Environment, Sustainability & Libraries Section, Knowledge Management Section and Information Technology Section - IFLA

Theme: “Building the future together to support the SDGs: Collaboration beyond library borders“

Introduction

IFLA’s SCITECH section invites proposals for case studies to be presented at our open session during the IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Astana, Kazakhstan, 18-22 August 2025.

The session aligns with the WLIC 2025 theme of Uniting Knowledge, Building the Future and IFLA’s commitment to supporting the UN Sustainability Development Goals. in the following two ways: Advancing Open Science and Shaping the Future Through Policy and Engagement.

The intersection of knowledge management, technological advancement, and sustainable development is becoming increasingly crucial in the pursuit of global well-being. Libraries play a major role in this endeavour and can reach outward to unite the necessary knowledge to create strategic alliances with interested parties. The SCITECH section is calling for papers that explore the synergistic role of libraries in collaboration with university research offices, local governments, Information Technology units, administrative departments, and other entities outside libraries to support and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We invite in-depth case studies that highlight successful collaborations between libraries and other knowledge, information technology, and funding entities to facilitate effective interdepartmental cooperation and provide strategies for leveraging library resources to support research and innovation aligned with SDGs. This could also include best practices for the dissemination of research outputs that influence policy and practice, emerging technologies and IT solutions in libraries that enhance access to and preservation of information, innovative approaches to expand resource availability through collaborative initiatives, or overcoming barriers in resource sharing to support a global knowledge exchange system.

Case studies should address what your library did, who did it collaborate with, who was the intended audience, what challenges were encountered, how were they overcome, and how was impact measured and assessed.