Library Stat of the Week #34: Where there are more public libraries offering internet access, people with fewer formal qualifications face a smaller digital divide

In the last couple of posts, we have looked at the relationship between the availability of public libraries offering internet access and digital divides. Using data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), we have looked at gaps in levels of internet use among richer and poorer households, between older and younger people, […]

Library Stat of the Week #33: Where there are more public libraries offering internet access, gender and age-related digital divides are smaller

Last week was the first in a mini-series looking at internet access in libraries, and overall figures about who is – and isn’t – using the internet. As highlighted, the digital divide all too easily risks becoming a development divide. Those who cannot get online risk missing out on the services and opportunities that are […]

Library Stat of the Week #22: Where there are more public and community libraries, foreign-born, foreign-language migrants experience a smaller literacy gap compared to native-born, native-language peers

In our Library Stat of the Week mini-series on libraries and equality, we have looked so far at economic inequality, educational equality, and gender equality. Through different blogs, we’ve explored the interaction between these and numbers of public and community libraries and librarians. One factor which all too often correlates with poorer outcomes is immigrant […]

Library Stat of the Week #20: Countries with more public librarians have more adults engaged in non-formal education… but there is more to do!

In last week’s Library Stat of the Week (#19), we looked at the connection between literacy skills among adults and numbers of public and community libraries and librarians, finding a correlation between numbers of librarians per 100 000 people and numbers of adults with low skills. In general, more librarians tend to mean fewer adults […]

Government, Culture and Access: Where Did you Go, André Malraux?

The French Ministry of Culture is celebrating its 60th birthday. In its day, it was a rarity – indeed, France was the first major democracy to create one. Sixty years on, it is almost the idea of not having a ministry of culture, with a minister, that seems odd. Clearly governments were supporting different types […]

Are librarians non-playable characters?

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In IFLA’s advocacy work, two recurring phenomena point to a key challenge that we need to overcome.

Global MIL Week 2023: Meaningful cooperation is essential for success in digital spaces

For Global MIL Week 2023, we consider how the forthcoming UNESCO Guidelines for Regulating Digital Platforms could be made operational, how we could ensure multistakeholder participation, and how to grow recognition of the role that libraries play in building healthier information ecosystems.

Library Policy and Advocacy Blog

an informal forum for sharing ideas about the key policy and advocacy challenges and opportunities for libraries around the world

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