IFLA Toolkit for Library Engagement in Literacy and Reading Strategies

IFLA Toolkit for Library Engagement in Literacy and Reading Strategies

“Getting to know the contents of the gift package at Masaryk Public Library Vsetín ” by Michal Kovác, CC BY 4.0, https://bit.ly/2KRJSiRDiscovering the Content of a Library Gift Package for Young Parents at Masaryk Public Library Vsetín, Michal Kovác, CC BY 4.0, https://bit.ly/2KRJSiR

IFLA’s new toolkit aims to help library associations, institutions and individual library and information workers to advocate for libraries’ role in literacy and reading to be recognised in relevant national strategy documents.

Libraries play a major role in supporting literacy and reading through providing access to books and promoting a love of them throughout life.

Yet to realise their potential fully, libraries’ role needs to be recognised by governments, and integrated into broader literacy and reading strategies. This is the path to more effective partnerships, as well as adequate resources.

This  IFLA Toolkit aims to provide guidance and flexible materials for library associations, their members and the wider Library and Information Science (LIS) community when engaging with relevant public authorities in order to ensure this.

It focuses primarily at national-level strategies, and complements work elsewhere into developing strategies for libraries in particular. The toolkit includes chapters looking at how to structure an advocacy campaign around this, as well as arguments and evidence to use in order to strengthen your case. It also contains an extensive list of resources you can use.

It is – as the name suggests – a toolkit. Depending on the situation in your country – who is responsible for literacy, who pays, whether you have a strategy already – you will need different tools. You can therefore adapt this document, and make your own additions or variations.

For downloads and more information, go to https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/92449