At a side-event to the United Nations Science, Technology and Innovation Forum 2021 on 5 May, speakers shared their insights on where work is needed to ensure that openness acts as a driver of sustainable development.

This year’s UN Science, Technology and Innovation Forum took place on 3-5 May, focusing on the theme of ‘science, technology and innovation for a sustainable and resilient COVID-19 recovery, and effective pathways of inclusive action towards the Sustainable Development Goals’.

Bringing together stakeholders from across government, academia, business and civil society, it provided a space to discuss progress in realising the potential of science, technology and innovation in achieving the UN's 2030 Agenda.

In a side-event organised by IFLA, along with the UN Library and the Library of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (whose Director, Wouter Schallier, acted as moderator), speakers focused in particular on the promise of open access and science, and the steps needed to fulfil this.

In his introduction, Thanos Giannakopoulos, Director of the UN Library underlined that while at least in some countries and disciplines, large shares of research publications are already open access, this is not the case everywhere.

Moreover, as has been clear, the availability of accurate information is not necessarily a cure, in itself, for the prevalence of misleading information.

Omo Oaiya, Chief Strategy Officer of the West and Central Africa Research and Education Network, highlighted the importance of good internet connectivity to allow for more equitable participation in open science.

He also highlighted the need to develop open science in a way that respected local, national and regional preferences and ways of doing things, in order to ensure a strong sense of ownership.

Ellen Tise, Director of Libraries at Stellenbosch University, focused on the need to reflect further on business models in publishing which risked excluding developing countries, either though high subscription prices, or high article processing charges.

She noted that a key goal was to find a way of sustaining local journals and repositories, for example in Africa, which were best placed to promote local research and innovation.

Jonathan Hernandez-Perez, Researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, echoed this emphasis on promoting models of open access publishing that promote a diversity of contributions, drawing on long-standing work on information diversity.

In particular, action was needed to avoid dominance by one language leading to the devaluing of research in other languages, for example through lower impact factors.

Dilara Begum, Chair of the Department of Library and Information Studies at East-West University, Dhaka, focused on the importance of accompanying the availability of materials with a drive to build information literacy skills.

The need to build such competences had been made clear by the pandemic, and in particular by the emergence of the ‘infodemic’. In addressing this, libraries could play an essential role.

Juan Miguel Diez-Jimenez, UN Information Centre for the Caribbean, presented the Verified initiative, which provided set of resources both to encourage people to double-check what they read, as well as to provide responses to common misconceptions.

The initiative has had a major impact, thanks to its attractive presentation, translation into different languages, and responsiveness to developments. He encouraged libraries around the world to draw on the available resources as part of their own work.

Finally, Thanos Giannakopoulos presented about the work of the United Nations to develop its own repository as an easily used tool for accessing information about the organisation’s work, supporting both research and better information.

The complexity of the task at hand represented a major challenge, requiring careful thought about design and use of the latest technologies, offering valuable lessons about how to facilitate access to quality information.

Overall, there was agreement both on how important open access is as a driver of progress on the SDGs, but also strong awareness that realising its potential will require action and investment in a range of areas.

From enhancing connectivity to consideration of business models and their side effects, and from information literacy skills to the development of platforms and tools to support discovery, many elements need to be in place. Active and well resourced libraries can play a major role in making progress.

With less than ten years to go to deliver on the 2030 Agenda, it is high time to fill these gaps, and so ensure that openness can fulfil its potential as a driver of inclusive growth and resilience.

Watch the session on IFLA's YouTube channel.

From targeted digital skills coaching to providing an adapted and welcoming space for all - an IFLA-led workshop at the WSIS Forum 2021 examined good practices and key issues in leveraging public access to connect the more vulnerable or underserved user groups.

The World Summit on the Information Society Forum (WSIS) is an annual event bringing together diverse stakeholders to collaborate, exchange good practices, and create knowledge to leverage ICT for development.

As part of the Forum programme this year, IFLA organised a workshop on the role of public access to the internet and ICT in helping connect those most at risk of staying offline. Libraries have long worked to leverage public access to support equitable digital inclusion and access to information – and the session drew on these experiences to highlight good practices, key challenges and possible solutions.

Below are some of the key takeaways from the session:

A birds-eye view: public access in policy

Research by the Alliance for Affordable Internet, represented by Teddy Woodhouse, suggests that the availability of public access, and government support for public access solutions, show a consistent correlation with overall affordability of connectivity in a country.

Their publications highlight that public access is part of a comprehensive connectivity strategy. It can help generate demand for connectivity, build digital skills, and underpin a comprehensive network of connectivity points (especially for reliable, high-capacity connectivity) which users can draw on. Practical public access interventions from different countries illustrated how this can be leveraged to connect different underserved user groups.

Connecting older users – public access solutions on a wide scale

In a recent survey among public library users in Lithuania, more than 40% of older respondents living in rural areas said they do not have as many opportunities to go online outside of the library. To help connect such users, the work of public libraries with the “Connected Lithuania” project shows how public access solutions can be implemented and scaled up all across the country, as underlined by Simona Žilienė of the Lithuanian Library Association.

The project, co-funded by the EU and the Republic of Lithuania, focuses on building up users’ digital skills - particularly those from more vulnerable groups, like seniors or unemployed community members. Most public libraries have joined in since 2018, and at present around 100 000 adults have taken part and benefitted from digital skills learning opportunities in libraries. The project also saw the creation of the “community digital leaders” network, connecting more than 2 000 facilitators, many of whom are librarians.

