Review of IFLA Core Activities

Presentation to the CDNL

At the 29th CDNL MeetingEdinburgh

21 August 2002

Acknowledgement

Ross Shimmon (Secretary General, IFLA)Alix Chevallier (France)

Elisabeth Niggemann (Germany)Wim van Drimmelen & Gerard van Trier

(Netherlands)Christopher Blake & Winston Roberts (New Zealand)

Christopher Chia (Singapore)Lynne Brindley & Geoff Smith (UK)

Winston Tabb (US)

Why the need for a Review?

Need to look for alternative sources of funding to strengthen IFLA’s financial position

Need to find new/alternative hosts - some existing host countries expressed intention to cease hosting

Need to rationalise existing core activities and/or propose new core activities

Objectives To monitor and enhance Core

Programmes To widen support for Core

Programmes To develop new ideas for Core

Programmes

Guiding Principles Modernise Core Activities Streamline existing and new activities Unbundle and/or regroup existing

programmes Focus on NL needs Establish Timeframes Establish quantum and type of support

by donor and supporting countries Create accountability framework

General Observations Concerns

Programmes becoming entrenched Varied quality of staff Inadequate reporting time Inflow of funds drying up National Library hosts looking for other

structural options (eg. Reducing funding while still housing programme, etc.)

General Observations Potentials

Take on new areas of work and develop projects more consistently and effectively;

Useful mechanism for joint work related to professional NGO;

Some members still see value in traditional work and products of the Programmes.

General Observations Issues and Recent Developments

Future roles and activities of UAP and of the BL IFLA Office;

Clustering of existing core activities such as FAIFE, UAP, CLM around such themes as “Information Society” or “Access to Information”;

Die Deutsche Bibliothek’s continuation for hosting of a joint UBC/UDT core activity.

Recommendations – General Suggestions Governance

Appoint Advisory Committee for a 3-year period;

Formalise agreement between IFLA and each host institution;

Maintain strong links between Core Programmes and relevant IFLA Divisions;

Re-organise the management of existing entities within IFLA

Institute more systematic reporting on activities and regular evaluation by IFLA.

Recommendations – General Suggestions

Outcomes

Focus on Outcomes rather than outputs

Establish 3-yearly audits

Recommendations – General Suggestions

Structure Analyze current Programmes to decide:

Unbundle where appropriate; Terminate if unproductive; Cluster / regroup where necessary or to

strengthen Continue to ensure that criteria for

approval of new programmes include the principle that they operate predominantly within the library and information sector;

Recommendations – General Suggestions Structure (cont.)

Consider adopting a “network” structure for programmes where appropriate (eg. The PAC model)

Consider developing IFLA Regional Offices to increase their effectiveness in the regions.

Consider sub-sets of existing programmes that various national (or other) libraries might take responsibility for (eg. Digital preservation – NLA; deacidification – LC)

Recommendations – General Suggestions Structure (cont.)

Consider existing programmes already underway in each of the CDNL – they could be strengthened or broaden for impact as part of IFLA core activities.

Consider whether all the Programmes or proposed clusters should be authorised to handle the full range of activities or whether some of these aspects should be done by a different “programme”.

Recommendations – General Suggestions Structure (cont.)

Other measures: Draft standard contract, agreement

or Memorandum of Understanding between IFLA and each host institution

Develop a standard professional profile for programme staff

Institute performance assessment

Recommendations – General Suggestions New Activities

IFLA should be very careful in setting up new activities

The importance of digital preservation could justify a new programme under PAC

The development of existing activities should be given highest priority

Recommendations – General Suggestions Proposed Strategies for new

Sources of Funding Make specific appeals Organise timely and sufficient

feedback on results Establish a high-powered fund raising

Committee of people with a good track record in this area

Recommendations – General Suggestions Proposed Strategies for new

Sources of Funding Others: Marketing and promotion,

membership subscription, commercialising activities, merchandising products & services, advertising, etc. (Details including comments from members of review committee are in Annex III )

Recommendations – Existing Programmes ALP

Obtain feedback and regular evaluation from countries that are supposed to benefit from programme

Continue programme more or less at present, but consider ways to give it a stronger presence in the IFLA Regional Offices and seek closer working relationship with regional offices of relevant intergovernmental aid agencies

Include promotion of legal deposit and preservation of the national heritage in its scope.

Recommendations - Existing Programmes

CLM

Continue with CLM

Create a cluster of activities around the themes “Information Society” or “Access to Information” to reshape the whole CLM/UAP and consider how to deal with “information Society” issues.

Empower CLM to deal with IFLA relations with publishers, provide input to IFLA policy on licensing, copyright, etc. and follow WIPO, WTO and US DMCA developments.

Recommendations - Existing Programmes

CLM (cont.)

Widen its scope to include support for legal deposit and free access to deposited materials.

Work closely with IFLA sections concerned with copyright issues, CDNL and joint steering group IFLA/IPA.

Recommendations – Existing Programmes

FAIFE Propose that it be continued. Where it could conflicts with IFLA’s

independent stance, reconsider whether it is the appropriate vehicle for this activity, or

Whether it should be oriented more towards advising IFLA on ‘information society’ related issues, and referring other issues to established NGOs or UN or other inter-governmental bodies.

Recommendations – Existing Programmes

PAC Continue to expand PAC to bring in a wider

range of activities. Institute official evaluation for the programme. Propose the establishment of a new

programme for Preservation of digital information

Allocate responsibility for specific programme under PAC’s aegis.

Recommendations – Existing Programmes

UBCIM Continue core bibliographic/metadata activities and

publishing programme, but in a different structure, including XML and Dublin Core.

Unbundle UBCIM Endorse Die Deutsche Bibliothek’ offer to host

UBCIM Support proposal to transfer responsibility for

UNIMARC from Die Deutsche Bibliothek to NL Portugal from 2003.

Endorse proposal for a UNIMARC user consortium.

Recommendations – Existing Programmes

UAP Consider whether focus should be on ‘publications’

or ‘information’ – could be split up and activities merged with other programmes.

Need for a thorough study of development of UAP in a digital environment.

Need for an evaluation of the international interlending voucher system

Evolve programme towards resource sharing

[NB: IFLA had asked Mary Jackson to review the future of UAP. Her Report recommended it be closed. However, no formal notification has been received from IFLA on this]

Recommendations – Existing Programmes

UDT IFLANET maintenance should be continued

as a normal business activity of IFLA. Strongly support and deal with issues of

interconnectivity standards, unique resource names, and persistent identifiers.

Endorse plan for integration of non-IFLANET UDT activities into UBC activities; and support DDB’s offer to host the integrated activites.

Thank You