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64th IFLA General Conference
August 16 - August 21, 1998
Code Number: 101-87-E
Division Number: III.
Professional Group: Division of Libraries Serving the General Public Open Forum
Joint Meeting with: -
Meeting Number: 87.
Simultaneous Interpretation: Yes
The Division of Libraries Serving the General Public -
A Survey
Ilona Glashoff
Chair of Division III.
Paper
The Division is a forum for the IFLA Sections and Round Tables comprising libraries serving the general public as well as (special) library services directed to specific groups of the general public, such as children, linguistic minorites, people with disabilities, people in hospitals or prisons.
The Division promotes the improvement of library services and information to all people, and coordinates the activities of its Sections, Round Tables and Working Groups. In recent years the Sections and Round Tables have worked cross-divisional and are cooperating in arranging joint meetings during the annual conferences.
The Division continues to be concerned that IFLA promotes literacy and reading promotion through libraries. This basic idea of libraries playing a more important role in combatting illiteracy throughout the world is supported both by IFLA Professional and Executive Board.
The Division has also, together with the Section of Public Libraries, contributed to the revision and promotion of the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto.
The Division consists of nine Sections and Round Tables. This paper gives a survey of the scopes, goals and projects of the different bodies. Most of the Sections and Round Tables also regularly publish newsletters presenting trends and activities.
SECTION OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES
The section provides an active international forum for the development and promotion of public libraries which serve the whole community in the context of the information society and ensure free and equal access to information at the local level.
Goals :
- To promote equal access for all to information at a local level and ensure public libraries are part of the national library network
- To promote and make recommendations on the role of the public library in supporting lifelong learning and encourage information and computer literacy among public library users.
- To promote the effective provision of information technology and multi-media in public libraries, based on different levels of development, including the enhancement of the skills of staff and users in their effective implementation and use.
- To promote the development of public library standards, the use of quality management and performance measurement in public libraries and encourage research into their funding models and the collection and dissemination of comparative public library statistics.
- To support action to combat illiteracy through the use of public libraries in conjunction with other appropriate bodies within and outside IFLA.
- To protmote the importance of the public library as a place for people to meet, communicate and exchange ideas and as a centre for cultural and leisure activities at the local level.
- To disseminate information about the effects on public libraries worldwide of copyright regulations.
- To arrange seminars on public library services and policy, particularly in developing countries, which will lead to an improvement in public library provision.
Projects:
- To eveluate and disseminate research into the implementation of the INESCO Public Library Manifesto.
- To conduct a survey into National Information Policies and disseminate the results.
- To revise the IFLA Standards and Guidelines for Public Libraries.
- To update the brochure about the Section of Public Libraries.
- To organise a seminar on public library policy and the promotion of the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto in Africa in 1999 in conjunction with ALP and the Regional Section for Africa.
Publications:
- Measuring the Performance of Public Libraries. UNESCO 1989.
- Guidelines for Public Libraries Promoting Literacy. By Barbro Thomas. UNESCO 1993.
- Libraries for Literacy in geographically and socially isolated communities. Final report of the IFLA Pre-session seminar, Matanzas,Cuba 1994. Uppsala 1995 (ALP-Report).
- UNESCO Public Library Manifesto. 1995. (Brochure and poster available in many languages).
- Proceedings of a conference on Performance Measurement and Quality Management in Public Libraries held in Berlin, August 1997. 1998.
SECTION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND RESOURCE CENTRES
The Section of School Libraries and Resource Centers conserns itself with the improvement and development of school libraries and resource centers world-wide, especially advocacy for their qualified and adequate staffing. It provides an international forum for exchanging ideas, experiences, research results and advocacy.
The role of school librarians and information specialists is to encourage reading for pleasure, information and research. Library programmes and services, being wide ranging, are essential in meeting curricular needs and interests of students and teachers. Vital to such provision is the existence of adequately trained school librarians and information specialists, school goals, government educational policy and effective links with the library information infrastructure and the wider community.
Goals:
- To promote and advocate the role of the school library and resource center
- To delineate the role of the school librarian
- To assist school librarians in their professional development
- To promote and disseminate research in the field of school librarianship
Projects:
- "Principals and School Librarians working within an information literate school community" - a 3 year research project about support to teacher librarians by school principals.
- "School Library Manifesto". The fourth draft will be presented for final discussions and prepared for being published.
Publications:
- School librarians; Guidelines for Competency Requirements. Revised edition by Sigrun Klara Hannesdottir. 1995. IFLA Professional Report no 41.
SECTION OF LIBRARIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
The Section's major purpose is to support the provision of the library service and reading promotion to children and young adults throughout the world.
Its main objectives are to promote international co-operation in the fields of library services to children and young adults, to encourage the exchange of experience, education and training and research in all aspects of this subject. The section's concerns include the provision of library services to all children and young adults in different culture and traditions in co-operation with appropriate organisations and to adults interacting with children and young adults.
