Human rights are intrinsic to libraries embodying the essence of democracy, knowledge dissemination, and equitable access to information. At their core, human rights advocate for the inherent dignity and equality of all individuals, while libraries serve as beacons of intellectual freedom. They play a vital role in advancing other fundamental human rights, such as the right to education and the right to participate in cultural life. Through their collections, programs, and services, libraries facilitate lifelong learning and promote literacy, empowering individuals to fulfill their potential and contribute meaningfully to society.
In well-functioning democracies, libraries are not just repositories of books. At their core, they are inclusive spaces that uphold the right to access information regardless of one’s background, socioeconomic status, or beliefs. Libraries aspire to provide platforms for individuals to explore diverse perspectives, engage in critical thinking, and participate in democratic processes. Libraries also uphold the right to privacy, with librarians adhering to professional ethics that prioritize patron confidentiality, ensuring that individuals can seek information without fear of surveillance or judgment. This commitment to privacy is essential for fostering trust and promoting freedom of thought and providing a means for uninhibited inquiry.
However, the realization of human rights in libraries is under threat. Censorship pressures have become a significant challenge on a global scale. In an increasingly polarized society, libraries face demands to restrict or remove materials deemed ‘controversial or offensive’ by certain groups and political figures. Balancing the principles of intellectual freedom and inclusivity with the responsibility to provide a safe and respectful environment requires thoughtful policies and procedures.
Additionally, digital divides exacerbate inequities in access to information, posing a particularly pressing challenge in an age where technology plays an increasingly central role in information dissemination and access. Disparities in internet connectivity, digital literacy, and access to devices create barriers for underserved populations, perpetuating existing inequalities. This divide is felt most keenly in libraries loin the Global South, where in addition to these issues of infrastructure, materials necessary for scientific inquiry often lie behind expensive paywalls with restrictive copyrights. Libraries play a vital role in bridging these divides by offering public access computers, interlibrary loans on a global scale, technology training programs, and digital resources tailored to the needs of diverse communities.
To effectively address these challenges, libraries must adopt a stance of continual adaptation and innovation, remaining responsive to the evolving needs of their patrons and communities. Embracing emerging technologies, advocating for Open Access, experimenting with new service models, and fostering a culture of inclusivity and accessibility are essential strategies for ensuring that libraries remain vibrant hubs of information and knowledge for all. By resisting censorship pressures, and bridging digital divides, libraries can uphold their core values of intellectual freedom and inclusivity while advancing the realization of human rights for everyone.
Beyond Article 19 [Elektronisk resurs] libraries and social and cultural rights / edited by Julie Biando Edwards and Stephan P. Edwards
ISBN: 9781936117192
From the publisher: Beyond Article 19: Libraries and Social and Cultural Rightsaddresses the subject of libraries and cultural rights, a topic that has received relatively little attention in the past, but which librarians and others concerned with human rights are beginning to recognize and talk about. Librarians have long been concerned with individual rights and have worked tirelessly – indeed making it a basic tenet of the profession – to protect and preserve those rights. Little has been written about the role that libraries can play in protecting and promoting group rights, specifically cultural rights. This book will examine this shortfall by exploring the relationship between libraries, cultural rights, and community life and identity. Taking both a theoretical and practical approach to the issue, this book will argue that libraries play a significant role in protecting, promoting, and even symbolizing not only the rights of the individual, but also the rights of the community. This collection of essays will clarify these issues, underscore their importance and significance, and lay the groundwork for further inquiry.
Librarianship and human rights : a twenty-first century guide / Toni Samek.
ISBN: 9781843341468
On the RWI Shelf: 61:1 SAM
From the publisher: In this book, the reader will encounter a myriad of urgent library and information voices reflecting contemporary local, national, and transnational calls to action on conflicts generated by failures to acknowledge human rights, by struggles for recognition and representation, by social exclusion, and the library institution’s role therein. These voices infuse library and information work worldwide into social movements and the global discourse of human rights, they depict library and information workers as political actors, they offer some new possibilities for strategies of resistance, and they challenge networks of control. This book’s approach to library and information work is grounded in practical, critical, and emancipatory terms; social action is a central pattern. This book is conceived as a direct challenge to the notion of library neutrality, especially in the present context of war, revolution, and social change. This book, for example, locates library and information workers as participants and interventionists in social conflicts. The strategies for social action worldwide documented in this book were selected because of their connection to elements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) that relate particularly to core library values, information ethics, and global information justice.
Perspectives on Libraries as Institutions of Human Rights and Social Justice / John Carlo Berdot
ISBN: 9781786350589
From the publisher: Academic, public, school, and special libraries are all institutions of human rights and social justice, with an increasingly apparent commitment to equality, to ethical principles based on rights and justice, and to programs that meet needs related to human rights and social justice. Key topics at the intersection of information, human rights, social justice, and technology include information access and literacy, digital inclusion, education, and social services, among many others. Edited by Ursula Gorham, Natalie Greene Taylor, and Paul T. Jaeger, this volume is devoted to the ideals, activities, and programs in libraries that protect human rights and promote social justice. With contributions from researchers, educators, and practitioners from a range of fields, this book is an important resource for library professionals in all types of libraries, a reference for researchers and educators about all types of libraries, and an introduction to those in other fields about the contributions of libraries to human rights and social justice.