Home | Public library services supporting 
lifelong learning (Summary)
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SUMMARY

SCOPE
This guideline covers IST- based services and activities carried on by public libraries supporting education for adults including further and higher education, digital literacy and distance learning. Learning support for children is dealt with separately.

POLICY ISSUES
In order to play their part in e-Europe, public libraries must offer new and innovative services and activities that empower citizens to successfully achieve Lifelong Learning, helping to increase the number of qualified, skilled and fulfilled people in Europe of any age, class or gender, including those enrolled in recognized courses and those simply wanting to improve their skills at any time of their life, for any reason. 

The use of new IST tools for Lifelong Learning provides new opportunities but also increases the risk of social exclusion and the digital division of society. Public libraries have a key role to play in ensuring that Europe will not be divided into the digitally literate and illiterate by offering access to technology and particularly the Internet, especially for those people who do not have a personal computer at home or at work.

The eEurope Action Plan includes a specific action to increase the number of Public Information Access Points (PIAP), encouraging a first step to the Internet which may be a springboard for individual IST purchase. Public libraries already represent the most widespread and most visited location for PIAP.

There has already been significant investment by public libraries in training and equipment for services to support Lifelong Learning. Organisations such as IFLA and EBLIDA are helping to shape the professional and political discussion about the interrelation between public libraries and Lifelong Learning. 

GOOD PRACTICE GUIDELINES
Public libraries are major learning resource centres. They should be the local learning place and champion of the independent learner. The development of their services requires the establishment and maintenance of strong partnerships with other organisations. 

There is also a requirement to provide access to and to package effectively a greater variety of good quality, relevant and attractive learning content of local relevance to use within new IST-based learning environments. One important source of this content is material held by libraries, museums and archives at local level.

Close account must be taken of existing differences in national systems and competitive environments in determining the range and types of services which public libraries should provide, but these may include:

• providing public access to the Internet; 

• provision of IST-based study facilities and learning environments;

• open and/or structured access to courses leading to accredited qualifications such as the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL); 

• e-Learning environments e.g. a combination of Internet, telephone, videoconferencing and broadcast television, signposted and packaged content and Web-based services;

• networked reference desks. 

FUTURE AGENDA
Some public library staff are not yet sufficiently skilled to provide effective Lifelong Learning services; extensive training is required, both in regard to technology and content. As new technologies develop at an ever more rapid pace, it is likely initial support in their use will still be needed and that librarians will continue to play a key role in IST training. Key partners in this will be universities (particularly extra-mural or outreach departments), colleges, adult education providers e.g. the workers' educational associations (WEA and Euro-WEA), organisations which provide learning opportunities for older people e.g. the University of the Third Age (U3A), etc.

Home | Public library services supporting 
lifelong learning (Summary)
Full Text: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4