Submitted by Marilyn Graves, Regional ILL Librarian, NOBLE, Danvers

Getting from IFLA vouchers to Baghdad

Several months ago we received a request for a book written in Italian: Lavagne, Henri. Mosaèique. Italian Il mosaico attraverso i secoli. It was not available in WorldCat/OCLC.

Regional ILL Centers Memorial Hall Library (Andover) Phone: 978-623-8401 x15 Fax: 978-623-8406 E-mail: region@mhl.org http://www.mhl.org/ill NOBLE (Danvers) Phone: 978-777-8844 Fax: 978-750-8472 E-mail: noble_ill_center@noblenet.org http://www.noblenet.org/ill

I sent an email to the ILL-L listserv (an internationally monitored Library list for Interlibrary Loan). Two days later I received a message from Biblioteca A. Frinzi Università degli Studi di Verona, Ravenna, Italy, saying they would lend this title. That was good news. It was going to cost 1 IFLA voucher. IFLA (The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), founded in 1927, is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession. Its primary aim is the endorsement of the principles of freedom of access to information, ideas and works of imagination and freedom of expression embodied in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In an effort to facilitate the international borrowing and lending of materials they have developed a set of guidelines for ILL and a way to purchase and use a voucher for payment. Again I went to the ILL-L listserv. To my amazement, I was contacted by a library in the Midwest saying they had vouchers and they would send me one at no cost. How generous! So this ILL request was filled, paid for and everyone was happy. The ILL community is great and this is what makes doing a sometimes routine job worthwhile.

Processing this request made me aware of the global community of libraries. There seems like no better time to be aware of IFLA, given the recent events in Iraq. It never dawned on me to be concerned for the National Museum and Library in Baghdad. And as we have seen in the past month there was great reason to be concerned. The looting and destruction of the Museum and Library is devastating for the global library community.

Today a letter was circulated on the ILL-Listserv from Maurice J Freedman, President of ALA. He recommended an article about the looting by Frank Rich and commented "I also believe that it is absolutely essential, as a member of an association that represents what I have worked and advocated for during my 38 years as a librarian, that the Association take cognizance of what the role of a democratic government is when it comes to preserving libraries in the U.S. and elsewhere, including Iraq. "

I hope we never see the day when the principles of freedom of access to information are destroyed and I think it essential as library professionals we work to preserve those freedoms as well as preserving the physical resources of our global cultures.

Here is a page from Vassar College about the destruction with links to articles and information.