Page 59 - DLIS101_LIBRARY_AND_INFORMATION_SOCIETY

Library and Information Society

Notes Self Assessment

Multiple Choice Questions:
6. The year ...... is considered as the most significant year in the history of Library and
information science in India.
(a) 1933 (b) 1932
(c) 1930 (d) 1950
7. The Imperial Library was shifted to Delhi in the year:
(a) 1946 (b) 1945
(c) 1944 (d) 1940.
8. ...... was established on 3rd September, 1955.
(a) IASLIC (b) Imperial library
(c) National library (d) None of these.

5.4 International Federation of Library Associations
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading
international association of library organisations. It is the global voice of the library and information
profession, and its annual conference provides a venue for librarians to learn from one another. The
IFLA forum promotes international cooperation, research and development in all fields related to
library activities. A very important and close partner of the IFLA is UNESCO. Several of the
manifestos prepared by committees of the IFLA have been recognized as UNESCO manifestos.
IFLA was founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1927 when library associations from 14 European
countries and the United States signed a resolution at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the
Library Association of the United Kingdom. Isak Collijn, head of the National Library of Sweden,
was elected the first president. The first constitution was approved in Rome in 1929 during the
World Congress of Librarianship and Bibliography.
During the 1930s the first library associations from outside Europe and the US joined, these being
China, India, Japan, Mexico and the Philippines. By 1958 membership had grown to 64 associations
from 42 countries. A permanent secretariat was established in 1962. By 1970 there were 250 members
from 52 countries. The secretariat was moved to The Hague in 1971. By 1974 IFLA membership had
become virtually global with 600 members in 100 countries.
Membership criteria were expanded beyond library associations in 1976 to include institutions, i.e.
libraries, library schools and bibliographic institutes. At this time, the word Institutions was added
to the organisation’s name. Since then further new categories of membership have been created,
including personal affiliates. IFLA has now grown to over 1,700 members in 155 countries. It is
headquartered in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the National Library of the Netherlands, in The Hague.
In 1997, IFLA launched a special committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression
(FAIFE). The committee will advise IFLA on matters of international significance to libraries and
librarianship within the scope of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. FAIFE is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. FAIFE is the instrument of IFLA to promote the
intellectual freedom as a fundamental human right and the vital mission of libraries as gateways to
knowledge. It supports libraries and librarians in responding to attacks and limitations and
cooperates with other organisations addressing issues which may directly or indirectly affect libraries
and information professionals.
The mission of the FAIFE Committee and Office as stated in the 1997 resolution is “to advise IFLA
on matters of international significance to libraries and librarianship in regard to freedom of access

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