International Association of Scientific and Technological University Libraries

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International Association of Scientific and Technological University Libraries

Logo IATUL
Abbreviation	IATUL
Formation	1955
Founder	Dr. Hemlin
Founded at	Düsseldorf, Germany
Type	Voluntary international non-governmental organisation
Purpose	Forum for the exchange of ideas relevant to librarianship in technological universities
Location	Worldwide
Membership	200

The International Association of Technological University Libraries (IATUL) was founded in Düsseldorf, Germany in May 1955, as an international forum for the exchange of ideas relevant to librarianship in technological universities throughout the world. IATUL is a voluntary international non-governmental organisation of a group of libraries, represented by their library directors or senior managers, who have responsibility for information services and resources management. The expanded name of IATUL was changed to the International Association of Scientific and Technological University Libraries at the 2009 General Assembly to reflect the broader range of institutions which now make up the membership of the association. In 2014, the name was changed to the International Association of University Libraries (IATUL), to include all university libraries.^[1]

IATUL is an excellent example of the development of an effective informal international network between libraries of similar type, with a common high level of professional expertise and offering a similar range of services to their users. Many of the members of IATUL provide services, not only to the teaching and research staff and students of their own university, but also to industrial organizations and national research institutions, in their respective countries.

The main objective of IATUL is to provide a forum where library directors and senior managers can meet to exchange views on matters of current significance and to provide an opportunity for them to develop a collaborative approach to solving problems. IATUL also welcomes organizations who supply services to university libraries into membership, if they wish to be identified with the association’s activities.

IATUL's mission statement is to create a one world library, one that offers a "High quality tertiary education, supported by university-level research that is the key factor in the further development of any part of our knowledge-driven global society".^[2]

IATUL also offers numerous services, which include an editing service, international research and study programme, travel grants, and special interest groups.^[3]