VIAF Council

Purpose

The VIAF Council provides guidance on the policies, practices, and operation of VIAF, including developing policies on the eligibility and selection of new VIAF Contributors. The Council advises OCLC on VIAF’s service features and supported data formats, and it promotes the effective and appropriate use of VIAF. OCLC maintains the hosting, software, and data for VIAF. The VIAF Council may conduct other VIAF business as required.

Membership and leadership

Every VIAF Contributor may appoint a voting representative to the VIAF Council. OCLC also appoints one liaison.

The Council is headed by the elected Chair. This person transitions into this role after serving a year-long term as Chair-Elect, and the transition usually takes place during the VIAF Council Annual Meeting scheduled with the IFLA World Library and Information Congress. Each year, the Council elects a new Chair-Elect, who serves for a year before becoming Chair.

Chairs:

• [no chair] (2024)
• Ahava Cohen, National Library of Israel (2023)
• Rania Osman, Bibliotheca Alexandrina (2021)
• Vincent Boulet, Bibliothèque nationale de France (2020)
• William Leonard, Library and Archives Canada (2019)
• Ricardo Santos Muñoz, Biblioteca Nacional de España (2018, Interim Chair)
• Marta Cichoń, Biblioteka Narodowa (2018)
• Ricardo Santos Muñoz, Biblioteca Nacional de España (2017)
• Beacher Wiggins, Library of Congress (2016)
• Vincent Boulet, Bibliothèque nationale de France (2015)
• Brigitte Wiechmann, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (2014)
• Vincent Boulet, Bibliothèque nationale de France (2013)
• Barbara Tillett, Library of Congress (2012)