The World IFLA Congress is the largest and most important event globally for librarians and scientific data specialists. The annual IFLA congress is always held in August, each time in a different country, and gathers between 3,500 and 5,000 professionals from around 120 countries. "Poland has organised the event once only, and it was in 1959 in Warsaw," says Head of the Wroclaw Municipal Library Andrzej Ociepa.
The congress serves as an opportunity for librarians to exchange expertise and opinions and to establish a shared position and action plan to address key issues for the industry. It is also a chance for the institutions and associations which take part in it to establish cooperation.
"The fact that the city organises the congress a year after the European Capital of Culture celebrations shows clearly that culture is Wroclaw's main priority. It must be added that Wroclaw's tenure as the World Book Capital comes to an end in 2017, and collaboration with librarians is most welcome as part of the event," says Mayor of Wroclaw Rafał Dutkiewicz.
"The fact that Wroclaw was selected to host the congress in 2017 means a lot both to the city and to Poland's library industry, which has undergone a massive transformation over the last ten years. It's worth showing these achievements to librarians from all over the world. This is also a great opportunity to promote Wroclaw. Several thousand librarians, many of them highly influential at home and abroad, are expected to arrive," says Andrzej Ociepa.
The congress was held in France (Lyon) in 2014, in Singapore in 2013, in Helsinki in 2012 and in Puerto Rico in 2011.
Established in 1927 in Edinburgh, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions is an independent and non-profit international non-governmental organisation. This world's largest and most prominent organisation for the library and academic information industry gathers over 1,700 members from around 150 countries. In Poland, the IFLA cooperates with the Polish Librarians' Association and the National Library. The IFLA is registered in the Netherlands, and its headquarters are located in the Hague.
The congress is a great opportunity for the host to showcase its professional achievements to their foreign guests, and to connect a large number of library specialists with their opposite numbers from all over the world.
A key element of the IFLA congresses is the Exhibit, that is, an exhibition which showcases cutting edge solutions for libraries and serves as an opportunity to connect and discuss products that facilitate your life as a librarian. A real treat for those who love gadgets and technology.
