The Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career Development Fellowship Program

The Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career Development Fellowship Program provides early career development and continuing education for library and information science professionals from countries with developing economies. Sponsored by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and OCLC, the program has welcomed nearly 100 emerging library leaders from more than 40 countries.

Program overview

The program gives Fellows opportunities to meet with leading information practitioners and explore topics including information technologies, library operations and management, and global cooperative librarianship.

The Fellows visit many libraries, cultural heritage institutions and library organizations. They also observe OCLC's governance structure in action, gaining insight into issues affecting the global library cooperative. In addition, Fellows give presentations about their home countries and libraries and discuss real-world solutions to the challenges facing libraries today.

The Fellows then translate their learning and experiences into specific professional development plans that guide their continued growth as well as their personal contributions to their home institutions and country of origin.

In 2020, the focus will be on celebrating the contributions of the Fellows who have participated in the program the past two decades and considering new opportunities for scaling library learning and fostering global collaboration in today’s environment. There will not be a call for 2020 applications.

General inquiries

For general inquiries about the program, contact Nancy Lensenmayer, Program Director, OCLC Education and Professional Development.

Resources

Articles

Celebrating 20 years of the IFLA/OCLC Fellowship Program | Next | 27 August 2019
Inspiring breakthroughs in librarianship worldwide | Next | 28 April 2017
Inspiring breakthroughs in global librarianship – hopes, dreams, insights | Next | 10 August 2016

Videos

2018 Fellows video, highlights Fellows sharing experiences in global librarianship.
2017 Fellows video
2015 Fellows video in which the 2015 Fellows describe "one of the best opportunities available for librarians."
Interview with IFLA/OCLC Fellow J.K. Vijayakumar, who highlights how being part of the Fellowship Program has helped him with his career and how it has inspired him. He is now the Library Director of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia.
Interview with Rashidah Bolhassan, from Malaysia, who was part of the very first IFLA/OCLC Fellows class. She is now the CEO of the Sarawak State Library in Malaysia.