An overview of presentations at the 2015 IFLA Conference

1. IFLA Conference – Cape Town - 2015
Alison Mackenzie

2. Session Snippets
"The Global Picture - Session Snippets from IFLA"
A presentation based on perspectives from around the
world - from the Library of Congress in Washington to the
Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town.

3. IFLA
International Federation of Library
Associations
81st Congress – Cape Town

4. The Global Picture
This conference was international in scope and looked at the
global picture in the sense of the role libraries play in literacy
and economic development.
These are just a few of things which stuck in my mind!

5. Library of Congress – Washington
Libraries are all about the preservation of culture. The
internet is not necessarily the answer. We are only 10 – 15
years into the ‘experiment’ and we don’t know how long the
internet will be around, what form it will take and will the
information that is here today, still be there tomorrow.
Libraries are the preservation of cultural understanding.

6. The Lyon Declaration
The presenters suggested that all initiatives in libraries
should be linked to the Lyon Declaration – numbers and
narratives are no longer enough.

7. The Lyon Declaration
The Lyon Declaration identifies the crucial role of access to information in
supporting development.
Access to information supports development by empowering people:
• Exercise their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
• Be economically active, productive and innovative.
• Learn and apply new skills.
• Enrich cultural identity and expression.
• Take part in decision-making and participate in an active and engaged civil society.
• Create community-based solutions to development challenges.
• Ensure accountability, transparency, good governance, participation and
empowerment.
• Measure progress on public and private commitments on sustainable development.
The obvious role that libraries around the world and at every level play in
the access to information. 179 targets lay out a plan for a better world for all
countries.
(August 2014, 585 signatories)

8. The Lyon Declaration
Access to information-
The availability of information.
The skills and means to access it.
Global and national indicators –
The importance of libraries in developing communities.
The need to teach all young people universal basic skills
by 2030 as a way to boost GDP.

9. Interesting Question:
How many libraries in the world?
At least 320,000 but there is actually no good
measurement at the moment.
Over 750,000 professional librarians and archivists
worldwide manage libraries and archive services.
Every day, libraries and archives in all parts of the world
help hundreds of millions of people meet their work,
study, research and leisure needs.

10. South Africa
“This space is an incubator for thought and planning”
(a quote from a client survey in Harare Public Library – a
library in the Khayelitsha township, Cape Town).
Should this not be true of every library regardless of
wealth and location?

11. • Opened June 2011
• Grants from: Carnegie Corporation of New York
• Partnership with VPUU: Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrade
• The library forms part of a broader intervention under the VPUU in
Khayelitsha
• The ultimate aim being to contribute to community safety in the township
• Fast becoming a landmark in Khayelitsha
Harare Public Library

12. French Delegation
Anne Ballarin – Regional Inspector of National Education
Christophe Poupet – Librarian Teacher
Didier Vin-Datiche – General Inspector of National Education
They spoke about national policies for French Education standards
and also the role the school library and teacher librarians play in
this and the national appraisal scheme they have in place for the
profession.

13. Book Launch – Global Action on School Library Guidelines
This book celebrates the new IFLA School Library Guidelines
and shows how the Guidelines can be used in improving
school library services. Each chapter describes innovative
initiatives for developing, implementing and promoting
school library guidelines. The book provides inspiration and
guidance for the creation of national school library
standards and for the development and use of standards
and guidelines to change school library practice, to define
the teaching role of school librarians, to guide the initial
preparation of school librarians, and to advocate for school
library services. Their work illustrates the shared
commitment of school librarians around the world to
"teaching and learning for all", as envisioned in the
IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto.

14. The Five Key Challenges
Library of Congress – Washington
1. Confronting the fundamental demand for
information.
2. Knowledge of innovative processes.
3. Copyright restriction and fair use.
4. Preparing the workforce for digital curation.
5. Use of technology to reduce labour using digital
formats.

15. The IFLA Trend Report
Trend1: New technologies will both expand and limit who
has access to information.
Trend 2: Online education will both democratise and
disrupt global learning.
Trend 3: The boundaries of privacy and data protection
will be redefined.
Trend 4: Hyper-Connected societies will listen to and
empower new voices and groups.
Trend 5: The Global Information Economy will be
transformed by new technologies.

16. Environmental Sustainability – Green Libraries
International Panel
Looking at how libraries (new and existing) can
work towards a green footprint with
environmental sustainability as the key driver in
design, construction and interiors.
Working together across international borders
to create guidelines and certification for ‘Green
Libraries’.

17. Yarra Plenty Regional Library
The Reading Rover Van - The purpose of the
program is to take the library out of our buildings and
into the community to equip children with pre reading
skills so they are ready for kindergarten and school. The
Reading Rover program provides services at various
community places and is delivered through a specially
equipped small van.
How could this idea be used in schools?

18. Deputy Director of UNESCO
Mr Getachoew Engida
The link between libraries and life-long learning and the
important role that libraries play.
Fundamental to peace through mutual understanding
and crucial in bridging the information divide.
Libraries are the storage place of our culture.

19. Geospatial Literacy as Digital Literacy
Raymond Pun – NY University, Shanghai
How you make use of data through mapping and GIS (Geographic
Information Systems). GIS programs are available free online:
New York Public Library
Mapwarper http://maps.nypl.org/warper/
The NYPL Map Warper is a tool for digitally aligning
("rectifying") historical maps from the NYPL's collections
to match today's precise maps.
Help bring the past into the digital present.

20. Literacy as a Foundation for Lifelong Learning
Ingrid Bon – Netherlands (Senior Advisor for Public
Libraries)
The Dutch do not have school libraries, except as
voluntary services. This has led to a lack of ‘library’ /
research skills amongst the student population in the
country.
In 2015, a national law was introduced. The core
function is the promotion of reading and an introduction
to literature for young people dictating that public
libraries support local education.

21. Langa Township
One of the conference tours took us to Langa Township
– the oldest of Cape Towns townships (informal
settlements) established in 1923.
Langa is one of the many areas that were established
prior to the apartheid era designated for Black Africans.
The name Langa means “sun” in the Xhosa language,
but the name of the township is actually derived from
the name Langalibalele – a famous chief who was
imprisoned on Robben Island for rebelling against the
government.

22. Langa Township
By accident of birth – we can all be grateful.

23. Langa Township
By accident of birth – we can all be grateful.

24. Langa Township
By accident of birth – we can all be grateful.

25. Farmerfield School
The main classroom block at Farmerfield
School.
• No electricity
• Broken Chairs
• Broken Windows
• The staff share the toilet block with the
students.
This block had the Reception class (far
left); the Grade 3 class (middle); and
the Grade 5 and 6 class (right).

26. Farmerfield School
The Reception Class – 4 Year olds.
The Grade 3 class – with Fezi (the
Headmistress).

27. Farmerfield School
Just been out for a
little walk to the
toilet – some things
don’t change!
Temba and Fezi with the suitcases full of
stationery. Fezi was concerned she was being
given another lot of XXL tracksuits!

28. Conclusion
Although school libraries were not the focus of this
conference my colleague and I realised a few days
into the conference that what we all do in schools
and in school libraries are the grass roots of the
initiatives and the hopes and aims of this
international gathering.