Transformational declaration from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) 2014 World Library and Information Congress in Lyon

A view of the iconic Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière in Lyon, seen from the Place des Terreaux.

The Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development “aims to positively influence the United Nations post-2015 development agenda… The framework will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and set the agenda for development for the next decade.” (http://conference.ifla.org/ifla80/node/522) Signatories from more than 270 institutions worldwide have already signed on, and delegates were sent forth to encourage home institutions to join in this important endeavor. For more information see (http://www.lyondeclaration.org/).

The Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section

The IFLA Section on Serials and Other Continuing Resources “concerns itself with all issues which make serial publications unique in both the print and electronic environments.”(http://www.ifla.org/about-the-serials-and-continuing-resources-section) In addition to meeting twice and going to dinner together, our Standing Committee partnered with the Academic and Research Libraries Section and the Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters to organize a well-attended program on big data (see below).

Standing Committee members posing at the Place Antonin Poncet before the group dinner at Le Sud Restaurant are, from left to right, Christina McCawley , West Chester University; Paul Hover, Virginia Tech (blogger, wearing hat); Sharon Dyas-Correia (Chair), University of Toronto; Margaret Mering (Secretary), University of Nebraska Lincoln; and Helen Adey (Information Coordinator), Nottingham Trent University.

Some of the other members (or soon to be members) of the committee who attended are pictured below:

And some family members attended the group dinner:

New friends (from left to right) Anne Verneuil, president of the Association des Bibliothécaires de France (ABF) (French Librarians Association); Paul Hover, Virginia Tech (VT); Senovia Welman, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa (wearing Paul’s hat); and Lynn Kleinveldt, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Cape Town, South Africa. CPUT and VT have a librarian exchange program starting this academic year.

After the Closing Session, I took some photographs commemorating some new-found friendships. It was also at this photo session I lost my hat. Actually, I gave it to Senovia. She had beamed a warm South African smile at me and said she had long puzzled over the right souvenir to remind her of IFLA’s 80th Congress, but now realized that she would “loooooove” to have my hat! Well, colleagues, I did exactly what you would have done. I took it off and placed it on her head. As everyone stood admiring Senovia, incredulously, in my favorite hat, I made a deal with her:

“Next year in Cape Town let us meet again, and you may replace it with an uber cool hat made in South Africa if you wish.”

“DONE!” It was all she needed to say to get my first meeting for IFLA’s 81st Congress in Cape Town on the calendar…

Having lost my Panamá hat, I needed something to protect me from the hot sun reflecting off the Rhône. Our French friends knew just the solution: a genuine béret  Basque.

Nous vous remercions beaucoup, Lyon!

More information on our Section’s co-presented programme:

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