JOINT PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release

23 August 2001
IFLA General Conference
Boston, MA, USA
 
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the International Publishers’ Association (IPA) have established a joint steering group to work together on matters of common interest.
 
The group has now met three times. It has agreed the following mission statement:
 
“Recognising that publishers and libraries share the common objective of the transmission of information from the author to the end-user, the mission of this Group is to improve library/publisher relations throughout the world through cooperative initiatives and ongoing dialogue and communication for the mutual benefit of the two communities. As technological developments are changing the way both communities operate, it is important to identify and promote areas of synergy and discuss ways to address divergences.”
 
The Group of eight members is co-chaired by Ingrid Parent, member of IFLA’s Executive Board and Herman P. Spruijt, member of IPA’s Executive Committee.
 
Ingrid Parent said: “With many interests in common in the areas of the production, dissemination and preservation of both traditional and electronic publications, it is very encouraging to participate in this group. We are engaged in open and ongoing dialogue in order to strengthen cooperation and to find workable solutions.”
 
Herman P. Spruijt said: “During the last decade, the roles, responsibilities and expectations of publishers and librarians have become unclear, which created real and imagined controversies. It is essential that publishers and librarians meet on a regular basis to re-explore a common ground. The joint IFLA/IPA Steering Group is an excellent initiative offering publishing and library representatives eminent opportunities to exchange views and ideas in an encouraging positive atmosphere.”
 
Areas of work identified by the group include:
 
Sharing of information on activities in favour of freedom of expression and cooperation in protests against obstructions to the principle
Support by both organisations for action to promote zero or reduced VAT rates for books and electronic publications
Exchange of statistical information
Exchange of views and information on deposit and archiving of electronic publications
Clarification of the price components of electronic publications
Participation in metadata and Digital Object Identifier (DOI) activities
Exchange of views on electronic interlibrary document delivery.
 
It is also planned to work towards the drafting of a joint statement on copyright aimed at promoting agreed principles within and beyond the IFLA and IPA memberships.
 
— ENDS —
 
Information for Editors
The membership of the Group is:
IFLA: Ingrid Parent, IFLA Executive Board (National Library of Canada), Co-Chair Claudia Lux, IFLA Executive Board (Zentral-und Landesbibliothek, Germany) Sandy Norman, IFLA Copyright and other Legal Matters Committee  (Copyright consultant, UK) Ross Shimmon, IFLA Secretary General
 
IPA: Herman P. Spruijt, IPA Executive Committee (Publisher, the Netherlands), Co-Chair Ted Nardin, Chairman, Professional and Scientific Publishers Group, Association of American Publishers (Mc Graw-Hill Companies, USA) Lex Lefebvre, Secretary General, STM Benoît Müller, Secretary General, IPA
 
You can download the statement as a pdf.