The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) has produced another significant international milestone for school libraries in the publication of the new IFLA School Library Guidelines. This achievement is thanks to the hard work of a team led by Barbara Schulz-Jones and Dianne Oberg, and has involved collaboration with many colleagues around the world through numerous workshops and meetings, substantive discussion and ongoing feedback. The editors are indebted to the contributions of members of the Standing Committee of the IFLA Section of School Libraries and the executive board of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL), as well as the other members of the international school library community who shared their expertise and their passion for the project.

These guidelines constitute the second edition of the IFLA ‘School Library Guidelines’. The first edition of the school library guidelines was developed in 2002 by the School Libraries Section, then called the School Libraries and Resource Centers Section. These guidelines have been developed to assist school library professionals and educational decision-makers in their efforts to ensure that all students and teachers have access to effective school library programs and services, delivered by qualified school library personnel.

This will provide a strong and flexible up-to-date framework for the ongoing development of school libraries across the world although it will require revision again in the future.

In the words of Ross Todd this document:

• provides a strong philosophical and empirical basis for the development of school libraries worldwide;
• articulates a strong coordinated and international voice, something that is so critical in the diverse educational contexts around the world;
• unifies, because it gives voice to transnational values that we hold very dear – a strong voice that can resonate across diverse cultural contexts and educational frameworks;
• provides wonderful flexibility for individual countries, regions, local contexts to establish their own vision, mission and strategic development plans that recognize where countries and regions are at, and the complexities that they face; and
• is such a strong foundation for the continuous development of libraries world wide.

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• IFLA School Library Guidelines [PDF]

To cite this document please use the following:
International Federation of Library Associations. 2015. IFLA School Library Guidelines.