IFLA Statement on Libraries and Development [2013]

Access to information is a fundamental human right that can break the cycle of poverty and support sustainable development. The library is the only place in many communities where people can access information that will help improve their education, develop new skills, find jobs, build businesses, make informed agricultural and health decisions, or gain insights into environmental issues. Their unique role makes libraries important development partners, both by providing access to information in all formats and by delivering services and programmes that meet the needs for information in a changing and increasingly complex society. As the United Nations moves to establish a post-2015 framework to guide development worldwide, IFLA calls upon all stakeholders to recognise that libraries, in every part of the world, can be reliable mechanisms for underpinning the delivery of sustainable development programmes.