When we talk about infrastructure, it’s easiest to think of things like roads, railways, bridges. Things that connect us together, allowing economies and societies to work. Things that serve many people, and many purposes, providing a basic service that you may take for granted when you have, but that you miss when you don’t. They […]
Read moreLibraries will be back again at the 2023 Internet Governance Forum, held this year in Kyoto, Japan, on 8-12 October. Under the heading ‘The Internet We Want’, the focus is in line with the new emphasis of what can and should be done, and by who, in steering the development of the internet. This blog sets out a number of issues to watch out for.
Read moreWhy US Courts consider public library as the “quintessential locus” of information in a free and democratic society. By Tomas Lipinski (Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) Anyone following recent library developments is the United States is likely to have seen legislative efforts in various states to restrict access to LGBTQIA+ or […]
Read moreThis blog starts from the fact that libraries find themselves having to make the case for funding and support to decision-makers with a wide variety of positions, and looks at what sort of arguments could work in each case. It is with thanks to Antoine Torrens-Montebello, who sparked the idea for it.
Read moreGuest post by Ed McKennon Library Faculty, Glendale Community College Amnesty International USA Working Group for Banned Books Each year in late summer, in preparation for the American Library Association (ALA) Banned Books Week campaign, I take the opportunity to review the Amnesty International Banned Books Week materials which offer a fascinating glimpse into global […]
Read moreWith over half of 2022 already passed, and the northern hemisphere at least about to go on, or already enjoying holidays, it’s a good moment to look ahead to some of the major advocacy opportunities that will happen in the second half of the year.
Read moreThe forthcoming update to the IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto re-examines the role of the public library – expanding on previous versions to more thoroughly reflect the ways libraries serve their communities today. Preview some of the updates elements here.
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