By Ismena Meic

At the end of 2017, City Library of Zagreb celebrated her 110th anniversary.

On the occasion of the City Library of Zagreb’s 110th anniversary, the Open Doors Week is organized. The central ceremony was held on the very Day of the Zagreb City Libraries and founding of the City Library of Zagreb on Thursday the 7th of December 2017 at the Croatian National Theatre. At the same time this was a celebration of founding of two other important cultural institutions of the City of Zagreb – The Zagreb City Museum and State Archives in Zagreb.

The City Library of Zagreb was founded in 1907 and they are the oldest public libraries in Zagreb and among the first public libraries founded in Croatia with their long-standing tradition of serving the local community and offering the access to many valuable local, national and international sources of information as well as all sorts of librarian and cultural services to wide age groups of citizens.
From its beginnings the City Library of Zagreb is distinguished as a “free, public and modern library, founded and settled for all citizens of Zagreb” (from the Rules of Procedure dated 1908). It still operates according to the same theses.

As part of the anniversary we highlighted the need for a new building of The City Library of Zagreb.

More more information, watch this video: https://youtu.be/Odb4m1aRiCc 

If you’re passing through Singapore on your way to the WLIC in Kuala Lumpur this coming August there’s an opportunity to visit some of the country’s fabulous libraries.

Thanks to our Singaporean colleagues pre and post conference visits are on offer. For further details Click here

The IFLA Public Libraries Standing Committee is seeking expressions of interest from people interested in becoming Corresponding Members of the Section for the period January 2018 – August 2019. Up to five Corresponding Members may be appointed as part of this process.

Public Libraries Standing Committee The Public Libraries Standing Committee comprises 20 elected members from Australia (2), Brazil (1), Bulgaria (1), China (1), Croatia (1), Czech Republic (1), Denmark (1), Finland (1), France (1), Japan (1),The Netherlands (1), Norway (1), Singapore (1), Spain (1), Sweden (2), USA (3).

The Public Libraries Section is very active within IFLA and is currently engaged in a number of exciting initiatives. This includes an extensive review of the Public Library Standards and Guidelines and management of the Public Library of the Year Awards. We also offer a rich program at the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC), often partnering with other sections while our mid-term meetings provide an opportunity for us to work with colleagues in our host countries.

What is a corresponding member? Corresponding Members complement the work done by elected members of the Standing Committee. These places are intended for people who are normally unable to attend the WLIC (and therefore the meetings of the Standing Committee) for geographical or financial reasons. Their role is to represent countries in geographical areas, which are not already represented on the Standing Committee, or to provide expertise in a specific subject field.

Expressions of interest are particularly sought from colleagues in the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa. Expressions of interest from those representing major language groups not covered by the current Public Libraries Standing Committee membership will also be considered.

Corresponding Members receive the Standing Committee papers and are expected to maintain regular contact with the Officers and other Standing Committee members, at the same time sharing information about the Section within their own networks. The Standing Committee might appoint Corresponding Members to work on particular projects, or to provide input on certain activities.

Corresponding Members will be appointed by the Standing Committee for an initial term ending at the WLIC in August 2019, renewable for one further term of two years on the decision of the Section’s Chair.

Corresponding Members are very welcome to attend Committee meetings whenever possible and are encouraged to contribute to the conversation. They do not however have voting rights and do not contribute to the quorum. All costs associated with attending meetings are the responsibility of individual members.

If you are interested in becoming a Corresponding member of the Standing Committee please complete the Expression of Interest Form below and return it to the address on the form by Friday 2 February 2018.