Join an open learning and exchange meeting to explore the experiences of Polish and global library field members with supporting digital inclusion!

Internet governance dialogues and practices increasingly recognise the importance of people- and human-centered approaches to tackling persistent digital divides. This perspective looks beyond the technical, focusing instead on how users experience and benefit from going online. It highlights a range of crucial considerations that shape people’s ability to meaningfully use the internet – including affordability, access to core e-services and relevant content, digital literacy, safety and trust, confidence, digital rights – and, crucially, prioritising underserved user groups.

Libraries’ work and initiatives to support digital inclusion can be a powerful tool to help address some of the key pillars of a people-centred internet. This includes free or low-cost public access to connectivity and devices, as well as outdoors public WiFi solutions they set up, access to digital content and e-services which meet the needs of their communities, and digital skills learning opportunities.

This event brings together library perspectives and experiences from Poland and around the globe – to facilitate learning and exchange around libraries’ work on access, content and competences as dimensions of people-centered connectivity.

Join the discussion on 10 December, 09:00-10:00 CET to take part!
Please register for the Zoom meeting at https://zoom.us/j/97801872589.

If you would like to join the meeting in person at Biblioteka Śląska (40-021 Katowice, plac Rady Europy 1), please let us know in advance – we will follow up with you directly to discuss how your attendance can be arranged safely).

Agenda

  • Introduction: the evolution of libraries’ roles in enabling digital inclusion – public, academic, National and beyond.
  • Poland in focus, from Gdańsk to Kraków: short interventions exploring library-based digital skills-building initiatives, Open Access and equitable access to content, and multi-stakeholder collaboration opportunities for digital inclusion.
    • Dr. Leszek Szafrański, Jagiellonian Library in Cracow
    • Joanna Chapska, “Hieronim Łopaciński” Regional Public Library in Lublin
    • Agnieszka Koszowska, Information Society Development Foundation
  • Global library field experiences: short interventions exploring library-based initiatives that bring together different elements of meaningful/people-centered connectivity.
    • Ramune Petuchovaite, Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL)
    • Sara Pek, National Library Board of Singapore (NLB)
  • Learning and exchange: an open discussion. What are the possible ways to scale and replicate good practices; what do libraries need to maximise the impacts of their digital inclusion interventions; and how can such solutions help achieve the international digital transformation and connectivity targets over the next 5-10 years? (e.g. Broadband Commission targets, UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation…)
  • What comes next? Practical ways to take forward the discussion and library digital inclusion efforts.

Moderators: Dr. Anna Wałek/Magdalena Gomułka/Valensiya Dresvyannikova

We look forward to welcoming you to the discussion on 10 December!