The Association of Research Libraries represents 127 member institutions in Canada and the United States. Our shared vision is to create a trusted, equitable, and inclusive research and learning ecosystem and prepare library leaders to advance this work in strategic partnership with member libraries and other organizations worldwide. We operate by our values, focused on actions that reflect our commitment to inclusiveness and equity, academic/intellectual freedom, sustainability, human potential, and operational excellence.
Upholding these core values and reviewing IFLA’s code of ethics, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), an IFLA member, is deeply concerned about the decision to hold the IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) 2024 in Dubai and the impact of this decision on our professional community, particularly our LGBTQI2S+ colleagues—which contravenes ARL’s values and specifically IFLA’s commitment to “promote inclusion and eradicate discrimination.” While we fully appreciate the need to broaden the range of WLIC venues and reach communities outside the Global North, this should be done in a way that reflects our shared professional ethics and values.
We are particularly concerned about the danger that attendance would pose to individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, or two-spirit (LGBTQI2S+) in a country whose laws explicitly target these individuals.
We support the process of the IFLA Governing Board using the results of the recently deployed (July 2023) poll of members to determine the location of the 2024 WLIC. We further urge the IFLA Governing Board to consider local legislation and policy in selecting future sites for the Congress. If IFLA honors its stated core values, we request an explicit set of criteria be developed and agreed to by the Governing Board in selecting sites that allow for the safety of all attendees and full participation without fear of reprisal. Should IFLA choose to hold the WLIC in Dubai, we also recommend that, in light of Dubai’s discriminatory laws, it should be stated by IFLA that the usual expectation for Standing Committee members to attend is explicitly suspended for WLIC in 2024.
