81st Congress of World Library – Information of International Federation of library associations and institutions (IFLA 81) in Cape Town – South Africa

From 15^th- 21^st August, 2015, the 81^st annual conference was held in Cape Town, South Africa by International Federation of library associations and institutions with the theme “Dynamic Libraries: Access, Development and Transformation”.

There were 3,190 leaders and experts in the field of library and information from 112 countries around the world attending the conference. During the conference, there were 224 science presentations, dozens of satellite conferences, seminars, open forums, meetings that orientated development path of the world and region’s library, the session on the development of National Library (NL), public library, digital library, preservation of documents, equipment and library building, readers’ services, construction and application of professional standards of international library, facility exhibition, technology and library documents,…

Vietnam’s delegation includes 2 representatives of the National Library of Viet Nam who have actively participated in 81^st IFLA Congress. The delegation has taken part in some of the central activities in the framework of congress which namely are:

- Attending the Conference of Directors of National Libraries around the world that was held in the Center of National Books, National Library of South Africa with the participation of more than 100 representatives including directors and delegates of National Libraries in the world. In the Conference, the participants discussed about the topic that was attracting numerous National Libraries at the moment:“How National Libraries achieve successes by digitalized strategies”. Besides guest speakers’ presentations, Professor Steyn Heckroodt – Dean of Training Faculty, Westford School of Management, participants have actively exchanged viewpoints, practices, implementation methods and ways to facilitate access for users. The participants also had the chance to listen to the presentation of incumbent President, successor President and General Secretary of IFLA about IFLA’s activities in 2014-2015 and its main strategies, initiatives in the coming period. The presentations emphasized that the NLV is always an important partner of IFLA, and IFLA wishes to continue receiving the active participation and contribution from the National Library forums of countries around the world in implementing IFLA’s action plans for the development of global library career.

- Attending meetings of IFLA incumbent President to discuss about the role of the transformation in education, science, culture, innovation and library in building strong societies;

- The discussion and updates on the roadmap for post 2015 development program of United Nations in 2015, which focused on IFLA’s implementation update of Lyon Declaration in 2014 and libraries all over the world, the impact of Lyon Declaration on information access and development, roadmap for 2016 to ensure that people have access, understanding, usage and information sharing in order to achieve the sustainable development target and democratic society. There are 570 libraries in the world taking parts in Lyon Declaration including the NLV.

- The session of action plans of IFLA successor President to build the action program to transform libraries and library profession towards success in the context of this rapidly transforming world. In the framework of the round table discussion, the National Library of Viet Nam has joined the Asia and Oceania’s discussion group and actively exchange, discuss about the national development plan, information trends, copyright issues, opportunities – challenges in implementing sustainable development goals,…

- Some sessions on cataloguing, preserving, digitalizing library documents are the issues that the NLV is implementing major projects and has special interest in research, application of professional standards in Viet Nam.

On the sidelines of the conference, Director of the National Library of Viet Nam had meetings with IFLA leaders, American Library Association, Goethe Institute; the bilateral meeting with National Diet Library, National Library of Korea, National Library of France to propose new cooperative activities which aim to deeply promote the existing partnership; participating in several reception centers and group meetings with Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), software providers and digitization device of France, Germany, Switzerland, …opens up many new cooperation directions in library activities.

It can be said that in the not too long interval between two Conferences (73^rd IFLA in Durban, 2007 and 81^st IFLA in Cape Town, 2015), Library Association and National Library of South Africa, with the supportive commitment from the Government, the Ministry of Culture – Art and Cape Town Government, have shown the efforts and responsibilities for IFLA Congress 2015 and fulfilled the proposed targets. According to the plan, 82^nd IFLA Congress will take place in Ohio, USA from 13^th – 19^th August, 2016.

Pictures of the Conference: