IFLA

As of 22 April 2009 this website is 'frozen' in time — see the current IFLA websites

This old website and all of its content will stay on as archive – http://archive.ifla.org

IFLANET home - International Federation of Library Associations and InstitutionsAnnual ConferenceSearchContacts
*    
Jerusalem Conference logo

66th IFLA Council and General
Conference

Jerusalem, Israel, 13-18 August

 


Code Number: 101-122-E
Division Number: VI
Professional Group: Management of Library Associations
Joint Meeting with: -
Meeting Number: 122
Simultaneous Interpretation:  No  

Advocacy for democracy - the role of the library associations

Joneta Belfrage
Swedish Library Association
Stockhom, Sweden


Abstract

For some years now there has been an ongoing discussion in Sweden about the crisis in our democracy. Interest and the participation in political matters and political parties have declined drastically, which makes democracy weaker. In 1997, the Swedish Government set up an official commission to discuss and report on the challenges, problems and potential for democracy in the twenty-first century. The report, which was delivered in February this year, shows that people no longer join the popular movements, that young people are not interested in clubs and associations and that the confidence in different democratic institutions has declined. The discussion that has followed this report has shown that there are different opinions as to what kind of democracy is needed. Some consider it to be sufficient if the citizens vote every fourth year and then leave the rest to the elected representatives. Others find that what the citizens do and say between elections is essential to a living and smoothly functioning democracy. And it is the last aspect that the authors of the report believe we should fight for. It is obvious that what has been the core of democracy: discussion, dialogue and open meetings has disappeared.

The Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy. The Democracy is based on public opinion and expression. Politicians should encourage the freedom of opinion and expression, they should seek opportunities and arenas for this in society. Public libraries are such places, but they seem to be forgotten in the debates and the discussions about reclaiming democracy. When the Swedish government began its official investigation into the situation of democracy, we felt that they had forgotten to mention the public libraries as one of the important conditions for a living democracy. To make a change to this The Swedish Library Association set up a Committee in 1998 to focus on the importance of libraries in a democratic state. We have been in contact with the chairman and other members of the commission, and we have sent them our opinions about libraries and democracy. We have also sought out and spoken with the Minister for democracy. We are in the process writing an opinion about the results of the investigation. Unfortunately, in our opinion, they have still overlooked the libraries. We have attended several seminars and have been invited as lecturers. We have also arranged seminars and invited colleges and politicians. The Committee is now publishing a book about the important role libraries play in a democracy. They have also established10 theses about democracy and libraries that we are circulating all over the country.

It is also the duty of all libraries to do all what they can to inform the citizens about what libraries have and what they can offer. Beyond the citizens, the politicians must also remain constantly aware of the importance of what a library is. The library and its potential must be campaigned for time and again, ceaselessly.

At the main public library in Gothenburg, where I work, we started a project about a year back to make our information and our media materials about the community, the region, the state the EU, the UN and so forth more easily available to our users. We have also put extra effort into access for those who have special difficulties, for example, people whose first language is not Swedish and the disabled. We have gathered all the media and material in one place in the library with PCs that have special access to information from different authorities and institutions. We have librarians who have special training in, for example, law media, EU-media etc. They are available a special day each week for more difficult questions. We also cooperate with local and national politicians and MEPs, as well as with other authorities, institutions, and all forms of educations. We arrange meetings between the citizens and the politicians as well as with representatives of the tax authorities, lawyers, and others.

It has been said that the struggle for democracy provides the best training in democracy. I would like to conclude by saying that, in my opinion, the continuing struggle for library values is the best way to keep libraries and democracy alive.


Paper

What is democracy? There are different definitions. But if you will define a state as a democracy when it is built on the principles of universal and equal suffrage, the democracies of our time are a very modern phenomena. In Sweden, there has only been universal suffrage since 1918. It was the result of a long struggle based on the work of many popular movements. The start of most of the public libraries in Sweden had the same origin. The people who fought for democracy were aware of the importance of knowledge and free access to information and culture. Therefore they built up libraries within their organisations to be used by their members. Later, when democracy was established, the municipality took over the responsibility, for various reasons, including guaranteeing all citizens free access to a library.

For some years now there has been an ongoing discussion in Sweden about the crisis in our democracy. Interest and the participation in political matters and political parties have declined drastically, which makes democracy weaker. There is a gap between the citizens and the elected representatives. The confidence in politicians has declined and a survey made in 1997 to test the credibility of different public institutions shoved that the Parliament, the unions, the municipal council, and the political parties were extremely low. This same year, 1997, the Swedish Government set up an official commission to discuss and report on the challenges, problems and potential for democracy in the twenty-first century.

The report, which was delivered in February this year, shows that people no longer join the popular movements, that young people are not interested in clubs and associations and that the confidence in different democratic institutions has declined. The discussion that has followed this report has shown that there are different opinions as to what kind of democracy is needed. Some consider it to be sufficient if the citizens vote every fourth year and then leave the rest to the elected representatives. Others find that what the citizens do and say between elections is essential to a living and smoothly functioning democracy. And it is the last aspect that the authors of the report believe we should fight for.

