68th IFLA General Conference and Council

Libraries for Life: Democracy, Diversity, Delivery

August 18^th - 24^th 2002, Glasgow, Scotland

Council Resolutions

Minutes of the Council meeting

Council Resolutions

Council I:

Glasgow Declaration:

Adopted unanimously without dissent or abstention.
Full text:
• English | French | German | Russian | Spanish |

Proposal for membership fees for International Association Members:

Adopted unanimously without dissent or abstention.
It is proposed that Council set the annual IFLA membership fees for International Association Members, with effect from 1st January 2003 at EUR 450
It is further proposed that Council set the fees for International Association Members, whose own membership consists of associations with a majority of members residing in developing countries, at EUR 340
It is further proposed that Council set the fees for International Association Members, whose own membership consists of a majority of members residing in countries designated 'Least Developed' by the United Nations, at EUR 205.

Proposal to give limited powers to the Governing Board to increase membership fees:

Adopted. 544 votes were recorded in favour of the resolution, with 172 against and 22 abstentions.
It is proposed that Council give the power to the Governing Board to increase the IFLA membership fees in all categories by a figure no greater than one percent less than the official retail price inflation, as recorded by the Netherlands government, over the previous twelve months.
It is further proposed that Council itself must approve the IFLA membership rates for all categories at intervals of no more than three years.

Council II:

The Internet Manifesto:

Adopted unanimously without dissent or abstentions.

"Whereas a freely accessible Internet is essential to unrestricted access to information be it resolved that this IFLA Council meeting in Glasgow on Friday 23 August 2002, endorses the IFLA Internet Manifesto."

Full text in different languages at: http://archive.ifla.org/III/misc/internetmanif.htm

Disaster Plans:

Adopted with no dissent and 10 abstentions.

"Be it resolved that, considering the many risks that threaten the cultural heritage, all libraries responsible for collections of national significance should set up, test, implement and regularly up-date a disaster plan."

Follow-up of the work of the Social Responsibilities Discussion Group:

Adopted without dissent and 31 abstentions.

"The IFLA Social Responsibilities Discussion Group, after three years of work, urges IFLA's governing Board to ensure that its recommendations for actions to IFLA's bodies be considered for implementation during their next planning cycle. It asks the Governing Board to pass on the recommendations to the appropriate IFLA bodies by the Secreariat staff. The organisers will provide support and advice."

Recommendations from the IFLA Social Responsibilities Discussion Group

Rural Library Development
1. IFLA should develop a research program on rural library development in coordination with national library agencies. The focus should be on empowerment of local authorities to process information required by the community in comprehensible formats for diverse rural populations.
Literacy in Libraries
2. IFLA should urge library and information schools to promote adult basic education skills as a component of their curriculums.
3. IFLA should promote literacy training as a basic library service as advocated in the Unesco Public Library Manifesto.
Fees for Library Services
4. IFLA should take a strong position against fees for basic services broadly construed as advocated in the Unesco Public Library Manifesto.
5. IFLA should work with commercial information providers to establish a standard price structure for publicly supported libraries based on ability to pay.
Human Resource Development
6. IFLA should encourage library and information science schools to adopt a socially responsible orientation, including the promotion of a strong service ethic towards all population groups.
7. IFLA should research the education and training needs of Southern countries in conjunction with relevant agencies in order to facilitate the development of appropriate information curricula.
Electronic Information Gap
8. IFLA should promote the development of and assist in formatting local content for electronic resources.
9. IFLA should work with appropriate national and international bodies to promote policies and develop programs that equalize access to the Internet.
Library Cooperation
10. IFLA should promote greater resource sharing between the information rich and the information poor, including links to the information superhighway for equitable, adequate and reliable communications for all.
The Profession, Library Associations, and IFLA Structure
11. IFLA should advocate and develop strategies for the use of library associations to develop policies conducive to the development of information infrastructures for equitable, adequate and reliable communications for all.
12. IFLA should monitor and report on how various library associations are addressing information gap issues with a view to stimulating further work and activities.
13. IFLA should continue to work toward putting the concerns of Third World librarianship at the center of its program and activities.

Revised August 18, 2002

Minutes of the Council meeting

Held in the Clyde Auditorium, Scottish Exhibition and conference Centre, Glasgow, UK, on 18th August 2002

