Each year on 10 December, Human Rights Day celebrates the adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 74 years ago, as we are reminded that ongoing challenges to freedom of expression mean these rights must be continually defended. From challenges to library collections in regions around the world to geopolitical conflicts, the future of the human rights agenda is far from certain. In a recent interview, Suzanne Nossel from PEN America summed up why this is happening, and the implications,
“at this point I think what we see is a really aggressive counter movement to rewrite the rules, to undercut the norms, to put forward an alternative vision of international order that doesn’t have human rights as an important precept. That alternative order has some appeal in some parts of the world because there is so much uncertainty about what it means to respect freedom of expression in the digital age.”
Libraries, librarians, and their collections have been a frequent target of repression in 2022, as they organised and adapted to address the challenges of the day
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine displaced library staff and damaged libraries and collections. Librarians established efforts to save physical and digital cultural heritage, and adapted library buildings to serve as shelters;
- Amid the energy crisis in the UK, public libraries have scaled up “warm space” programs for citizens struggling to afford heating this coming Northern Hemisphere winter;
- Coordinated right-wing challenges in the US have resulted in librarians losing their jobs or resigning due to pressure to remove some material from collections. There have been collection challenges in multiple states. Some further examples are:
- The defunding of a public library in Jamestown, Michigan
- A librarian threatened with losing her job over a book display.
- Funding has been threatened due to resistance to censorship.
- Trends toward ‘challenged’ or restricted collections that require special permission to access.
- “Global internet freedom [has] declined for the 12th consecutive year”, according to Freedom House’s Freedom of the Net Report 2022. Comparitech released visualizations of online censorship in 175 countries.
- Internet blocks and shutdowns affected freedom of information in Eswatini following 2021 protests In June, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report outlining the impacts of internet shutdowns across 74 countries that have been documented by the #KeepItOn campaign since 2016.
As we celebrate Human Rights Day this year librarians in many places, in different ways, find themselves on the frontlines of human rights, supporting communities seeking uncensored information and safe space. We acknowledge each one of them, and look forward to advancing Human Rights in the coming year
The FAIFE Human Rights Working Group
Fiona Bradley
Buhle Mbambo-Thata
Meg Brown-Sica
Matt Voigts