IFLA emphasises that as part of their mission to power meaningful access to information, libraries across the globe can help people develop the competencies they need to thrive in a digital world, and should be supported to do so.

The IFLA Statement on Digital Literacy highlights the important role of libraries in offering digital skills support and training to help overcome inequalities, including around media and information literacy.

To inspire and support the work of libraries in this area further, IFLA offers a platform to showcase good practices and powerful examples of library-based digital literacy initiatives around the world. This work also helps us build a strong evidence base to advocate for library-based digital literacy programming.

Moreover, we engage with relevant global internet governance platforms and processes to highlight the role of libraries in supporting digital literacy. This includes UNESCO, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum, as well as platforms and processes focusing on human rights and sustainable development.

Alongside basic and advanced ICT skills, information professionals are well-suited to help communities develop competencies needed to engage with today’s complex information environment.

IFLA continues to prioritise a focus on media and information literacy. We are a member of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Alliance, and encourage our members to engage with their work.