Building Strong Library Associations

IFLA ALP: Building Better Library Communities

• IFLA is the global voice of the library profession, with more than 1600 members in 150 countries.

• Global reach – regional offices and language centres around the world

• IFLA’s activities include advocacy, training programmes, resource development and standards

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About IFLA

• The Action for Development through Libraries Programme (IFLA ALP) is a core activity of IFLA

• ALP provides development and training programmes, online learning and other opportunities

• IFLA ALP delivers the Building Strong Library Associations (BSLA) programme

IFLA ALP

• Strong national associations, globally and throughout the regions, are needed to support the profession

• IFLA developed Building Strong Library Associations, to support associations to develop their capacity and effectiveness, for the benefit of sustainable library communities

Strong Library Associations: Foundations for advocacy

IFLA BSLA programme components

• Library Associations in Society• Building Your Library Association• Sustaining your Library Association• Developing Strategic Relationships:

Partnerships and Fundraising• Libraries on the Agenda

• Specialist modules:– Library Statistics for Advocacy– Copyright for Library Associations

Training package modules

• IFLA countries: Cameroon, Lebanon, Peru, Nepal

• In Partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Lithuania, Ukraine, Botswana

Current country projects

Measuring the impact

• IFLA uses impact evaluation to measure the change that the BSLA programme makes:– Tells participants whether they are

making real progress towards their goals – Raises awareness of the association in

the sector and amongst decision makers– Share what works with other associations

Impact evaluation and BSLA

• Country projects, small grants, and train-the-trainer cascade activities have reached librarians in over 30 countries

• Increased confidence in running associations and advocating for libraries are cited as major impacts

• Organisations, partners, members across and beyond the library sector are more engaged with supporting the association’s work

• Association activities have directly (via advocacy) or indirectly (through actions of workshop participants) benefited all library sectors including public libraries

Impact: Building Strong Library Associations programme

Will be formally launched at WLIC in Helsinki. Shares results and stories from the first six country projects

BSLA Impact Report