Incoming President Closing Ceremony Speech, IFLA WLIC 2025

Abstract

The Incoming President’s Closing Ceremony address at IFLA WLIC 2025 acknowledges the leadership of outgoing President Vicki McDonald and the collective achievements of the Federation over the past two years. It celebrates the success of the Congress in Astana and expresses gratitude to the National Committee, volunteers, staff, and global participants. Looking ahead, the speech outlines the priorities for the 2025–2027 term, including bold advocacy for libraries, implementation of the IFLA Strategy 2024–2029, financial sustainability, governance reform, and the new WLIC model. Emphasising the call to be Stronger, Bolder, Together, the address sets the stage for IFLA’s centenary in 2027 and reaffirms the role of libraries as essential, resilient, and innovative contributors to global and local communities.