EBLIDA Newsletter October 2019

The EBLIDA Newsletter is published monthly on European library & information society issues, programmes, news and events of interest to the library, archive and cultural heritage community.

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Issue No. 10. October 2019

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The President’s Editorial

Dear colleagues,

Yet another Newsletter issue devoted to Sustainable Development?

Absolutely, because after having released the new Strategic Plan and embedded it into the wider umbrella of Sustainable Development Goals in Europe, the EBLIDA Secretariat is starting to deliver. Two products are in the pipeline and are expected to be published on the Website at the end of the month.

The first product is EBLIDA Matrix, a selected list of European Union Programmes that can be used for Sustainable Development library projects in Europe.

This list is valid for all categories of libraries, but can also be exploited by museums, archives and all institutions operating in the field of culture and education.

In the near future, details of the EBLIDA Matrix will be unveiled as well as how librarians can best use it at all levels. The EBLIDA Matrix shows the uniqueness of the European approach and the amount of money the European Union is investing on sustainability – an amount which is expected to grow in the near future. It is up to European actors to turn these programmes, as well as those under the European 2020-2027 Structural Funds, into an action that meets sustainable development goals.

The second product is NewsGuard, a tool designed to combat false news, misinformation, and disinformation (fake news). NewsGuard does not work on the content of the news as algorithms normally do; it works on the context. NewsGuard evaluates the website of the media (press agency / newspaper / TV channel, or Internet source) delivering the news on several criteria which define the quality of information – and therefore how credible the media is. It is more about legitimisation and accreditation, than automatic filtering. Verification is done by professional journalists.

We also continue our tour of SDGs by focusing on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, and SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Awareness campaigns of prevention and special treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol, are often organised by libraries in collaboration with non-governmental associations. With the information provided within the EBLIDA Matrix, library administrators will get familiar with EU policy on Sustainable Development and its related indicators.

SDG 4 – Education for All – is a topical activity provided by libraries. Therefore, where do SDGs come in? Are we talking about old wine poured into new bottles? The answer is yes and no. Yes, because after all, activities taking place in libraries are sustainable by definition. No, because any of these activities has to go through what I would call an administrative culture of sustainability, the need of referring to policies of sustainable development and to the indicators assessing them.

Sustainability is not a process that is taking place aside and ahead of us. It is a process that is developing inside of us and now.

We are also starting to define a new communication plan. We wish to provide more services to our Members but do not want to restrict parts of the website for internal use.

EBLIDA is an open, transparent and forward-looking organisation and we are well aware that the brightest ideas may not always be produced by librarians themselves but by external organisations working in the non-profit and in the private sector with which we should cooperate. Therefore, we wish to communicate as broadly as possible. At the same time, we want to be accountable to our Members by providing not only background information for what we are doing, but also by making clear the stakes, the prospects as well as the risk factors implied in the activities we are carrying out. All this will be part of an internal Newsletter which will be distributed to our Members only.

While developing a sustainable society, we also wish to work for a sustainable EBLIDA.

Yours sincerely,

Ton van Vlimmeren
EBLIDA President

What does Advocacy on Sustainable Development Goals mean for EBLIDA?

For some people, advocacy for libraries conjures up a constant presence at the European Parliament or in European institutions, breathing down MEPs’ necks in order to explain the importance of libraries to society as a whole.

Lobbying is an important aspect of advocacy but Europe is much larger than the institutions confined into the small perimeter of the Brussels region. The European action is carried out by the European Commission in collaboration with the Council of European Union and the European Parliament.

The Council is the expression of the governments of EU Members States; it aims to compose national interests keeping in mind the higher European Goal. MEPs have their constituency in European regions.

Therefore, when it comes to special issues such as libraries, advocacy has to be carried out at three levels: European, national and local.

Last week Public Libraries 2030 organised Generation Code, a spectacular event which takes place at the European Parliament (more detailed information will be provided in the next Newsletter issue). Some libraries convened in Brussels and showed the advanced services they provide. A good number of MEPs visited the exhibition and had an in-depth understanding of what libraries do. This year Generation Code was particularly successfully being organised at the right time: librarians met a renewed European Parliament with half MEPs sitting in Brussels for the first time.

The advocacy carried out by EBLIDA is of a different nature. EBLIDA is a vast network of European library associations and institutions and the aim of the Secretariat is to serve this network in their needs, interests and expectations. When we come to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in European libraries two kinds of advocacy may be envisaged: vertical and horizontal.

Vertical advocacy consists of delegating to an organisation the task of presenting the interests of a professional category with European or international institutions. This organisation collects information from below, prepares tools aiming to diffuse best practices and undertakes, on behalf of the category, appropriate lobbying. It is an important aspect of library work.

What may be called advocacy from below is a different issue. It consists of empowering library administrators or administrators whose competence extends to libraries with knowledge regarding SDG policies at European level and related indicators. It also consists of making the library case with policy-makers on sustainable development and transmitting an administrative culture of sustainability in relation to national and local policies. Advocacy from below is just as essential as lobbying at European level.

An example may clarify. Currently, 34% of the European budget is spent on economic, social and territorial cohesion and 37% on sustainable growth. Discussions are now being held among States on future policies and budget of the five “big funds” (the so called Structural and Investment Funds), which total over 76% of the global EU budget. A large part of this fund is spent on investments in infrastructure and, in particular, on agriculture, whose share on EU spending is 41%. Ms. von der Leyen has put the environment first in her plans for the next five years and therefore sustainability policies are going to re-orient traditional paths of development with substantial budget allocated to them. Advocacy from below is therefore the attempt to enable library administrators to intercept these new trends, be aware of the long-term outcome goals and how they are cascading from EU to national and local budgets.

Advocacy from above and from below: this is what European organisations can offer national library associations and institutions in order to pursue their goals in the broader environment of Sustainable Development Goals.

Focus on SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

Health was one of the eight priorities of the UN Millennium Development Goal programme, running from 2000 to 2015. At that time, only a range of illnesses were under the UN MDG scope, and in particular HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Within the current UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 3 includes protection from all kind of illnesses with a view to promoting healthy lives and well-being for all at all ages.

The fight against diseases has three aspects.

The first is a practical one, linked with infrastructure, human resources and scientific know-how. Only if these elements are in place, is there a chance to attain SDG 3 in terms of reduction of the global maternal mortality ratio (to less than 70 per 100,000 live births), the end of the death of newborns and children under 5 years of age (at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births) by 2030. More specific action is needed to fight the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases and to reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases.

The second aspect is linked to prevention and special treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol. Information and awareness campaigns are also needed to consistently reduce the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents and to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services.

The third aspect is linked with health policy and legislation including the construction of universal health-care coverage as well as access to quality essential health-care services and safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. Another UN SDG sub-target is to reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. At the same time, there is a need to reinforce legislative and policy instruments, as the strengthening of the implementation of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries. Another priority is the right of developing countries to use provisions in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, to provide access to medicines for all. In developing countries, there is a need to recruit and retain the health workforce and to reinforce the capacity for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.

Eurostat Indicators that are relevant for SDG 3 are: “Life expectancy at birth”, “Share of people with good or very good perceived health”, “Smoking prevalence”, “Death rate due to chronic diseases every year”, “Death rate due to tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis” and “Self-reported unmet need for medical care”.

Other multipurpose indicators are also relevant, such as “Obesity rate”, “People killed in accidents at work”, “Population living in households suffering from noise” (this last indicator is also contributing to data reported under Environmental Noise Directive, 2002/49/EC). Other indicators concern “the number of “People killed in road accidents” or “exposed to air pollution”.

How can European libraries be relevant in the Europe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?

The most important EU programme is the EU Health Programme, focused on major Commission priorities, such as jobs, growth and investment - the health of population is a productive factor for growth and jobs -, on the internal market (for pharmaceuticals and medical devices); justice and fundamental rights (fighting against health inequalities), migration policy and security. The European Union maintains the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and publishes The State of Health in the EU on a bi-annual basis. This continuous cycle is developed in cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.

The EU is successfully fighting against communicable diseases through treatment and prevention. “Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF)” is a Commission training initiative covering food and feed law, animal health, welfare and plant health rules, with a view to maintaining a high level of consumer protection and of animal health, animal welfare and plant health. A healthy drinking water policy is also essential in order to ensure that water intended for human consumption can be consumed safely on a life-long basis. The EU maintains the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, which provides a factual overview of European drug problems.

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) can make transport safer, more efficient and more sustainable. Measures implemented by the European Commission in collaboration with Member States, industry and public authorities can find common solutions, in particular in relation to the digitisation of transport in general. Digitisation can also help develop and implement appropriate instruments to improve air quality. LIFE is the European Union’s financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the Union.

Library participation in EU policies should mainly focus on creating awareness among the population through public libraries. Obesity, car accidents as well as narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol may be the object of campaigns that can be developed in public libraries in collaboration with third sector organisations. The measurement of these awareness campaigns should be assessed taking into account the impact of Eurostat indicators.

Focus on SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

In the UN Millennium Development Goal programme, Goal 2 included primary education for all. In the current UN SDG perspective, education must be of good quality, inclusive and equitable combined with life-long opportunities. The perspective behind this assumption is that education and training are key drivers for growth and jobs and, implicitly, they are a precondition for attaining many other Sustainable Development Goals.

SDG 4 sub-targets encompass general objectives - ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes – and specific objectives targeted at special groups. Early childhood development needs quality pre-primary education. Equal access for all women and men should be provided to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university so as to use technical and vocational skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. Gender equality is the object of a specific Goal (5), but sustainability at school also aims to eliminate disparities of any kind in education, whether gender disparities or those of persons with disabilities, of indigenous peoples and of children in vulnerable situations.

Literacy and numeracy are basic goals to be attained in any school programme. And educational establishments should promote education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity.

Eurostat develops a wide panoply of statistical instruments aiming to assess the number of educated people and the level of success in education and in society thanks to education. A basic instrument is to monitor the number of “early leavers from education and training”, and “the percentage of people attaining tertiary education”. Annual “participation in early childhood education” points to pre-primary education; “underachievement in reading, maths and science” concerns educational performances. Skill usability is assessed through the “employment rate of recent graduates” and, in parallel, “adult participation in learning”. Another indicator widely used for multiple purposes is the “NEET young people, Neither in Employment nor in Education and Training”.

How can European libraries be relevant in the Europe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?

Education and training in all their forms are key drives for library development and many libraries currently benefit from EU programmes. The widest spread EU Education programme is Erasmus+, promoting foreign study and training at the basis of the ET2000 strategic framework for education and training.

Erasmus and its successor Erasmus+ have been working now in Europe as well as in the other continents for more than 30 years. They have given individuals with a diverse array of backgrounds (and also employed staff in recent times) the chance to learn in a foreign country. Erasmus + addresses students, staff, trainees, teachers, volunteers and networking activities and also includes strategic improvement of staff professional skills.

Erasmus+, however, is not the only EU programme which supports education and training for special publics or in special cases. Ad hoc EU programmes are also developed for persons with disabilities, for the development of the private sector, for youth. These measures are accompanied by policies of mobility and cooperation in higher education, tools, such as EURES, the European Job Mobility Portal, and ad hoc agencies like CEDEFOP, supporting the development of European vocational education and training policies and their implementation. Skill development and EU educational and training programmes are also developed out of Europe in international cooperation and development schemes.

SDG 4 is quite obviously the natural river bed for many library activities. In spite of the centrality of this SDG, measurement is not always an easy task. It is relatively straightforward to report about the number of people having participated in vocational training in libraries and the level of their qualifications. Less easy to evaluate is the impact of the received training.

The most appropriate way to assess the level of performance of universities is to check whether youth and adults have the relevant skills enabling them to be employed and get decent jobs. A useful indicator is the “employment rate of recent graduates”, where the contribution of academic libraries cannot be kept separated from that of the tertiary educational establishment they belong to.

Events and Dates in October

October 9-11
16th Interlending and Document Supply Conference
Place: Prague, Czech Republic
Organizer: IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing (DDRS)

October 15-16
Internet Librarian International
Place: London, UK
Organizer: Information Today, Inc.

October 16-19
2nd International Children's Libraries Symposium
Place: Istanbul, Turkey
Organizer: Marmara University

October 17-18
WIPO international conference on limitations and exceptions to copyright
Place: Geneva, Switzerland
Organizer: World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)

October 17
12th Conference on Grey Literature and Repositories
Place: Prague, Czech Republic
Organizer: Czech National Repository of Grey Literature - NUSL

October 24-27
Krakow International Book Fair
Place: Krakow, Poland
Organizer: Targi w Krakowie Ltd

October 24-27
Helsinki Book Fair
Place: Helsinki, Finland
Organizer: Finnish Book Publishers Association and Booksellers’ Association of Finland

October 24 - October 31
Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2019
Place: Worldwide
Organizer: UNESCO

October 30 - October 31
LundOnline: "What´s On the Horizon? From Big Deals to Offset – Transitioning to Open Access"
Place: Lund, Sweden
Organizer: Lund University Libraries

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