To serve August 2023-August 2025
(and subsequently as IFLA President August 2025-August 2027)

Voting begins 13 March 2023. Eligible voters have until 12:00 CEST on 12 April to cast their votes.

The role

The President-elect is an elected position to the Governing Board. As a Governing Board member, the President-elect is responsible, alongside other members, for the management of the Federation, overseeing governance, financial and professional matters, ensuring sustainability, and developing and overseeing the strategic direction of the Federation.

The President-elect will have additional duties associated with their role, including deputising for the President where necessary, and taking on added representation work and speaking commitments. Consequently, the position of President-elect also involves a significant amount of travelling, speaking commitments and representation and therefore demands strong employer and other support.

When the President-elect becomes President, they will lead IFLA and be its chief representative to governments, allied industry, and national and international organisations and bodies. The President-elect chairs the Governing Board and presides over the General Assembly, and work closely with the Secretary General to advance the Federation’s goals.

The position

Positions available: one (1)

Term of office: two (2) years. Subsequently becomes IFLA President.

Nominations

Nominations required: ten (10)

Who can nominate: Members and Affiliates

Eligible nominees: Anyone. Candidates do not have to be an IFLA Member or Affiliate and if elected, are elected in their own right and not as the representative of their employer or nominator.

Expectations of Candidates

Skills and attributes: A candidate for this position should be able to demonstrate:

  • Expertise, experience and interest in/across the library field.
  • Experience in management and governance at a senior level.
  • An experience of strategic planning, implementation and review processes.
  • An understanding of organisational financial planning, fundraising and risk management.
  • Proven leadership skills, be an experienced communicator and networker with an ability to leverage networks and have an interest in library politics and advocacy.
  • Willingness and ability to devote time and energy to the role – this is usually several hours per week.
  • Time allowance to prepare and attend meetings of the Governing Board, and financial resources to attend at least the IFLA annual Congress.
  • An ability to act with respect, trust, confidentiality and transparency within the Governing Board and recognise the need to protect personal and privileged information. They must declare any conflicts of interest and abstain from discussions where they have a conflict or potential conflict of interest.

Candidate statement: A statement of up to 1,000 words is requested with the nominee consent form.

Elections

Elections in writing will be held.

Who can vote: Members

How do I find a nominator?

Check the list of IFLA Members and Association Affiliates found on the Membership page. Contact IFLA members in your country or region and ask if they are willing to nominate you.

How do I submit my nominee form?

Those wishing to stand as a candidate will need to submit a nominee form for this position. This should be done once nominators have been found. In this form you will be asked to provide a 1,000 word statement describing how you demonstrate the skills and attributes required.

A nomination only becomes valid when there is a match between the number of required nominations and a completed nominee form.

More information

Learn more about the remit of the Governing Board in Article 14 of the IFLA Statutes.