Goals:
- To promote literacy for a reading society
- To encourage a relevant integration of changing technologies in libraries for children and young adults
- To advocate for the children's right to information, according to the United Nations' Conventtion on the Rights of the Child
- To encourage international networking among professionals and researchers of children's literature, multimedia and children's library services in general
- To articulate the role of the librarians in the future
- To encourage the production and study of children's literature and multimedia
Projects:
- Books for All
Ongoing project in co-operation with UNESCO. Project leader: Lioba Betten. The project supports setting up libraries and library stock in developing countries by collecting money. An Advisory Committee, chaired by Susanne Krueger, is currently awaiting an independent evaluation of the Project which celebrates ist 25th Anniversary this year.
- Children's Literature Abstracts
Ongoing project. Leader: Gillian Adams. Magazine containing abstracts of periodical articles on children's literature.
- International Research Abstracts: Youth Library Services (IRAYLS)
Ongoing project. Leader: Adele Fasick. A database containing abstracts of international publications of children's libraries. The database is available on floppy dic and on the Internet.
Publications:
- IRAYLS
- Children's Literature Abstracts
- Guidelines for Library Services for Young Adults (available in: English, German, French, Danish - Italian and Japanese in progress)
SECTION FOR LIBRARIES SERVING DISADVANTAGED PERSONS
This Section is concerned with library and information services to all those groups within the community who for whatever reason, are unable to make use of conventional library services. These groups include people in hospitals and prisons, elderly people who may be in nursing homes or care facilities, house-bound people, people with hearing impairments and those who are physically and developmentally disabled.
This Section provides an international forum for the discussion of ideas, sharing of experiences and development of projects designed to promote and improve the effectiveness of library and information services to such groups.
Goals:
- To promote the availability of and access to suitable resources for people who require alternative materials and/or services.
- To develop guidelines for access to library collections and services for people who are unable to make use of conventional library resources, including the provision of appropriate aids.
- To encourage research into the status of library and information services to the disadvantaged.
- To raise professional awareness and promote the development of appropriate staff training.
- To develop guidelines to specific types of services.
- To disseminate and share information amongst relevant organisations, both internal and external to IFLA.
- To study the impact of technological developments and the electronic environment upon library and information services to disadvantaged users.
To promote membership of the Section and maintain as broad an international representation as possible.
Projects:
- Revision of the Guidelines for Hospital Libraries.
Translation of the Guidelines for Easy-to-Read Materials into all the official IFLA languages.
- Revision of the Guidelines for Library Services to the Deaf.
Publications:
- John Day, Guidelines for Library Services to Deaf People. 1991. (IFLA Professional
Reports No. 24) Available in French, Russian, Japanese and Arabic.
- Frances Kaiser, Guidelines for Library Services to Prisoners, 2nd rev. edition, 1995. (IFLA Professional Reports No. 46). Available in Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Finnish, and Swedish.
- Bror Tronbacke, Guidelines for Easy-to-Read Materials. 1997. Currently available in English.
SECTION OF LIBRARIES FOR THE BLIND
The Section concerns itself with library services for the blind and other print-handicapped readers. The main purposes of the section are to promote national and international cooperation in this field and to encourage research and development in all aspects of this area, thus improving the access of information for the blind and other print-handicapped persons.
The Section is thus concerned with the implementation of service goals, standardization of material, problems of copyright, bibliographic control, technical standards, free transmission of postal and telecommunications or any means of distribution of material, and the identification of the locations of special format collections and activities for the blind and other print-handicapped readers.
- Encourage the establishment of library service to print handicapped persons in countries where it does not exist or is inadequate, thus bridging the information gap.
- Establishment of guidelines for library services for print handicapped persons.
- Provide proactive leadership in the evolution of the digital library for the visually handicapped.
- Reduce the major obstacles for free international flow of special format, such as copyright regulations, technical standards, postal regulations etc.
- Promote the use of catalogeuing standards to make alterate material accessible.
- Encourage the training and continuing education of professionals in the field service to printhandicapped readers.
- Promote international interlibrary loan materials for print handicapped readers.
- Provide information about the the work of the Section and the standing Committee to those interested in library services to the blind and other print handicapped.
- Cooperate with appropriate international organisations, by recognising the need of users, and by promoting cooperation between libraries serving print handicapped readers and user organisations.
