Our participation to Mozfest was a blast. We met new people and learned a lot from them. Read about the experience and learn the new web literacy tools Mozilla made available to all.

One of the world’s leading events for promoting an open Internet, Mozfest took place in London from October 27 to the 29th.  IFLA was there for a second time. The event was filled with lectures, informal meetings, hands-on-activities and a flurry of inspiring, interesting people and projects. The 2017 edition highlighted the importance of collaboration across disciplines, borders and continents to support the open internet movement in guarantying access, affordability and inclusiveness of the net.

Mozilla Executive Director Mark Surman’s opening remarks were compelling. “From fake news to online harassment and global cyberattacks — together, with an eye toward practical, open source solutions, we can build a better internet for all”. He reminded us that discussions about the state of the web should include all stakeholders at all levels. Engineers should act alongside teachers, and lawmakers work with community organizers and artists to build a better, more democratic Internet. Collaborative efforts for an open Internet was the common thread for most events. In the Big Open fringe session, some of the key promoters of openness – Mozilla fighting for an open internet, Wikimedia calling for free knowledge, and Creative Commons helping everyone to share their work – explored the opportunities to join forces.

The events reflected this collaborative and collegial spirit. Libraries were well represented and reported about misinformation and fake news as well as about privacy with a compelling data detox kit. As a broad, and collaborative movement, members of the Mozilla movement show a similar desire to work together and health each other as libraries. Their work on web literacy is particularly relevant, with options for libraries to reach out to adopt and adapt their tools. Libraries have certainly got a strong ally in efforts to build an open Internet by default.