The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) Article 27a states that “everyone has the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits”. This is a principle also held up by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union Article 22 and 25.

In the light of this, and on the occasion of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, the European Parliament has passed a resolution on analysis on access to culture in the European Union: Structural and financial barriers in the access to culture. This is based on a proposal from the Culture and Education Committee, itself the product of extensive discussions within and between European Parliament committees1, including the High-level conference ‘Cultural heritage in Europe: linking past and future’, and a European Parliament Research Service report.

IFLA has produced a valuable guideline which offers a number of key quotes and arguments from both the report for libraries and library associations to use in their advocacy around the importance of libraries in overcoming barriers to access to culture.

Download the briefing on how libraries overcome barriers to access to culture here.