Die IFLA in Deutschland

Susanne Seidelin

IFLA/FAIFE (Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression)
IFLA Positions and Initiatives
The Ethics of Librarianship. An International Survey

By establishing the IFLA/FAIFE Office (Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression) in 1998 IFLA did not only put emphasis on the question of intellectual freedoms but also on the issue of actions taken when these freedoms are violated.

The three presentations on IFLA/FAIFE related issues at this seminar will focus on the vision and priorities of IFLA/FAIFE for the next three years. We will touch upon some of the results of our initiatives and cooperation with other international human rights bodies such as Amnesty International, The American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom and IFEX.

FAIFE is an IFLA Core Activity and IFLA positions and initiatives are closely connected with our objectives. This is reflected in mutual initiatives with regards to high priority areas such as the restrictions on free access to Internet accessible information. Some of the results of the focus on the Internet are the PhD project, the IFLA Statement on Terrorism, the Internet and Free Access to Information, and the ongoing work on developing the IFLA Internet Manifesto and International Guidelines.

In 2001 IFLA/FAIFE published the first World Report on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom. Though we would welcome more countries to contribute, the report represents the first attempt to collect information and map the state of affairs in regard to free access to information around the globe.

This year IFLA will celebrate its 75^th anniversary and IFLA/FAIFE its 5^th. The IFLA Statement on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom adopted in 1999 will thus become the basis for the development of a new IFLA declaration to be adopted at the Glasgow Conference.

Some countries have recognized the need to develop ethical guidelines for the daily work in libraries - librarians’ ethics or codes of conduct. An international survey The Ethics of Librarianship is an updated presentation and analysis of librarian ethics in more than 15 countries across the world. The last presentation will introduce the book that will be published this year and is expected to be a helpful contribution to the debate of ethics.