Author Archive for esmeralda

What is the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and why libraries should get involved

There is little doubt about the importance of human rights in the library world. Outside too, few will dismiss them openly, even if their actions speak differently. However, there are concerns about their enforcement – what use are principles if they are not turned into reality? Many countries have of […]

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Personal Identifiable Information and Archiving For The Public Interest

 “There is no political power without control of the archives, if not of memory. Effective democratization can always be measured by this essential criterion: the participation in and access to the archive, its constitution, and its interpretation.” Jacques Derrida Archives and libraries are important memory institutions. Their role in documenting […]

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Community network and libraries. A short film in Spanish

– [English] Community networks and libraries, a short film I’m David [1], a Colombian librarian doing research at the Conector Foundation [2]. For some years I have been following the possibilities of work between community networks and libraries. It turns out that in large cities it is very easy to […]

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A reflection on Banned Books week

When we use the verb banned in a sentence, we immediately imagine something legally or officially prohibited, something that is not accessible, an item, a space, an idea not suitable for all. But, when we think of a book, our minds are filled with the possibility of reading: the exploration, […]

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The Power in Our Collections: Data Ethics and Libraries

Supporting research has long been a core part of libraries’ mission. By collecting and giving access to information, they give scientists and researchers much of the raw material for their work. To use a (double) metaphor, they are the stepladder up to the giants’ shoulders from which Newton claimed to […]

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3D Printing in the Library: Do be aware, but no reason to scare. A Legal Risk Assessment by Tomas A. Lipinski

Libraries have traditionally acted as facilitators of access to information. In this role, libraries serve as intermediaries not gatekeepers or watchdogs. Libraries diffuse the use of new technologies to their patrons, empowering and unleashing the potential of human mind. The law generally views such intermediaries, especially libraries, not as primary […]

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Acknowledging Indigenous Rights and the Role that Libraries Can Play in Creating Change by Robyn Gray

IFLA’s Advisory Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression created the blog “SpeakUp!” to encourage people to reflect on human rights within daily life and work.[i] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that every human being regardless of race, colour, and religion are entitled to […]

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Human Rights as a Foundation for Practice by Susan Maret, Ph.D.

Human rights are “rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status” (Office of the High Commissioner, 2018). In this post to SpeakUP!, I suggest that human rights instruments serve as a foundation for empowered […]

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Promoting Information Access – and Creation – in All Mother Tongues by Laurie Bridges

The Internet has allowed for a giant leap towards overcoming the challenge of information scarcity. By almost eliminating (marginal) distribution costs, and through rapidly growing server capacity around the world, it has never been so easy to get hold of so much information.  However, this is meaningless if the information […]

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Human Rights and People with Special Needs

The IFLA Section for Library Services to People with Special Needs (LSN) welcomes this new FAIFE blog on the 70th anniversary of the UDHR. For many years now, our section has been considering library services for people with special needs a human rights issue. Our work and publications reflect that […]

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