The aim of the Israeli Center for Libraries is to advance and foster libraries, librarianship, information science and the culture of books and reading in Israel.
The Center is an independent body specializing in supplying professional service to libraries, librarians, those dealing with information and the publishing industry.
In addition, we also initiate literary activity to advance Israeli authors and their works, at the core of Israel's cultural life. For the past 35 years the Center has continuously provided services and products to more than 5,000 libraries and organizations and to over 6,000 librarians and Information Specialists on-line across the country.

History and policy

The Israeli Center for Libraries was established through the cooperation of the Department for Libraries in the Ministry of Education and Culture and Israel Librarians and Information Specialists Association and The School of Library, Archive and Information Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It is based on a Scandinavian model of a national roof organization that looks after the joint interests of all the libraries.
The Center functions in a competitive environment and its expert staff offers continuous professional updating and an answer for all needs. Development of cutting-edge work tools in an age of perpetually changing work environments is one of the Center's basic aims.
Our guiding principles are set by a board of directors staffed by academicians prominent in their fields, directors of libraries, publishers and public figures. Policies are coordinated with national development projects.
The Center is a non-profit organization and has the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport.

Areas of activity

Bibliographical databases - To produce, update and maintain bibliographical databases, professional cataloguing and professional Classification of books published in Israel since 1948, and on-line support services.
Guidance and in-service courses - Information is our future. Experts give specialized courses in all relevant fields.
Conferences - We produce the most important annual professional conferences in Israel - MultInformation for librarians and the library directors' conference.
Professional publications - Publication of periodicals and professional literature on information and librarianship.
Library depot -We supply furniture and additional equipment for libraries - off-the-floor or made to order.
Ascola - Round table forum for librarians Information Specialists, which serves as an interactive lever for the exchange of information and ideas and for support.
Literary projects - The encouragement and direct support of writing and the production of manuscripts, periodicals and translations, along with the purchase and distribution of the books to libraries.
Among the projects: translation of great literary works, popular literature, children's books in Arabic, Jewish religious books, books for the Druze and Circassian populations, books on dance and music, etc.
Publishers - The Center is the sole representative of the international organizations that assign: ISBN for books, ISSN for publications and ISMN for musical works.