International Activities

The National Library of Australia is a logical conduit for Australian libraries and librarians who wish to participate in the international library community and for overseas libraries and librarians who wish to make contact with their colleagues and counterparts in Australia. The Library aims to maintain and develop a significant presence in the international library and research community in the context of Australia's longer-term foreign policy, trade and humanitarian objectives.

The Library is also regarded by Australian government agencies and other countries as a dependable source of advice and assistance. Regional library linkages are an essential element in Australia's drive towards broad regional integration, and the fostering of regular contacts and mutual trust, friendship, sensitivity and understanding between Australia and its Asia/Pacific neighbours.

Regional Cooperation Program
The National Library's Regional Cooperation Program (RCP) operated for some years, following support given by the former Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Malcolm Fraser, for a program to distribute Australian books to the national libraries of Australia's neighbouring countries. The RCP program is no longer operating, but some assistance to regional libraries is still provided on a less formal basis.
Conference of Directors of National Libraries
The CDNL is an independent association of chief executives of national libraries, established to facilitate discussion and promote understanding and cooperation on matters of common interest to national libraries worldwide.
NLA Regional Office, Asia (Jakarta)
The National Library of Australia’s Regional Office is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Its Regional Officer is attached to the Australian Embassy as First Secretary (Library Cooperation). The Officer manages the Library’s Indonesian Acquisitions Program as well as undertaking a variety of liaison and representational activities in Indonesia and the region.
Libraries Australia Asian languages content
The Libraries Australia service includes records for over 600,000 items in Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages, with information about where they are held in Australia. All records have Romanised data in the major fields such as author, title and imprint, and it is possible to restrict search results by language. All major Australian collections of CJK library resources are represented in Libraries Australia. From 2006, Thai script is also supported.
Libraries of Asia Pacific
The Libraries of Asia and the Pacific Directory is an initiative of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries of Asia and Oceania (CDNLAO) which is supported by the National Library of Australia. The goal of the website is be a single access point for retrieval of information about the functions, services and collections of Libraries in Asia and the Pacific region. Regional libraries are welcome to add their details to this site. For advice on how to do this please email lap@nla.gov.au
UNESCO 'Memory of the World' Program
The twofold purpose of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme, launched in 1992, is to safeguard and promote the endangered world documentary heritage.
Two items from the collections of the National Library of Australia have been added to the Memory of the World Register. These are the papers of Eddie Mabo, and the Endeavour Journal of Captain James Cook. The Memory of the World Register is available online.
An Australian Memory of the World program has been set up.
IFLA Preservation and Conservation Core Programme
IFLA is a worldwide, independent, non-government organisation with a constantly growing membership now standing at over 1,300 in more than 130 countries. Its members are library and related associations, libraries and similar institutions, institutional affiliates, and personal members. It is registered in the Netherlands as an Institutional Association. The aims of IFLA are to promote international cooperation, discussion, and research in all fields of library activity.

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