Introduction: The Role of Professional Associations
A profession is defined by several key attributes, including a specialized body of knowledge, a service orientation, and the existence of formal professional associations. These associations are powerful forces that represent the voice of the professional community, and their role is vital to the progress and development of the library and information science (LIS) field. They serve as a forum for collaborative and coordinated efforts, as professional issues with wide-reaching concerns cannot be handled by an individual or a single institution. The strength and effectiveness of these associations reflect the solidarity of their members working toward a common cause.
General Aims, Roles, and Functions
Library associations are established by and for professionals to serve the needs and protect the interests of their members while also serving the broader needs of the nation. Their key aims and functions include:
- Promoting the Library Movement: They work to spread the public library movement, make the public "library conscious," and advocate for the enactment of public library legislation.
- Providing a Common Forum: They offer a platform for LIS professionals to exchange information, ideas, experiences, and expertise. This is often achieved through conferences, seminars, and lectures.
- Professional Welfare: Associations work for the betterment of salaries, grades, service conditions, and the status of library professionals by representing them to government bodies.
- Setting Standards and Ethics: A core function is to set and maintain standards of excellence by formulating guidelines, codes of practice, and a code of ethics for professional conduct.
- Manpower Development: They contribute to professional development by organizing education and training programs, promoting research, and offering awards and incentives.
- Publications: A major activity is publishing professional literature such as journals, newsletters, conference proceedings, and reference books to disseminate information.
International Associations
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
- Overview: IFLA is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the profession, founded in 1927 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its headquarters are located in The Hague, Netherlands.
- Core Values: IFLA's aims are to promote international cooperation, research, and development in the LIS sector. Its core values include endorsing freedom of access to information (as per Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and ensuring universal and equitable access to information for all people.
- Organization: IFLA’s membership includes association members and institutional members with voting rights, as well as personal affiliates. Its governing structure includes a General Council, a Governing Board, an Executive Committee, and a Professional Committee. Its professional work is organized through Sections grouped into eight Divisions, including three Regional Sections for Africa, Asia & Oceania, and Latin America & the Caribbean. It also has Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for emerging issues like E-Learning, Library History, and the Semantic Web.
- Activities & Publications:
- IFLA General Conference: An annual conference held in a different city each year, where delegates exchange experiences and debate professional issues.
- Core Activities: These address internationally important issues and include Preservation and Conservation (PAC), IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Bibliographic Standards (ICABS), IFLA UNIMARC, and the Action for Development through Libraries Programme (ALP). It also has committees for Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) and Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM).
- Publications: IFLA disseminates its work through publications like the quarterly IFLA Journal, the IFLA Publications series, and IFLA Professional Reports.
- International Cooperation: IFLA has formal relations with UNESCO and observer status with the UN, WIPO, and ISO, and works with other bodies like the International Council on Archives (ICA) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) through the International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) to protect cultural property at risk.
Association for Information Management (ASLIB)
- Overview: Originally founded as the Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux in 1924, ASLIB is now known as the Association for Information Management. Its members are companies and organizations worldwide concerned with managing information resources efficiently.
- Objectives: Its key roles are to stimulate awareness of good information management, represent and lobby for the interests of the information sector on issues like copyright, and provide information-related products and services.
- Activities: ASLIB's main functions are consultancy, publications, training, and recruitment. It has a Consultancy Group for projects, publishes the magazine Managing Information, offers extensive training courses, and runs a professional recruitment service for various LIS roles.
International Federation for Information and Documentation (FID)
- Historical Significance: The sources mention FID as a historically important institution in library cooperation. In 1895, Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine attempted to compile a world index to published information from the forum of FID. This venture ultimately produced the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC), which was based on the DDC. The organization was later known as the International Federation for Information and Documentation (FID) but was closed in 2000.
National Associations
INDIA
Indian Library Association (ILA)
- Overview: The ILA is the largest and premier professional body in India, founded on September 13, 1933. From its inception, it has been central to the library movement in the country.
- Objectives: Its aims include promoting the library movement and legislation, improving library services and education, and bettering the salaries, service conditions, and status of library personnel.
- Activities:
- Conferences: Holds an All India Library Conference every year, which includes a national seminar on relevant themes.
- Publications: Publishes the quarterly Journal of Indian Library Association and the monthly ILA Newsletter.
- Advocacy: The ILA actively pursues professional issues with the government and the University Grants Commission (UGC). It is represented on official bodies like the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) and the National Book Trust (NBT).
- Cooperation: It plays a leading role in the Joint Council of Library Associations (JOCLAI) and represents Indian professionals at IFLA, having hosted the IFLA General Conference in Delhi in 1992.
Indian Association of Special Libraries and Information Centres (IASLIC)
- Overview: Founded in 1955 and headquartered in Kolkata, IASLIC was formed to serve the needs of special libraries and information centers, similar to ASLIB in the UK and SLA in the USA.
- Organization: Its work is distributed among seven divisions, including Education, Information Service, and Publication, and it has Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in areas like Humanities Information and Industrial Information.
- Activities:
- Conferences: Holds a biennial seminar and conference in alternate years.
- Publications: Its official organ is the quarterly IASLIC Bulletin (since 1956). It also publishes the monthly IASLIC Newsletter and the annual Indian Library Science Abstracts.
- Specialized Services: IASLIC undertakes document translation, bibliographical compilations, and consultancy services on a non-profit basis.
- Cooperation: It maintains a healthy relationship with ILA and was a leading part of JOCLAI. It is also represented on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) committee for Documentation and Information.
USA
American Library Association (ALA)
- Overview: The ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world, founded in 1876 with its headquarters in Chicago.
- Objectives: Its goals are to increase awareness and support for libraries, update the image of libraries and librarians for the 21st century, and promote the contributions of all library staff.
- Organization: It has a complex structure with 11 divisions focusing on specific areas like college and research libraries, public libraries, and library and information technology. It also has numerous offices, round tables, and committees.
- Activities:
- Conferences: It holds a large annual conference each June, attended by over 25,000 people, and a Midwinter Meeting in January.
- Publications: The ALA is a major publisher, bringing out serials like American Libraries and Book List, as well as books and promotional materials through ALA Editions and ALA Graphics.
- Awards and Advocacy: It has an extensive awards program recognizing distinguished service and provides grants for research and professional development. Its International Relations Office coordinates its global activities, including partnerships and support for international librarians.
UK
Library Association (LA) / Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP)
- Overview: The Library Association (LA) of the UK merged with the Institute of Information Science in 2002 to form the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), which is now the leading professional body for LIS professionals in the UK.
- Objectives: CILIP aims to set and promote standards of excellence, support equality of access to information, and enable its members to achieve the highest professional standards.
- Activities:
- Education and Training: This is a key focus area. CILIP provides a wide range of training courses and a professional development framework that includes Certification, Chartership, Fellowship, and Revalidation. It has also designed a Professional and Skills Base (PSKB) to outline the knowledge and skills required by professionals.
- Publications: It publishes the CILIP Update magazine and is a major book publisher through its commercial arm, Facet Publishing.
- Information and Advice: It provides members with support on professional issues, an employment law helpline, and access to online databases like Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA).
- Advocacy: CILIP is active in policy areas such as copyright and intellectual property and has developed a set of Ethical Principles and a Code of Professional Practice for its members.
- International Relations: CILIP is an association member of IFLA and has relations with other bodies like EBLIDA (The European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations) and UNESCO.