- Guidelines for Library Service to Braille Users
- Seminar for English Speaking African Countries, Grahamstown, Southafrica, Feb. 1999
Publications:
- Interlibrary Loan of Alternative Format materials: A Balanced Sourcebook. Bruce E. Massis and Winnie Vitzansky, Editors. The Haworth Press Inc., 1992
- Proceedings of the DehraDun Training Seminar, English, also on tape, 1992
- Proceedings of the Barcelona Expert Meeting, English / Spanish edition, 1993
- Seminario Latinamericano y Caribeno de Servicios Bibliotecarios para ciegos y debiles visuales en países en desarrollo, 15-21 de febrero de 1993, La Habana, Cuba. Proceedings in Spanish, also on tape
- Serving Print Disabled Patron. A Rextbook. Edited by Bruce Edward Massis. Mc Farland, 1996
SECTION ON LIBRARY SERVICES TO MULTICULTURAL POPULATIONS
The Section brings together libraries and institutions interested in the development and availability of library services designed to meet the needs of cultural and linguistic minorities.
The Section is striving to share its experience in library services to multicultural populations in view of the necessity to ensure that every member in our global society has access to a full range of library and information services. In order to achieve this, it promotes international cooperation in this field.
Goals:
- Promote the idea of diversity by making information available on library provision, practice and materials in all formats for linguistic and cultural minoroties for librarians planning and carrying out the provision of such services.
- Work towards the integration of multicultural and multilingual services into the general management of libraries. Combat racism among library workers and management, and promote an enlightened approach to racial matters in the libary services.
- Promote the application of library services to multicultural populations through IFLA programmes and in research projects.
- Encourage the employment of linguistic and cultural minorities in libraries by urging the library community to provide equitable access to jobs.
- Encourage libraries to train local staff on multicultural issues.
- Promote the teaching of library services to multicultural populations in library and information studies departments of universities and colleges throughout the world.
- Reinforce the cooperation with other Sections of IFLA by launchinh a multi-section project focused on the concept of multicultural librarianship in a network environment.
- Improve the participation of every member of the Section by conductiong a survey on their expectastions about the Section's activities.
- Advocate the co-development of multicultural services in public libraries of developed and developing countries.
- Advocate cultural and educational policies designed to fight illiteracy and promote reading in all languges.
- Advocate equitable access to new information technologies for linguistic minorities.
Projects:
- Library services to Indigenous People: Serving national minorities with distinct ethnic, cultural and linguistic identities. Satellite meeting in Tromsoe, Norway, August 1998
ROUND TABLE ON MOBILE LIBRARIES
This Round Table is concerned with all aspects of mobile library operations, collections, services, education and training, and research in all geographical areas.
Goals:
- Promote the importance and value of mobile libraries for effecting equity of access to information for all residents, particularly in remote and rural areas.
- Disseminate information worldwide on best-practices in mobile library services.
- Promote regional, national and international initiatives to improve/create literacy and library services via moble libraries.
- Provide professional and informative advice on the establishment of and development for mobile library services.
- Promote collaboration across types of libraries, including mobile libraries, to provide access in information for lifelong learning.
- Advocate the use of mobile libraries to serve the needs of special populations such as women, families, indegenpus people, unemployed, school dropouts and the elderly.
Projects:
- "Best Practice" Booklet. Illustrated booklet on international best practice in mobile libraries (Hard copy publication or in electronic format)
- Native Peoples Bookmobile. Sponsoring attendance of Sami mobile library at Norwegian aboriginal and native peoples conference in Norway
Publications:
- The Mobile Library Guidelines 1991. Translations into French, Arabic, Spanish, Malay.
- Publication of guidelines on the design, construction and operations of mobile libraries. 1994
- Mobile library in the World Community 1980-1992. An annotated bibliography. 1992
ROUND TABLE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN CITY LIBRARIES (INTAMEL)
INTAMEL is a platform for professional communication and information for libraries of cities with 400.000 or more inhabitants. The RT reflects inter-divisional interests as they apply to large metropolitan city libraries.
Goals:
The principle objectives are to provide assistance and support for members sharing similar problems and challenges, given the wide variations in the state of development of library services between cities and countries.
- To liaise with other groups as appropriate, both within and outside IFLA, to encourage the provision of the highest standards of service in metropolitan city libraries
- To faciliate the exchange of books and other public publications and the exchange of staff temporarily for training purposes, between member libraries.
Projects:
- Collecting and publishing comparative statistics on an international basis for large public libraries. Collected and distributed annually.
- Organizing an annual conference with the purpose of studying the library services in and around one of the member cities.
ROUND TABLE ON NATIONAL CENTRES FOR LIBRARY SERVICES (ROTNAC)
The Round Table of National Centres for Library Services brings together organizations operating on a national scale and providing a range of products in the field of bibliographical services and/or lending materials to libraries. The Round Table functions as a platform for the managers of the National Centres as well as a meeting point for bilateral cooperation.
Goals:
- Improve local library service through the use of central services and promote central services
- Exchange information between members about the marketing, products, application of information technology, and management of centres.
- Promote cooperation between members.
Projects:
- To establish different working groups to discuss current topics for cooperation among its members, e.g. AVM/new media, automation, information technology, publishing .