SDG Engagement and Global Advocacy – Knowledge Sharing and Coordination

This project’s aim is to support libraries in Europe to strengthen their advocacy activities in the context of the SDGs and thus become more visible. It will do so by sharing knowledge and coordinating efforts with other stakeholders by supporting libraries in countries where voluntary national reviews on the implementation of the SDGs are pending and by examining ways to include library activities in programmes within the UN Economic Commission for Europe. 

Building Regional Advocacy Capacity

The working group seeks to develop the advocacy capacity of European regional libraries, library associations, and other key players through the creation and promotion of an “Advocacy Capacity-Building Reference Sheet.” The document will categorize existing IFLA advocacy materials, summarize their contents, and provide contacts for facilitating capacity building and experience sharing. The working group will then present and use the reference sheet to highlight specific advocacy issues within their countries.

Engagement in other Global Advocacy Priorities – Participation in Internet Governance Activities

This project will raise awareness of internet governance activities in Europe, particularly focusing on national and regional Internet Governance Forum meetings. A webinar will be held to introduce the IGF to participants, a calendar of relevant activities for 2022-2023 will be shared, and possibilities for library involvement will be discussed. The intention is to mobilise national associations to participate in national and regional IGFs, and to facilitate regional discussions on trends and direction of internet governance activities.

Supporting Outreach – Raising Awareness of the Revised IFLA Public Library Manifesto

This project will organize public discussions in every European country on the subject of new IFLA Public Library Manifesto. The main goal of this activity is to familiarize librarians in the field with IFLA and engage as many librarians as possible from all over Europe to participate in IFLA work and make them feel their opinions matter and their engagement is important. The webinars will be organized after WLIC, following the publication of an updated Manifesto by the Public Libraries Section.

Enriching the Library Map of the World – Europe 

European library associations are already strongly represented on IFLA’s Library Map of the World (LMW) but some countries are not currently participating, and data is oftentimes not up-to-date. This project will work to improve the LMW website, ensure all European countries are represented, and achieve a high number of country profile updates as well as collecting additional SDG stories to fully represent the library landscape of Europe on the map.