[Publib] Effective libraries vital to make poverty history

[Norman Horrocks]

PRESS RELEASE
Monday 4 July 2005
For immediate release  (Please copy to online discussion lists)

Effective libraries vital to make poverty history

Governments challenged to recognise role of libraries in sustainable economic development

Effective library and information services are vital in every country if the Make Poverty History campaign is to succeed, delegates to a major conference resolved last week.

At the closing plenary session of the biennial Umbrella conference in Manchester on July 1, delegates unanimously backed a resolution declaring their support for the Campaign and calling on the UK government to recognise and promote the essential role that library and information services would play.

"Managing a country's knowledge is no different from managing its other assets such as agriculture or transport," commented CILIP's President Debby Shorley after the resolution was passed.  "It needs properly qualified professional and paraprofessional specialists, and expert technical support, if it is to succeed."

Sending out a strong message both to the current G8 Summit and to the forthcoming World Summit on the Information Society, conference made clear that the developed world would be failing poor countries unless it took seriously their need to develop their own strong knowledge economies.  "Literacy and learning underpin all our aspirations, locally and globally, for ourselves, our communities and our economies, including equality, social justice and the eradication of poverty," the resolution said.

"Investment in telecommunications is not enough on its own, and the World Wide Web provides only a fraction of the detailed and complex scientific, technological and economic data that countries will need if they are to pull themselves out of poverty," Ms Shorley continued.  "If governments are serious about empowering countries to eradicate poverty, they must recognise the need for library and information services that are as effective as those we in the developed world take for granted."

Organised by CILIP Enterprises, part of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, the Umbrella conference attracted 800 delegates from around the world.  In addition, CILIP's International Division aims to encourage the UK government to recognise the value of library and information skills and activities in conducting foreign and development policy.

Contact: Tim Buckley Owen, Head of Membership, Marketing & Media.
Tel: 020 7255 0652.
Email: tim.buckleyowen at cilip.org.uk <Mailto:tim.buckleyowen at cilip.org.uk>

Notes to Editors

CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. It forms a community of around 35,000 people, of whom up to 23,000 are members of CILIP and 12,000 are customers of CILIP Enterprises.  Its members working in all sectors, including business and industry, science and technology, further and higher education, schools, local and central government, the health service, the voluntary sector, national and public libraries.  For more information, please go to www.cilip.org.uk.

The full text of the Resolution passed at the Umbrella conference reads:

'Whereas library and information services underpin information, literacy and the learning process; and whereas literacy and learning underpin all our aspirations, locally and globally, for ourselves, our communities and our economies including equality, social justice and the eradication of poverty; therefore be it resolved that this conference declares its support for the Make Poverty History campaign and calls on the UK government to recognise and promote the role of libraries in sustainable economic development.'

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