Updated Public Library Manifesto 2022 generates global and national impact on public libraries

UNESCO’s Information for All Programme (IFAP) and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) recognize the critical role that libraries play in fostering information literate societies and have been advocating for the implementation of the IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022.  

The Manifesto which was updated in July 2022, is a vital tool for promoting and strengthening the role of public libraries in enhancing access to information and knowledge.

Thanks to the efforts of IFLA's translation centers and the participation of volunteers, the Manifesto is now accessible in 18 languages, including Albanian, Assamese, Bengali, Burmese, Catalan, Croatian, English, Finnish, French, Hindi, Korean, Latvian, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Spanish, Serbian and Portuguese.

The updated IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto reflects the changing technological and societal landscape while retaining public libraries’ original purpose, making it a valuable resource for library professionals and institutions worldwide. The updated Manifesto has been included in various documents including:

• IFLA's Guidelines for Library Services to Prisoners as a foundation for prisoner library services.
• Diputació de Barcelona’s 2023 Action Plan to update their 2014 Public Library Social Value assessment.

Strasbourg's World Book capital application, highlighting the social value of Strasbourg’s city libraries.

The IFLA-UNESCO Manifesto has also had a significant impact on national-level advocacy efforts worldwide. In France, the Manifesto has been used as a framework for promoting the social value of Strasbourg city libraries, with a presentation made during a workshop preparing the city's role as World Book Capital 2024.

In Finland, the Manifesto has been promoted in various contexts, including lectures to Library and Information Science students, putting the Manifesto in the context of library legislation, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the new EU Work Plan for culture, and in advocacy with upper-level decision-makers.

In Croatia, creative advocacy efforts are being planned, such as posting a quiz on the website with questions related to everything that public libraries do and creating a comic based on the Manifesto in easy language.

In Sweden, a webinar for Swedish and Norwegian librarians has been organized to promote transnational advocacy efforts.

In Spain, the advocacy efforts of the updated Public Library Manifesto have yielded fruitful results. A session was held in Catalonia, open to all professionals and institutions involved in the management of public libraries, promoting the new Manifesto.

In addition, a Round Table on Cultural Rights was organized, highlighting the importance of the Manifesto in this context, and providing a Toolbox for its use. As a result, library managers have started incorporating the new Manifesto into their Library Plan. The strategic Library Plan of Barcelona 2030, for instance, already takes into account the updated Manifesto. Professionals have also recommended holding a practical workshop to deepen the Library Model that reflects the Manifesto, which will take place at the next FESABID Conference 2023 for professionals in Spain.