Different explanations as to why the situation has become like this have been put forward. Some say that when the political parties have been a part of the establishment instead of society as a whole the citizens do not feel involved or interested anymore. Others claim that since the real political power has been moved to Brussels where it is inaccessible, and the national parliament has less to decide about, ordinary people lose interest in political matters.

It is obvious that what has been the core of democracy: discussion, dialogue and open meetings has disappeared. And what has replaced all this? It seems to be the media. Today, contacting the media seems to be a better way of making your voice heard than talking directly to an association or a public authority. If you want to influence something it is better to use the media than to try to affect a politician.

It is also the media that tells us what the politicians decide. This gives the media great power and the dialogue between the citizens and the politicians no longer takes place within the political parties or in the popular movements but elsewhere. German philosopher Jürgen Haberman makes a distinction between authentic opinion and opinion by acclamation. The first arises through discussion, the media creates the latter. The important encounter between human beings has vanished. This is a threat to democracy, especially as the fact is that very few people have the opportunity to be heard in the media. If people think they cannot be heard and that no one pays attention to their opinion, the public dialogue ceases to exist and the confidence in democracy declines.

The Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy. The Democracy is based on public opinion and expression. Politicians should encourage the freedom of opinion and expression, they should seek opportunities and arenas for this in society. Public libraries are such places, but they seem to be forgotten in the debates and the discussions about reclaiming democracy.

To quote the UNESCO public library manifesto - "Freedom, prosperity and development of society and of individuals are fundamental human values. They will only be attained through the ability of well informed citizens to exercise their democratic rights and to play an active role in society. Constructive participation and the development of democracy depend on satisfactory education as well as on free and unlimited access to knowledge, thought, culture and information". Public libraries are the guarantors of all this. Freedom of expression cannot exist without access to it. If citizens are to participate and form their own opinions they must have access to political, social, economic and other information as well as cultural expression, all of which they can find in good quality libraries.

When the Swedish government began its official investigation into the situation of democracy, we felt that they had forgotten to mention the public libraries as one of the important conditions for a living democracy. As the chairman of the commission said - "libraries are so self evident that we do not need to mention them". Unfortunately this is an opinion that seems to be held by many politicians, which means that the importance of libraries is too seldom mentioned. To make a change to this The Swedish Library Association set up a Committee in 1998 to focus on the importance of libraries in a democratic state. So what has come out of this involvement? We have been in contact with the chairman and other members of the commission, and we have sent them our opinions about libraries and democracy. We have also sought out and spoken with the Minister for democracy. We are in the process writing an opinion about the results of the investigation. Unfortunately, in our opinion, they have still overlooked the libraries. We have attended several seminars and have been invited as lecturers. We have also arranged seminars and invited colleges and politicians. The Committee is now publishing a book about the important role libraries play in a democracy. They have also established10 theses about democracy and libraries that we are circulating all over the country. We have produced them, for instance, as postcards and bookmarks.

These are the 10 theses:

  1. A temporal and spatial forum
  2. Experience life - living through and with others
  3. Free of charge, free for all - ideas, words and links
  4. A place to learn the basics of participation
  5. An interface for citizenship
  6. Knowledge as the road to empowerment
  7. Outward perspective, inward perspective, insight, opinion
  8. Words, meanings contexts
  9. A safe haven for all
  10. Diversity and potential
So now we can add The Swedish Library Associations 10 theses to UNESCO's Public Library Manifesto and The FAIFE Declaration on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom.

The discussion about the crisis of democracy certainly has had effects on many people, organisations and institutions and it has also, of course, been debated in all the media. This has been a good thing in itself and I think it has strengthened the democratic ideas. What it has also shown is that democratic activities have new forms. Instead of depending on the established political parties in which people have lost confidence, new groups are formed. They get together when there are a question that affects them. It has become more important to make opinions heard through petitions, manifestos, boycotts, and so on. For these forms of direct democracy as for all others it is necessary to have libraries that provide access to information and that serve as gateways to knowledge, thought and culture. It is also the duty of all libraries to do all what they can to inform the citizens about what libraries have and what they can offer. Beyond the citizens, the politicians must also remain constantly aware of the importance of what a library is. The library and its potential must be campaigned for time and again, ceaselessly.

At the main public library in Gothenburg, where I work, we started a project about a year back to make our information and our media materials about the community, the region, the state the EU, the UN and so forth more easily available to our users. We have also put extra effort into access for those who have special difficulties, for example, people whose first language is not Swedish and the disabled. We have gathered all the media and material in one place in the library with PCs that have special access to information from different authorities and institutions. We have librarians who have special training in, for example, law media, EU-media etc. They are available a special day each week for more difficult questions. We also cooperate with local and national politicians and MEPs, as well as with other authorities, institutions, and all forms of educations. We arrange meetings between the citizens and the politicians as well as with representatives of the tax authorities, lawyers, and others.

I hope I have given you an example of the library as the only institution in society that provides - "a temporal and spatial forum - a place to learn the basics of participation - and access to knowledge as the road to empowerment" for all.

It has been said that the struggle for democracy provides the best training in democracy. I would like to conclude by saying that, in my opinion, the continuing struggle for library values is the best way to keep libraries and democracy alive.

Thank you for your attention.

*    

Latest Revision: May 7, 2000 Copyright © 1995-2000
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
www.ifla.org