1. The President of IFLA, Christine Deschamps, presided.
2. Opening
   The President opened the meeting at 16:00 by welcoming delegates to Glasgow and wished everyone a very successful conference.
3. Minutes
   The minutes of the previous meeting of Council, held on 19th and 24th August 2002 in the Ballroom A/B, the Hynes Conference Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, were approved and signed by the President.
4. Welcome
   Ian McGowan, Co-chair of the Glasgow Organising Committee, welcomed delegates to the 68th General Conference of IFLA and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the decision taken at Edinburgh in 1927 to found IFLA.
5. Appointment of tellers
   The Secretary General explained the procedures required for voting on general resolutions. He proposed the following persons to act as tellers to count the votes: Rashidah Begum (Malaysia), John Day (USA), Wanda Dole (USA), Susan Lazinger (Israel) and Patricia Yocum (USA). He also proposed that John Day act as Head Teller. The meeting approved the appointment of the tellers.
6. Establishment of a Quorum
   At the beginning of the meeting, 101 National Association Members had paid their membership fees for 2002 and were not in arrears. According to the Statutes, representatives of at least 52 National Association Members were therefore required for a quorum. The tellers counted 69 such representatives. The President announced that a quorum had been established.
7. Presentation of the Annual Report by the Secretary General
   Ross Shimmon presented his report. He paid tribute to those who enabled the Federation to operate successfully, including the generosity of IFLA's host institutions, the contribution of the Corporate Partners, the conference organisers, the staff at headquarters, in the core activities and in the regional offices and, particularly the voluntary effort of hundreds of board and committee members on the Governing board, its committees and on the committees of all the professional units. He referred to the enormous success of IFLANET and the smooth transfer to its new host INIST, in France. The future funding and direction of the core activities continued to give cause for concern. In particular the recent announcement of the withdrawal of the funding provided by the Danish government's development agency, Danida, would curtail the activities of both ALP and FAIFE. Meanwhile it would be necessary to find a new host for the International lending Voucher Scheme as UAP ran down. The National Library of Portugal had offered to take over the maintenance of UNIMARC, while discussions continued with Die Deutsche Bibliotheek on the future of the work on bibliographic standards. The publications programme on the other hand was flourishing. The one hundredth title in to IFLA/KGSaur series was being launched at the conference. Membership continued to be buoyant at 1799 from 155 countries. He paid tribute to the support of the President, the Treasurer and the headquarters staff during his forced absence resulting from his operation earlier in the year. He reflected on the aftermath of the terrorist attacks which took place in the USA so soon after last year's highly successful conference in Boston. He expressed belief in the ability of members to uphold IFLA's core values in support of cultural diversity and freedom of access to information. He believed that IFLA was in good shape and good heart, as it prepared to celebrate its 75 anniversary in the country of its birth.
   During his report The President presented IFLA scrolls to Maurice Line, the first Director of UAP, and Graham Cornish, retiring Director of UAP, in recognition of their contributions to the work of the Federation.
   The Secretary General's report was approved.
8. Presentation of the Treasurer's report
   Derek Law presented his report. Total income had risen to EUR 998,000 in 2001, compared with EUR 847,000 on 2000. There had been healthy increases in membership income and the share of the conference income, resulting from the successful Boston conference. However income from sales and royalties had decreased by EUR 26,000. Expenditure had also increased from EUR 835,000 to EUR 917,000. Part of that was due to increased staffing costs because one extra staff member had been employed during the year, consequent on increased responsibilities for managing IFLANET. But he was pleased to report a modest increase in spending on the professional programmes from EUR 96,000 to EUR 109,000. It was the strategic aim of the Governing board to devote more resources to professional programmes. He was also pleased to report that a healthy surplus on the accounts of EUR 86,000, which had been transferred to the general reserve in accordance with established practice. He said that it was the Governing board's policy to build the reserves to equal one year's running costs, in accordance with good practice. They now stood at EUR 495,000.
   The Treasurer's report was approved.
9. In Memoriam
   The President read out the names of IFLA members who had died since the last meeting of Council: Barry Bloomfield, Liudmilla Levykina, Elizabeth Stone and Turid Tharaldsen. Council stood in silence in their memory.
10. The Glasgow Declaration
    Alex Byrne, Chair of the IFLA Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Information (FAIFE) Committee, proposed to Council that it adopt the following 'Glasgow Declaration' drafted by the Committee and approved by the Governing Board.
    Full text: English | French | German | Russian | Spanish |
    Council adopted the Declaration by acclamation, without dissent or abstention.
    
11. International Members' Fees
    The Treasurer proposed the following resolution:
    "It is proposed that Council set the annual IFLA membership fees for International Association Members, with effect from 1st January 2003 at EUR 450. It is further proposed that Council set the fees for International Association Members, whose own membership consists of associations with a majority of members residing in developing countries, at EUR 340. It is further proposed that Council set the fees for International Association Members, whose own membership consists of a majority of members residing in countries designated 'Least Developed' by the United Nations, at EUR 205."
    Council adopted the resolution without dissent or abstention.
12. Limited Powers for the Governing Board to Increase Membership Fees
    The Treasurer proposed the following resolution:
    "It is proposed that Council give the power to the Governing Board to increase the IFLA membership fees in all categories by a figure no greater than one percent less than the official retail price inflation, as recorded by the Netherlands government, over the previous twelve months."
    After debate, the resolution was put to the vote. 544 votes were cast in favour of the motion, with 172 against and 22 abstentions. The resolution was adopted.
13. Adjournment
    The President adjourned the meeting at 17:40 until Friday 23rd August at 16:00 in the same location.
14. Opening of the second session
    The President opened the second session of Council at 16:00 on 23rd August 2002.
    
15. The IFLA Internet Manifesto
    Alex Byrne, Chair of the FAIFE Committee proposed that Council adopt the following IFLA Internet Manifesto prepared by the FAIFE Committee and approved by the Governing Board. Full text in different languages at: http://archive.ifla.org/III/misc/internetmanif.htm
    The manifesto was adopted without dissent and no abstentions.
16. Disaster Plans
    Marie-Thérèse Varlamoff, Director of the IFLA Preservation and conservation Core Activity (PAC) proposed the following resolution:
    "Be it resolved that, considering the many risks that threaten the cultural heritage, all libraries responsible for collections of national significance should set up, test, implement and regularly up-date a disaster plan." Council adopted the resolution, with no votes against and ten abstentions.
17. Follow-up of the Work of the Social Responsibilities Discussion Group
    Al Kagan, Chair of the IFLA Social Responsibilities Discussion Group, proposed the following resolution submitted by the IFLA Education and Research Section:
    "The IFLA Social responsibilities Discussion Group, after three years of work, urges IFLA's Governing Board to ensure that its recommendations for actions to IFLA's bodies be considered for implementation during their next planning cycle. It asks the Governing board to pass on the recommendations to the appropriate IFLA bodies by the Secretariat staff. The organizers of the Social Responsibilities Discussion Group will provide support and advice."
    Council adopted the resolution, with no votes against and 31 abstentions.