Digital skills learning tailored for seniors

In Singapore, the National Library Board, represented by Grace Sim, has developed a multifaceted approach to supporting seniors in their digital journeys. It brings together three components – access to ICT, learning services, and spaces for peer learning and exchange.

The learning opportunities for seniors follow two strands – digital skills for life, and digital skills for work – and, in fact, libraries see a lot of interest from older users in advanced and emerging tech like AI or cloud computing. For example, 4-hour deep dive sessions about such emerging technologies for seniors attract 40-50 participants per event!

The experiences of libraries in Singapore emphasised the unique value of learning communities for senior users. There, they can learn with their peers, “demystify” tech, and explore it in a comfortable setting at their own pace – which can be particularly important for any seniors who might see digital skills learning as more intimidating or daunting.

Public access in more remote areas – towards equity and wellbeing

In Argentina, the Library of the National Congress of Argentina, represented by Isela Mo Amavet, has for many years worked with two initiatives offering remote public access: Bibliomóvil, a mobile bus, and the Sanitary Train. Both projects leverage ICT to help bring educational, cultural, and wellbeing services and events to more remote areas and locations outside of the bustling cities.

For example, the Bibliobus makes it possible to hold film screenings so that residents of more remote areas can enjoy same experiences as those who can more easily drop by a movie theater. Importantly, when preparing a visit, library professionals closely collaborate with local stakeholders to develop services and events which best meet local needs. This also illustrates the capacity of public access solutions to be tailored to local context, demand and needs.

Meaningful access to information and overcoming the gender divides – BSW’s IdeasBox4Women

Looking at another key underserved user group, BSF-Librarians Without Borders, represented by Muy-Cheng Peich, shared their experiences with working to broaden and facilitate access to knowledge and information for women.

Several years ago, BSF launched a study to better understand the gender skew in the use of their IdeasBox multimedia centers. This helped identify a range of barriers that impeded women and girls’ participation – psychological, logistical, social. BSF developed a range of interventions – from training facilitators to organising workshops that help meet women’s information needs – to address these challenges.

These experiences emphasised how important it is to identify underlying reasons for exclusion in a given context, and to tailor solutions in a way which is sensitive to and follows the lead of local knowledge, context, and culture.

Key takeaways:

• From taking responsibility for logistical arrangements to developing tailored learning opportunities, public access facilities can be customised to meet the needs of underserved and vulnerable user groups.
• The social element of public access can be an important benefit! Peer learning and positive role models can encourage and support users from more vulnerable groups, who may otherwise be more hesitant to engage.
• Understanding the underlying barriers and tailoring solutions to local needs, following the lead and knowledge of local actors, helps contextualise public access solutions and initiatives. And partnerships can be a powerful tool to maximise impact!

You can find the recording of this session, as well as other WSIS Forum workshops and content, on the WSIS Forum 2021 Digital Agenda.

Beginning of 2021, the European Union has launched a consultation on the availability of non-printed works in accessible formats for people with disabilities in the single market.

Therefore, in collaboration with the Library Services to People with Special Needs section, IFLA gathered and shared evidence about the degree to which people with disabilities are able to use accessible-format works in the EU.

This survey comes almost 10 years after the Treaty of Marrakesh was signed by members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), mandating exceptions and limitations to copyright for the benefit of people with print-disabilities, and four years after legislation was passed within the EU to implement its provisions. Both the Treaty, and the European legislation, leave open the possibility to extend the definition of beneficiaries to people with other disabilities.

In its response, IFLA has highlighted that while some works are accessible, disparities between countries mean that not all European citizens have the same opportunities.

For works such as audiobooks, printed works (for people with other than visual disabilities), sound recordings, audiovisual works, images, sculptural and architectural works, video games, software, IFLA has found these works were either not available at all, or only available with limitations in accessible formats. When these accessible-formats did exist, they were generally difficult or very difficult to obtain.

IFLA also mentioned that the COVID19 pandemic had had a significant negative impact on people with disabilities. Libraries often have had to close their doors, making it impossible for people with disabilities to access works. In addition, we fear that the economic impact of the crisis could reduce or cut funding for accessibility.

We have also pointed out that libraries have difficulty finding born-accessible works as production is considerably limited. As a result, they are working to create accessible formats, notably by circumventing - where legally permitted at the national level - technological protection measures. 

We hope that this consultation will start meaningful work in the European Union to expand the range of people who can benefit from Marrakesh Treaty provisions, and so move closer to the equal access to information envisaged in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

IFLA’s response to the EU Consultation on availability of works.

The recording of IFLA’s virtual event, Libraries Inspire Engagement in Cultural Heritage, is available now!

This event, presented by the Cultural Heritage Programme Advisory Committee, invited four speakers from different types of memory institutions to share their experiences, both working with their institutions’ collections themselves, as well as with their visitors, with community groups, and with the larger public to help people experience, appreciate, learn from, and share cultural heritage

The stories shared during this programme were diverse and inspirational. We hope these stories encourage viewers to explore ways to bring their institutions' collections to life and help their communities engage with their cultural heritage in meaningful ways.

Watch the recording here.

Visit our webpage to learn more about cultural heritage at IFLA.