IFLA/UNESCO Internet Manifesto workshop, Saint Petersburg

On 12-14 May 2009, the National Library of Russia in Saint Petersburg ran stage one of multistage seminar on the IFLA/UNESCO Internet Manifesto Guidelines. Organizing and methodical support was provided by IFLA and SIDA (the Swedish International Development and Co-operation Agency). Stage one involved a three day program which included an electronic resource training program, and a workshop led by the Chair of IFLA’s Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) Committee, Professor Paul Sturges, and IFLA’s Senior Policy Advisor, Stuart Hamilton. Similar seminars have been held in 2009 in Peru  and in Philippines.  Sessions were led by key information access experts well-versed in advanced information technologies and national information development trends.

The workshop was designed to improve librarians’ knowledge of Internet potentials and dangers, services provided for significant social information, improvement of individual information culture, exercise of free information access and expression rights.

In stage two of this project, participants will return to their regions to hold more workshops on the Internet Manifesto for their colleagues over the next four months. The participants will reconvene in December for stage three where impact of the project will be assessed and future activities decided. For more details on the May stage one workshop, please see the report.