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IFLA Conference

World Library and Information Congress: 74th IFLA General Conference and Council

"Libraries without borders: Navigating towards global understanding"

10-14 August 2008, Québec, Canada

Grants



French translation  Spanish translation  

FINANCIAL SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY SCIENCE AND INFORMATION SCIENCES ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING A
BURSARY PROGRAM FOR DELEGATES FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO ALLOW THEM TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL CONFERENCES OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS(IFLA)

Context and objectives

In the Spring of 2007, ASTED and the Canadian Library Association ("CLA") worked together to establish a charitable organization, called Bibliomondialis : Partenaires canadiens pour des échanges en milieu documentaire / Bibliomondialis: Canadian Partners for Library Bridge-Building, referred to below as Bibliomondialis which will launch its activities during the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA's) 2008 World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Quebec City.

The goals of Bibliomondialis are to promote and encourage the participation of delegates from developing countries in IFLA conferences, to increase participation in national and international library science seminars and to encourage and support research focusing on international library science issues.

To this end, Bibliomondialis is implementing bursary programs for research development and participation in events relating to IFLA.

The mission of Bibliomondialis is therefore to raise and manage funds to financially support international library development. For 2008, the goal is to set up a bursary program to assist delegates from developing countries to participate for the first time in the 2008 WLIC Conference in Quebec City, and thereafter in subsequent IFLA-sponsored conferences.

After 2008, the goal of Bibliomondialis is not only to encourage Canadian colleagues   and colleagues in developing countries to participate in international activities such as World Congresses, but also to provide financial support for research, study or development projects that focus on international issues.

The Bibliomondialis bursary program is not intended to duplicate but to complement other similar bursary programs that may be offered by IFLA, its French committee, other IFLA national groups or any other organizations associated with IFLA. The program will not offset or provide a substitute for these programs and a candidate that is receiving complete financial support from IFLA or one of its committees or, for example, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie ("OIF"), will not be eligible for the Bibliomondialis program, or receive support from the program.

Bibliomondialis may however provide additional financial support required by a candidate receiving only partial support through one of the above-mentioned programs.

The program is promoted and supported by IFLA. It will be managed exclusively by Bibliomondialis.

General Information

Each year, depending on budgetary availability, Bibliomondialis will select a certain number of eligible candidates and provide them with financial support. The number of bursaries awarded will be fixed on an annual basis and announced by the Bibliomondialis Board of Directors.

A candidate that receives support one year from Bibliomondialis may receive it for a second year only, and to the extent that there is a budgetary availability and in accordance with the quality of the candidature submitted, including the submission of a complete report on the recipient's professional activities in the period following the previous IFLA conference.

The program is open to individuals from countries recognized by IFLA as developing countries in accordance with the following procedures:

  • The maximum bursary to be given to a candidate chosen by Bibliomondialis shall be five thousand dollars Canadian (CDN $ 5,000).
  • One (1) bursary shall be reserved for an application from an eligible candidate from a library or university resource centre from a Francophone country. (In relation to the granting of this bursary, the selection committee must include two (2) members of the former Association des bibliothèques universitaires de la Francophonie).
  • One or more bursaries may be reserved in 2008 for one or more eligible candidates from the Caribbean or South America.

The bursary will include the following:

  • Bibliomondialis will pay for the reservation and cost of up to a maximum of eight hundred   Canadian dollars ($ 800) for the recipient's accommodation for eight (8) nights (before, during and one (1) day after the conference).
  • The bursary should be used to pay the conference registration fees (a maximum of six hundred and forty dollars Canadian ($ 640 for the 2008 conference) and the cost of meals and local transportation (at the conference location) for eight (8) days for a maximum of seven hundred dollars Canadian ($7 00), at a per diem rate of one hundred dollars Canadian ($100) delivered in person by Bibliomondialis.
  • The bursary will pay for airfare transportation from Europe or Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean or Latin or South America, in economy class.

Bibliomondialis encourages each candidate to obtain additional financing from other programs or institutions and this will be taken into consideration amongst the selection criterion for candidates and awarding bursaries.

Exclusions

The bursary will not include the following:

  • The preparation and submission of applications.
  • Preparation and proposals for speeches or conferences of any kind.
  • Passport or visa applications.
  • Insurance.
  • Professional, cultural and social activities not included in the conference registration fees, personal activities, the recipient's tourist activities locally or in the host country, personal belongings and souvenirs, and so on.

