1. World Summit on the Information Society & Impact on Libraries
Joel Shoemaker
LIS 760
18 july 2015

2. WSIS? World Summit on the Information Society
Who Should I Start? (fantasy football)
Waste Stream Information Sheet
White Smoke Identification System (US Navy)
Workplace Safety and Insurance System (Canada)
Whiplash Shaken Infant Syndrome (child neurology)
WSIS. (n.d.) TheFreeDictionary.com. (2015). Retrieved July from

3. #spoileralert Annual Forum WSIS +10 Advocacy
Bridging the Digital Divide
Providing Internet Access to All

4. 1st Phase – Geneva - 2003 Declaration of Principles - 67
B2-23. “…In disadvantaged areas, the establishment of ICT public access points in places such as post offices, schools, libraries and archives, can provide effective means for ensuring universal access to the infrastructure and services of the Information Society.”
B3-26. “…Public institutions such as libraries and archives, museums, cultural collections and other community-based access points should be strengthened so as to promote the preservation of documentary records and free and equitable access to information.”

5. 1st Phase – Geneva – 2003 (continued)
Plan of Action – 29
B6-d. “to connect public libraries, cultural centres, museums, post offices and archives with ICTs;”
By 2015
C4-11c. “Promote e-literacy skills for all, for example by designing and offering courses for public administration, taking advantage of existing facilities such as libraries, multipurpose community centres, public access points and by establishing local ICT training centres with the cooperation of all stakeholders. Special attention should be paid to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.”
C8-23b. “Develop national policies and laws to ensure that libraries, archives, museums and other cultural institutions can play their full role of content - including traditional knowledge - providers in the Information Society, more particularly by providing continued access to recorded information.”
C8-23c. “Support efforts to develop and use ICTs for the preservation of natural and, cultural heritage, keeping it accessible as a living part of today’s culture. This includes developing systems for ensuring continued access to archived digital information and multimedia content in digital repositories, and support archives, cultural collections and libraries as the memory of humankind.”

6. 2nd Phase – Tunis – 2005
Tunis Agenda for the Information Society – 122
90. “We reaffirm our commitment to providing equitable access to information and knowledge for all, recognizing the role of ICTs for economic growth and development…”
By 2015

7. 2nd Phase – Tunis – 2005 (continued)
90k. “supporting educational, scientific, and cultural institutions, including libraries, archives and museums, in their role of developing, providing equitable, open and affordable access to, and preserving diverse and varied content, including in digital form, to support informal and formal education, research and innovation; and in particular supporting libraries in their public- service role of providing free and equitable access to information and of improving ICT literacy and community connectivity, particularly in underserved communities.”

8. ICT? Information and Communication Technologies
“…refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications. It is similar to Information Technology (IT), but focuses primarily on communication technologies. This includes the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums.”
ICT. (January 2010). TechTerms.com. (2015). Retrieved July from

9. Impact on Libraries
“We always thought communication a human need - now we know it is a human right.” – ITU Tunis Slogan
Protecting Cultural Diversity
Many States a Restricted Freedom of Information
No real resolution to at LEAST two of three Tunis goals
Governance and Future Financing (the third: follow-up on Geneva)
Mahnke, C. (2006). WSIS, IFLA, UNESCO and GATS: Networking for libraries on an international level. Library Hi Tech, 24(4), doi:

10. Impact on Libraries (continued)
Adama Samassekou, president of the WSIS Preparatory Committee, “…Its aim is to define nothing but the future of humankind."
Libraries find themselves featured in many parts of agenda and outcome- setting documents during the first phase
Geneva does not address solutions to any real, pressing issues of concern
Kaser, D. (2004, 02). World summit embraces open access, libraries. Information Today, 21, 1-1,27. Retrieved from

11. Impact on Libraries (continued)
UNESCO and Sun Microsystems announce partnership at WSIS 2009 Forum
OpenOffice
Improve education
Promote inclusion
Provide access
UNESCO partnering with private enterprises
Ashling, J. (2009, July). Russia, Saudi Arabia, Korea, and Canada unveil new libraries. Information Today, 26, Retrieved from

12. Ongoing Efforts
“…they [principals, actions, declarations] must become better known so that the funding agencies for the information society, whether they be government or private enterprise, will become more aware of libraries' achievements and the services they provide in making knowledge and information available, and therefore be encouraged to fund future activities.”
Haavisto, T. & Lor, P. J. (February 2006). IFLA in action at WSIS. Retrieved from: