It is a great honour and special privilege for me to welcome you to the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) website.

AfLIA was founded in 2013, and was registered as an independent international non-governmental organization (NGO) under the laws of Ghana in October 2014. AfLIA is the trusted voice of the African library and information community in Africa’s development. It drives equitable access to information and knowledge for all. AfLIA believes in Professionalism and Inclusivity, Integrity, Transparency & Accountability, Innovation & Creativity, Customer focus and Access to Information as a Human Right. Indeed, AfLIA connect’s Africa’s library and information communities.

I believe that through the transformation and development agenda we can do more as Library and Information workers and professionals to improve on the current state of African libraries and librarianship on the continent and chart a very bright future for African Libraries and Information Services (LIS) in Africa.

Socio-economic, educational and political disruptions continue to challenge LIS delivery on the continent while the purpose and relevance of the African LIS sector and its position in a developmental agenda is questioned continuously, evidenced by, for example, budget cuts and inadequate funding for libraries. National and global development imperatives are being advocated through the United Nations Agenda 2030, AU Agenda 2063 and National Developmental Agendas. We look forward to working with colleagues on the continent to build their capacities to take hold of these agendas and to provide current cutting-edge services to meet the diverse information demands of our communities and thereby strengthen our position of relevance in national and continental development. With all hands on the deck, our profession and what we stand for will continue to soar, even beyond the shores of Africa.