The hybrid 2021 Internet Governance Forum will take place both online and in Katowice, Poland, on 6-10 December. You can register today to follow and take part in important policy dialogues which have direct ties to and impact the work of libraries!

  • Public Access: Driving a Community-Based Development Model (9 December, 10:15-11:45 UTC)

As a founding member of the Dynamic Coalition on Public Access in Libraries, IFLA is co-organisind a thematic workshop around libraries’ digital inclusion work.

The session will explore how public access to the internet and ICT in libraries helps drive community-based models of connectivity and development. Experts from within and outside of the library field will weigh in on how connectivity and digital inclusion needs can be defined at a community level, what the known impacts and positive externalities of public access in libraries are, and what innovative approaches to public access exist today. Join the session through the IGF participation platform to find out more and share your own experiences with public access!

  • Libraries Helping Build a People-Centred Internet: Connectivity, Content and Competence (10 December, 09:00-10:00 CET)

We are also excited to invite you to an informal learning and exchange meeting co-organised by the Silesian Library and IFLA. The open discussion will explore the roles of libraries in building a people-centered internet and delivering on key connectivity targets – drawing on the experiences of  Polish and global library field members with digital inclusion work. You can tune in online via Zoom to follow and join the discussion!

DC-PAL will also take part in the Main DC Session on 8 December, 9:30-11:00 CET – to put into context how the Dynamic Coalition on Public Access in Libraries and other Coalitions contribute to key digital inclusion goals, and explore ways to boost cooperation efforts.

You are welcome to join in and explore the many different sessions and engamenent opportunities of IGF 2021– you can find the full schedule and the registration page on the IGF website.

You can also take a look at the easy guide on how to participate in the IGF online – it’s as simple as creating an IGF account, completing a quick registeration form for the 2021 IGF, and adding the sessions you are interested in to your personal schedule.

We hope to see you at the 2021 IGF!