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 worldwide. CDNL meets annually, usually on the Tuesday of the week of the IFLA conference. The annual meeting is hosted by the National Library of the country which hosts the IFLA conference. The Chief Executive or Director of the national library of every country is a member of CDNL as of right. Members may be represented at the meeting by their deputies. The Statutes and Rules of Procedure below were revised in 2023.
HISTORY OF CDNL
CDNL was set up in 1974 to discuss policies and carry out activities that could be performed most effectively by national libraries, on the understanding that its work would be coordinated with the IFLA section of National Libraries. It grew from a rather loose organization in the late 1970’s to a much more structured body in the 1990’s. Under the presidency of Marianne Scott, the National Librarian of Canada, CDNL established its present statutes and rules of procedure, which gave the organization a much clearer and stronger foundation for its activities.
The statutes were revised again in 2008, to allow countries to nominate additional non-voting representatives from organizations having a status equivalent to national libraries. They were further revised in 2023 to include gender neutral language, align governance committee terms with similar organisations and to clarify financial responsibilities.
cdnl.info 