1 Date : 09/06/2008 Best practices: advocacy and leadership skills in the management of Library Associations: Experiences from West African Library Association Dr. James O. Daniel President, WALA; Secretary, IFLA Africa Section; Director Library and Information Services, National Mathematical Centre Chairman, Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN) National Mathematical Centre Lokoja Highway Sheda, Kwali Area Council PMB 118 Garki GPO Abuja Nigeria 900001 jimidaniel@yahoo.com Cell: +234 (0)8033116409; +234 (0)8078494847 Meeting: 83. Management of Library Associations, Continuing Professional Development and Workplace learning with ALP Simultaneous Interpretation: English-French and French-English only WORLD LIBRARY AND INFORMATION CONGRESS: 74TH IFLA GENERAL CONFERENCE AND COUNCIL 10-14 August 2008, Québec, Canada http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla74/index.htm Abstract This is a report of the IFLA/ALP supported workshop designed to examine the causes of poor or non- performance of national library associations in West Africa. IFLA/ALP/SIDA support was solicited to facilitate the meeting of all Anglophone West African countries with similar colonial backgrounds to examine the cause effect and solutions to our common problems under the auspices of West African Library Association (WALA) The meeting took place some time in 2007, guidelines were drawn and circulated for member countries implementation. Results and effects of these guidelines are part of the issues considered in this report as one of the successful ways IFLA/ALP/SIDA support has contributed to the development and growth of library associations and librarianship in this part of the world.