Library organisations IFLA UNESCO Professional organisations Trade unions

Library organisations IFLA UNESCO Professional organisations Trade unions 1

IFLA International federation for Library assiciations and organisations • • • Promote high standards of provision and delivery of library and information services Encourage widespread understanding of the value of good library & information services Represent the interests of our members throughout the world 2

IFLA members share experiences Berlin 2003 3

IFLA core values • We believe that people, communities and organizations need for their physical, mental, democratic • High quality library and information services help guarantee that access • We are committed to enabling library associations and institutions throughout the world, and their staff, to participate in the work. • We support and promote the principles of freedom of access to information ideas and works of imagination in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights • We recognize the rights of all members to engage in, and benefit from, its activities without regard to citizenship, ethnic origin, gender, language, political philosophy, race or religion. economic well-being, free access to information, ideas and works of imagination and 4

free access to information, ideas and works of imagination 5

UNESCO • Education Strategy • UNESCO is the United Nations’ specialized agency for education. Since its creation in 1945, the Organization has worked to improve education worldwide. • Its close links with education ministries and other partners in 193 countries put it in a key position to press for action. • Our vision UNESCO believes that education is key to social and economic development. We work for a sustainable world with just societies that value knowledge, promote a culture of peace, celebrate diversity and defend human 6 rights, achieved by providing Education for All (EFA).

UNESCO´s mission The mission of the UNESCO Education Sector is to: • Provide international leadership for creating learning societies with educational opportunities for all populations; • Provide expertise and foster partnerships to strengthen national educational leadership and the capacity of countries to offer quality education for all. 7

The six EFA Goals • Goal 1 Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children Goal 2 Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality. Goal 3 Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes Goal 4 Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults. • Goal 5 Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. Goal 6 Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. 8

UNESCO Public Library manifesto 1949, 1972, 1994 • “Freedom, prosperity and the development of society and of individuals are fundamental human values. They will only be attained through the ability of well-informed citizens to exercise their democratic rights and to play an active role in society. Constructive participation and the development of democracy depend on satisfactory education as well as on free and unlimited access to knowledge, thought, culture and information. • The public library, the local gateway to knowledge, provides a basic condition for lifelong learning, independent decision- making and cultural development of the individual and social groups. 9

• This Manifesto proclaims UNESCO's belief in the public library as a living force for education, culture and information, and as an essential agent for the fostering of peace and spiritual welfare through the minds of men and women. • UNESCO therefore encourages national and local governments to support and actively engage in the development of public libraries” 10

The public library The local center for information • equality of access for all, regardless of age, race, sex, religion, nationality, language or social status • Specific services and materials • all types of appropriate media and modern technologies as well as traditional materials. • No censorship, nor commercial pressures 11

The public Library Service: Guidelines for development, 2001 • Is it possible to produce guidelines and standards for public libraries that will have relevance world-wide? • What is the new role of the public library in an age of rapid and dramatic development in information and communication technology? • Does the public library even have a future, or is it a 19 th century institution which has no place in the 21 st century? 12

Guidelines for Collection can help in talking to the governers 13

Professional organisations • Swedish Library Association • The aim of the Swedish Library Association is - to promote an efficient and dynamic library system in Sweden of high standards - to promote the Swedish Library Law and work for its development - to promote the role of the libraries in the democratic process and to promote free access to information and freedom of speech - to promote all kinds of co-operation between all libraries and between libraries and other institutions in society - to promote information to science - to promote culture, reading and education - to rouse public opinion in favour of Libraries and to spread knowledge about the Swedish Library Society/the Swedish libraries - to stimulate debate and encourage exchange of experience within the library and information area - to promote education, lifelong learning, research and development within library and information studies - to arrange conferences, courses and seminars in the library and information area 14 - to strengthen and develop international co-operation

Trade unions • DIK The swedish union of librarians • 90% of educated librarians and information specialist in Sweden • Issues concerning its members´professionsl and ethical criterions, professional development, cultural policies, and information policies. 15

Code of ethics for librarians 16

The Swedish Library act • Section 2. Every citizen should have access to a public library. The public libraries shall work to ensure that data-based information is made available to all citizens. Every municipality shall have a public library. • Section 3. The public shall be able to borrow literature for a specified period from the public libraries free of charge. 17

• Section 4. There should be a county library in every county. There shall also be one or more lending centres for the provision of supplementary media. • Section 5. Within the nine-year compulsory school and upper secondary school there should be suitably distributed school libraries 18

• Section 6. There should be access to university libraries at all universities and university colleges. • Section 7. The municipalities are responsible for the public and school library operations. The county councils are responsible for the county libraries and for the libraries at universities and university colleges. • The state is responsible for other university libraries and university college libraries and for the lending centres 19

• Section 7 a. Libraries and library bodies within library services provided through public agencies should cooperate. Municipalities and counties shall adopt plans for library services. • Section 8. The public and school libraries shall afford particular attention to people with disabilities and to immigrants and other minorities • Section 9. Public and school libraries shall afford special attention to children and young persons by offering books, information technology and other media adapted to their needs. 20

• Section 10. County libraries, lending centres, university libraries and university college libraries, research libraries and other libraries funded by the state shall provide literature from their own collections free of charge at the disposal of the public libraries and otherwise co-operate with the public and school libraries and support them in their efforts to offer borrowers good library services. 21