for inclusion of culture in SDG Summit Declaration The Culture2030Goal campaign, of which IFLA is a founding member, has called on governments to correct the mistakes of 2015, and make sure that the Declaration emerging from a key UN event in September recognises the role of culture in accelerating sustainable development. Read more → IFLA takes a leading role at the 4th Civil Society Forum on the 2005 Convention On 5 June, civil society organisations came together online and in person at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, for the fourth edition of the Civil Society Forum of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of a Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005 Convention). Read more → PROFESSIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT IFLA Environment, Sustainability and Libraries (ENSULIB) Green Library Award 2023 IFLA WLIC in Rotterdam is already in sight and Sections are busy with arrangements. It's a good time to catch up on some Section's sustainability events. Read more about the ENSULIB Green Library Award, which will be announced at WLIC in Rotterdam. Read more → Climate empowerment and the role of evidence In October 2021, the World Health Organization declared climate change "the single biggest health threat facing humanity", recognising that "health professionals worldwide are already responding to the health harms caused by this unfolding crisis." Read more about the work of the IFLA Evidence for Global and Disaster Health (E4GDH) Special Interest Group, and their plans to come up with practical ideas on what more can be done through their work, communities of practice, and professional organisations. Read more → Information privilege and representation in data Library workers today have been tasked to be more informed and involved in data research, data access, and data analysis. Library workers from diaspora communities may be assigned to identify, build, and support data sets on such diaspora communities. However, data is not neutral. There is also a lack of data focusing on and representing diaspora communities authentically. How do we recognize and empower library workers to think about data, representation, and privilege in their work? Lan Gao, Chair of IFLA Library Services to Multicultural Populations Section, interviews Dr. Raymond Pun on the topic of information privilege and representation in data. Dr. Raymond Pun IFLA CPDWL Section Read more → Out Now: June 2023 issue of IFLA Journal Opening with an essay on Dutch libraries that highlights the library community in The Netherlands for IFLA WLIC 2023 in Rotterdam, the June 2023 issue of IFLA Journal features 16 articles that address several timely issues for the profession. Read more → LIBRARY MAP OF THE WORLD Check out our SDG stories to see how libraries are promoting awareness of climate change, environmental literacy and sustainable future! 👉Read how the University College Cork Library's campaign improved sustainability and decreased resource consumption 👉Learn about the Costa Rican Association of Librarians, COPROBI's social responsibility programme focusing on environmental improvement 👉Explore a story from Colombia to learn how school librarians and science teachers collaborate to improve children's environmental literacy REGIONAL FOCUS Recording available! Stories from regional IFLA volunteers in LAC: Why engagement matters IFLA's Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Regional Office and LAC Regional Division organised a Spanish-language webinar "Stories from regional IFLA volunteers in LAC: why engagement matters" in April this year. Watch the recording → Now Available: IFLA Asia and Oceania June 2023 Newsletter Read the latest news from IFLA Asia and Oceania Region about projects, events, data, a new library opening and much more! Download now → UPCOMING EVENTS 29 June Tecnologías emergentes e inteligencia artificial en bibliotecas académicas: casos de éxito en servicios a usuarios IFLA ARL In Spanish with AI translation - virtual 29 June Sustainability in Libraries: Buildings, Operations and Partnerships IFLA ENSULIB - virtual 11 - 19 July High-Level Political Forum 2023 United Nations, New York 11 July Sustainable Development Goals and Library Associations: Europe IFLA ERDC, MLAS, NPSIG, ENSULIB - virtual NEW MEMBERS IFLA warmly welcomes the following new members: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Brandeis University – United States of America City of Stirling Libraries – Australia Greater Victoria Public Library – Canada Library Association of Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – Greece National Archives & Library Ethiopia (NALA) – Ethiopia National Library of Moroccan Kingdom – Morocco Ottawa Public Library / Bibliothèque Publique d'Ottawa – Canada Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI), Headquarters – Philippines RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History – Netherlands Universitetsbiblioteket i Oslo / University of Oslo Library – Norway University of Pennsylvania Libraries – United States of America We look forward to your engagement and involvement! SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT Want to get featured here? Don't forget to use the #IFLA hashtag! Not yet subscribed? Sign up 📩 to the IFLA Newsletter here → Update your preferences / Unsubscribe