To support advocacy around the place of libraries in national and regional policy-making on information integrity, we are gathering examples of where governments are already recognising and supporting our institutions and profession. Deadline: 12 April!

With increasing attention on the concept of Information Integrity at the United Nations and beyond, there is potentially an important opportunity to highlight and celebrate the role that libraries can play in helping people to navigate the internet safely, confidently and competently.

Libraries are of course already doing a huge amount on the ground, with individual libraries and networks developing materials and offering support for users, not least in the context of the pandemic.

But what about if this role was recognised – and supported – at a higher level, such that of countries or states? Such a step would represent a welcome acknowledgement of libraries as drivers of systemic change, able to make things happen across a whole society or economy.

A recent publication from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) notes the examples of Portugal, Latvia, the Netherlands and Ireland, which have incorporated libraries into national planning and delivery of efforts to combat mis- and dis-information.

Ahead of the first of our series of regional webinars on information integrity on 7 March, we are calling on library associations and others to share insights into whether libraries are mentioned in relevant strategies or policies in different parts of the world.

This data will not only help us to engage with initiatives such as that run by the OECD or the process for implementing the United Nations’ Code of Conduct on Information Integrity, but also create advocacy tools that help libraries to convince governments to provide recognition and support.

Respond to the survey here.

Answers are welcome in particular from library associations, as well as anyone with knowledge of government policies, plans and strategies around the different aspects of information integrity (combatting fake news, addressing hate speech, promoting digital, media and information literacy, promoting the availability of reliable content or other). The deadline is 12 April