IFLA and UNESCO are therefore excited to announce the start of a new chapter in library advocacy with the launch of an updated IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto.

This announcement follows the endorsement of the updated text by the UNESCO Information for All Programme Bureau on 18 July 2022. Following the virtual consultation on the IFLA Manifesto 2022 launched on Monday 18 July 2022 and completed on Tuesday 19 July 2022, the IFAP Bureau has voted with unanimity to endorse the IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022.

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Updated Concepts

The updated manifesto upholds libraries as agents of sustainable development through their position as publicly accessible spaces for the exchange of information, the sharing of culture, and the promotion of civic engagement.

This includes highlighting inclusion, access, and cultural participation for marginalised communities, Indigenous peoples, and users with special needs.

It reflects the public library’s role in helping all members of society access, produce, create, and share knowledge.  This includes an increased focus on remote and digital access to information and materials, as well as access to the competencies and connectivity required to bridge the digital divide. The update stresses the development of media and information literacy and digital skills in the spirit of equipping informed, democratic societies.

The updated text further states that libraries underpin healthy knowledge societies through providing access to and enabling the creation and sharing of knowledge of all sorts, including scientific and local knowledge without commercial, technological or legal barriers.

It further states that, in the digital era, copyright and intellectual property legislation must ensure public libraries the same capacity to procure and give access to digital content on reasonable terms as is the case with physical resources.