Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Section
Strategic Plan
2006-2007
Mission
To promote development, upgrading and improved performance of Latin American and Caribbean information professionals, in order to strengthen the Library associations, and library and information services, enabling them to respond to the needs emerging out of the social dynamics of the countries in the region, with emphasis on the processes of develop literacy, promotion of reading and improve the cultural life in the Information Society .
Objectives
To encourage processes related to information access and knowledge, the development of Library associations, and library and information services with top priority on literacy, the promotion of reading and the application of Information and Communication technologies in the countries of the region to improve the cultural life.
To achieve this general objective, the Section will define strategic Actions on the basis of exchange and concentration of efforts and resources with other IFLA Programmes, Divisions , Sections and Professional Groups, especially with Division VIII and the ALP Programme. Thus, the Section will be directed towards the establishment of effective links and the outline of joint projects with IFLA Programmes being sensitive to the problems of the region and that wish to plan and carry on relevant activities in a co-operative manner with Latin-American and Caribbean institutions and Library associations. Equally, it will seek for the support of regional and international agencies.
Goals
1. To stimulate the development of library and information services in promoting reading and literacy
Professional Priorities:
- Supporting the role of libraries in society
- Defending the principle of freedom and information
- Promoting literacy and reading
- Providing unrestricted access to information.
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Society Pillar
- Profession Pillar
Actions
1.1 Books loan points in Markets and street fairs of South Cone (Bolivia, Equador, Brazil and Argentina/Project ALP 364, Chile - coordinator);
1.2 To organize and carry out plans for the promotion of reading in minorities groups:
1.2.1 Quechuas Rural Libraries network: pilot project to information services acess (Project ALP 363, Ayaviri- Puno - Peru);
1.3 To disseminate in the Region the new standards of the document: "Public Libraries Service: IFLA/UNESCO guidelines for development" and translate it into Portuguese and French;
1.4 To disseminate in the Region the new standards of the document: "School Libraries Service: IFLA/UNESCO guidelines for development" and translate it into Portuguese, Spanish and French;
1.5 To organize and conduct a Central America Seminar on IFLA/UNESCO Manifestos and Guidelines for School and Public Libraries;
1.6 To develop Programs to Promote Reading in Central America countries, like the one in Medellin, Colombia ;
1.7 To involve young people in the project development (Project 373 "Knowledge core for citizens (BCCC) - training for young people" - Brazil);
1.8 "The reading-promoter librarian handbag" (Project 375 -CERLALC Colombia);
1.9 To involve the local and Regional Governments in the role of the libraries in the WSIS.
2. To encourage and support the introduction and planning of ICT as a means of improving information access and general public knowledge, in coordination with the IFLA Sections.
Professional Priorities:
- Providing unrestricted access to information
- Representing libraries in the technological marketplace.
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Society Pillar
- Profession Pillar
- Members Pillar
Actions
2.1 To publicize a guideline and one multimedia kit to disseminate the libraries services to the LAC Region Communities (Colombia , to be submitted to PB for funds to 2005).
3. To promote the formation and upgrading of professionals and para-professionals.
Professional Priorities:
- Developing library professionals
- Provide unrestricted access to information
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Society Pillar
- Profession Pillar
Actions
3.1 To continue conducting apprenticeship programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean;
3.2 Training for Paraprofessional through Distance Education in the Caribbean countries: CARIBAL EDIST (Agreement: IFLA/LAC, ACURIL and Porto Rico University, since 2003);
3.3 Training for Paraprofessional through Distance Education in the LAC countries;
3.4 To publicize widely IFLA's General Conference 2006 and 2007, to be held in Seoul/Korea and Durban/South Africa and to promote the active participation of the representatives from the different countries in its professional activities;
3.5 To produce an interactive teaching unit in compact disk for cataloguing sharing to the other Central America countries (Project ALP 351, Costa Rica , In Progress);
3.6 Programme for the Training of Library personnel for serving Indigenous Communities in the Latin American Region (Project ALP 365, Mexico/Unam);
3.7 SIC Model: citizenship information services to indigenous peoples workers (Peru, Bolivia);
3.8 To support the Spanish, Portuguese and French translation of works published by IFLA to disseminate them in the Region.
4. To carry out Actions geared towards the organization and the head of the professional associations.
Professional Priorities:
- Supporting the infrastructure of library associations
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Members Pillar
Actions
4.1 LAC Libraries Association Seminar (Project 371 "Seminar on Library Associations of Latin America and the Caribbean" (Argentina-2006);
4.2 Latin American and Caribbean Libraries Associations Directory (RO/IFLA LAC) ;
4.3 To disseminate the Guidelines of Management of Library Associations Section .
5. To promote the standardization of the region's library activities.
Professional Priorities:
- Promoting standards, guidelines and best practice
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Profession Pillar
Actions
5.1 To support the identification and circulation of bibliographies on norms used in the region. Issue survey of the standards most used in the region. (Mexico, Unam);
6. To formulate and carry out IFLA promotional programmes in order to attract new members.
Professional Priorities:
- Developing library professionals.
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Members Pillar
Actions
6.1 To disseminate IFLA's and LAC Section promotional materials, by traditional and electronic media;
6.2 Publication of the "Newsletter of IFLA LAC Section" jun. and dec. 2006, jun. and dec. 2007);
6.3 To up date printed and audio-visual materials for the promotion and circulation of the Regional Section's activities;
6.4 To increase contacts with relevant regional Institutions and Association, as well participate in local events, in order to promote IFLA and involve them to affiliate to IFLA.
7. To reclaim and circulate the intellectual production on librarianship and information sciences in the region.
Professional Priorities:
- Preserving our cultural heritage
- Developing library professionals
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Profession Pillar
Actions
7.1 To promote the INFOBILA services and their use in the region, and to look for other complementary data bases already in use in the region(Mexico, CUIB/Unam);
7.2 Increase the INFOBILA to including the Digital Libraries of the Region (Mexico, CUIB/Unam).
8. To co-ordinate Actions for the preservation and conservation with the PAC Regional Centre which has its headquarters in Venezuela.
Professional Priorities:
- Preserving our cultural heritege
- Developing library professionals.
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Society Pillar
- Profession Pillar
Actions
8.1 To disseminate programmes and activities of PAC's Regional Centre in the Section's Newsletter;
8.2 To share activities with the Regional Centers of PAC in Venezuela Brazil, Chile and Trinidad &Tobago jointly with PAC Programme.
9. To advocate for moral rights, intellectual property and copyright
Professional Priorities:
- Defending the principle of freedom and information
- Providing unrestricted access to information
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Society Pillar
- Profession Pillar
Actions
9.1 "Education for librarians on copyright" (Project 374 - CERLALC/ Colombia)
10. To generate inter-regional projects
Professional Priorities:
- Developing library professionals
IFLA Three Pillars:
- Profession Pillar
- Members Pillar
Actions
10.1 5th International Meeting of Portuguese Speaking Librarians in conjunction with the Africa and Asia /Oceania Sections (FEBAB/BAD (Brazilian and Portugal Library Associations), African lusophonus countries Library Associations and East Timor Library Association).
