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To take advantage of e-Learning and new job opportunities in the knowledge society, digital literacy is vital. Internet usage is increasing across all socio-economic categories, but the access gap – between men and women, employed and unemployed, high and low-incomes, highly educated and less educated, old and young – is growing. Those who do not have Internet access are missing opportunities

Public libraries are extremely well placed to address the challenges of the digital divide by improving the delivery of services, tackling educational disadvantage and helping deal with demographic changes.

Wider digital divides in Central and Eastern European Countries have to be taken into account. E-Inclusion is an essential dimension of the eEurope+ Action Plan, the Information Society roadmap launched by the candidate countries in June 2001. 

Unemployed people need information about new job possibilities; young people need stimulating meeting places; children need enrichment programs that build on skills they are learning at school; older people need a place to find out about local news; and disabled people need an organisation that will treat them with dignity and accommodate their disabilities. Public libraries are admirably suited to meet these needs: they can and should become the heart of the community. (NLP)

Lifelong Learning is becoming the guiding principle for provision and participation all across the continuum of learning contexts. For the purposes of these guidelines, Lifelong Learning is defined as the whole cycle of learning from childhood learning, formal education at all levels through to independent learning throughout adult life, including distance learning, whether or not credits, certificates or diplomas are involved. 

Equipping people with skills is a key element in the European Union's policy response to the Information Society, within the European Employment Strategy and the eLearning Action Plan. From now until 2006, over 12 billion Euros from the Social Fund have been earmarked for lifelong learning initiatives, including digital literacy measures.

e-learning can make a major impact for social inclusion and forms a vital part of the whole concept of Lifelong Learning. Potentially, it provides access to education and training opportunities for all, in particular for those who have access problems for social, economic, geographic or other reasons.

In developing new structures in their educational system, EU countries will need to redefine education in the national and European context. moving organisationally, for example, from supply-oriented to demand-oriented, from institutional-oriented to process-oriented forms.

The role of public libraries in Lifelong Learning was recognised as a priority for European co-operation as far back as 1998. Public libraries are a key centre for informal learning and one of the most frequented institutions for de-institutionalised learning, offering content, training and support to every citizen as an integrated delivery point. Public libraries encourage personal development within a social context and is beneficial to the quality of life. A strong role for public libraries is entirely consistent with the key messages of the Memorandum on Lifelong Learning.

Libraries therefore have a key role to play in underpinning learning in its broadest sense, both as a formal activity in an institution and informally within the community. The notion of Lifelong Learning implies the ability to search for information and acquire knowledge actively and independently. The classroom and the traditional textbook must therefore be supplemented by archives, libraries and museums, institutions offering a broad choice of different media and professional guidance in information search techniques and learning opportunities.

All of the above developments leading to modern library services depend on recognition of the role of libraries by national and local governments, sound management, staff trained for a changing and enhanced role, the ability to make use of best practice both from innovative services and from institutions with a longer experience of information society technologies, and co-operation with a variety of partners, but especially with memory organisations. Finally, the needs of users should constantly be taken into account in order to ensure that public libraries remain centres of excellence for serving the information requirements of each and every citizen.

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