Eligibility requirements

In order to be eligible, each applicant must completely satisfy the following criteria and requirements:

  1. hold a diploma from a university or a recognized national library science or information sciences institution, or any other equivalent or relevant diploma, and provide a certified copy of the diploma;
  2. have at least two (2) years' and no more than four (4) years' professional experience in his or her country as a librarian, custodian, information scientist, library technician or documentation technician, or the equivalent, as evidenced by an official letter from his or her employer;
  3. demonstrate and describe in writing in no more than three hundred (300) words his or her professional experience and his or her reasons or interest in this professional area and participation in 2008 WLIC;
  4. include with the application a curriculum vitae of no more than three (3) pages in letter or A4 format, as well as two (2) letters of support or recommendation from persons in authority in a recognized institution that has no immediate hierarchical association with the candidate;
  5. read, understand and speak French or English;
  6. hold a passport that is valid for at least six (6) months after   his or her entry into Canada, for the 2008 conference, and have received an entry visa if required;
  7. certify that he or she has received written assurance of a financial contribution, stating the value, from another person, business or institution for his or her participation in WLIC;
  8. undertake to provide no later than two (2) months after the conference a written report summarizing his or her participation.

Candidate selection

Subject to what has been stated above concerning the bursary to be awarded in response to an application submitted by an eligible candidate from a library or university resource centre in a Francophone country, Bibliomondialis shall establish a selection committee in relation to complete applications only in compliance with the requirements, comprising no more than five (5) people involved in the information sciences, library science or libraries, including representatives from ASTED and CLA.

The selection shall be made on the basis of the established criteria and chart, and taking into account geographic representation to some degree.

Selection criteria, by order of priority, points and weighting per criterion

  1. Candidate's file
  2. Curriculum vitae
  3. Professional experience
  4. Professional and personal motivation
  5. Additional financial contribution
  6. Impact, expected results or further "investment" by candidate
  7. Direct association with the theme of IFLA conference or library science issues
  8. Geographic representation.

After selection

Bibliomondialis will announce the name of the selected candidates in April of each year at the latest or four (4) months prior to that year's WLIC.

Bibliomondialis will inform the recipient, his or her employer and IFLA.

The recipient must officially confirm to Bibliomondialis that he or she will be participating in the WLIC within the established time limit, otherwise the bursary will be withdrawn and granted to another candidate on the waiting or substitute list that may be recommended to Bibliomondialis by the selection committee.

Schedule for 2008 registration

Registration period:
October 2007 to February 15 2008

Application submission deadline:
February 15, 2008

Application assessment procedure:
February and March 2008

Announcement of recipients:
April 2008

Deadline for registration or application submission for 2008

15 February 2008.

Submissions that are incomplete or submitted after the deadline shall not be considered under any circumstances.

Limitation of liability

The annual granting of bursaries by Bibliomondialis shall be subject to the available funding annually.

Bibliomondialis shall not accept any liability with respect to the recipient and his or her employer, of any kind whatsoever (in relation to any accident or incident that may affect the candidate directly or indirectly or that may be or may have been caused by the recipient (injury, theft or wrong-doing, illness, death, incapacity, and so on.).

The recipient shall not receive any sponsorship and there shall be no legal or employment association of any kind whatsoever with Bibliomondialis or IFLA.

It shall be the recipient's sole responsibility to make any necessary arrangements for these purposes.

Bibliomondialis shall not be liable in any way if a candidate's file is incomplete or is lost prior to being received. Bibliomondialis shall not return any file received after the selection is made.

Application Form

Download in Word or PDF format:

Download in word format   Download in Adobe PDF format

Address for receipt of applications

(By mail, private mail or by e-mail)

Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques
328 Frank Street
Ottawa, ONT.
Canada   K2P 0X8
Tel.: +1-613 232-9625
Fax: +1-613 563-9895
http://www.cla.ca

Contact person

Mrs. Brenda Shields
Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques
E-mail: Bshields@cla.ca

Appendices

Application form
Diploma
Letter of interest or descriptive interest sheet
Employer's Certification
Letters of support
Passport photocopy
Other financial support confirmed
Acknowledgement of receipt of the application