IFLA: International Advocacy Programme

Address the information gap of library workers at community, national and regional levels Build capacity among public library workers to advocate within their communities Increase participation of public library representatives in advocacy Programme goals

IAP will focus on the regions of Africa; Latin America and Caribbean; and Asia and Oceania, with some activities in Europe Will commence with regional advocacy agenda setting, followed by implementation in targeted countries Start/end dates –Implementation will scale up in remainder of 2016 –Programme concludes August 2018 Scope of the programme

The library field will be able to meet their community needs and increase commitment by policy makers, helping libraries address two substantial challenges: The contribution of libraries to development (national development plans; the SDGs); The shift from a print to a digital environment What will success look like

Library leaders understand the issues in the information environment that affect libraries; Librarians can anticipate and respond to the changing environment and the opportunities to get involved according to their own priorities and context; Library organisations have the skills to assess their needs, to advocate for libraries at different levels, and to engage stakeholders within and beyond the library field; Libraries are included in national development plans; Stories and data about the role of libraries in development help to influence the international agenda. Potential Outcomes

Issues could include, but are not limited to: –Aligning public libraries with government priorities and community needs –Demonstrating the contribution libraries make to regional and global development agendas –Promoting public access to ICTs and digital inclusion –User-generated content, Open Access, eBooks and eLending, public access to research and scientific data and information, online privacy and freedom –Legal issues such as licensing and copyright Some of the issues the programme aims to address

Programme structure High level meetings Africa LAC Asia & Oceania Europe International Advocacy Monitoring & Evaluation Regional workshops Regional Advocacy Agendas & Workplans 1 per region and/or sub- region Country projects Number varies by regional needs Regional projects Number varies by regional needs

Implementation: –Builds on BSLA as the foundation –1: High level meeting to develop a regional advocacy agenda –2: Regional workshops –3: Country projects –4: Links to international advocacy –5: Impact assessment IAP Activities

IAP will build on the capacity building approach and materials used in the Building Strong Library Associations programme We expect that some of the countries that will participate in IAP have previously worked with IFLA through BSLA, other countries will not have participated in BSLA How is BSLA related to IAP?

High-level meetings bring together influential experts from the library community Meetings produce advocacy agendas that identify regional issues and builds consensus among participants about priorities for IAP 1. High-level meetings and advocacy agendas

Each advocacy agenda will be supported by a workplan that: –Identifies priority actions –Agrees on coordination across the region, which actions are for IAP, and and which may be implemented by other organisations –Outlines the process for endorsement of the Advocacy Agenda document within the region –Provides input to the IAP Steering Committee on implementation method and timing –Identifies experts in advocacy and public libraries from the region to serve as advisors and trainers Advocacy Agenda Workplans

22 leaders from across the continent developed a regional advocacy agenda over the next 10 years Based on inputs including Aspen report, Africa Union 2063, 2030 Agenda, Africa Library Summit outcomes Achieved consensus around 4 priorities (abbreviated): –Align public and community library services with government priorities and with community needs and issues; and development agendas; –Promote public access through public and community libraries to information in any format; –Demonstrate public and community librarians’ roles in developing local content using indigenous knowledge; –Promote a culture of reading, while recognizing the critical role of oral culture on the African continent. Example: Africa Advocacy Agenda

–Will include: Workshops on issues identified in the regional advocacy agenda Talks and sessions from experts on strategies to address these issues Advocacy and awareness-raising planning based on BSLA module Libraries on the Agenda An event for the local library community 2. Regional Workshops

After the regional workshops, countries will be chosen for national- level activities. Selection criteria will: –Show countries where they are at now –What they can aim for –And be flexible enough to identify a range of countries to participate at national level 3. Country projects

Applicants will be organisations at the national level in a country, working with or serving public libraries and their interests such as National Libraries, National Library Services, or Associations The following types of organisations will be eligible to apply, subject to other criteria (e.g. capacity): –National Library; –National Library Service; –National Library Association, or National Public Library Association, or a regional library association. Eligible organisations for country projects

Stories and outcomes from the regions will contribute to: Trend report, in depth analysis of information trends and their impact on libraries Representation, eg at at Internet Governance Forums to highlight the role libraries play as providers of public access to ICTs and the internet Key initiatives, including promote reading and literacy as an essential requirement for active participation in access to information in any format 4. Links to international advocacy

Decisions are increasingly being taken at the regional and national level – we need to engage both internationally and build capacity nationally to advocate for libraries National advocacy is important

We will assess the programme, activities and country projects to identify the difference the programme makes We will use this information to share learning across countries, and to adapt the programme to meet emerging needs over time 5. Impact assessment

AfricaHigh-level meeting Namibia Africa Advocacy Agenda endorsed Q3/4 regional workshops Q4 country- level activities begin Implementatio n continues Implementatio n continues, and assessment Asia and Oceania Sub-regional high-level meetings Q3/4 Country-level activities begin Implementatio n continues, and assessment Latin America and Caribbean High-level meeting Q3 Country-level activities begin Implementatio n continues, and assessment EuropeHigh-level workshop (TBD) Timeline

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