Dear Madam, Dear Sir,

Please find below comments from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). We are the main association for libraries worldwide, with around 1400 members in 150 countries. We advocate around the potential of libraries as institutions that can provide access to information - as well as the skills and confidence to use it - and so enable people-centred development in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

Our comments relate to Sections 1 (Accelerating the achievement of universal access to affordable broadband) and 2 (Guaranteeing essential skills for all, in education and Vocational Education and Training (VET), to enable citizens to thrive in the digital age).

SECTION 1 - AFFORDABLE UNIVERSAL ACCESS

Public access solutions to connectivity challenges can make an important contribtuion. Connecting public libraries, as well as other public buildings, and offering WiFi and dedicated terminals, allows people regardless of their resources to get online and access technology. Given high prices for data in many countries relative to incomes, as well as distrust about the value of what is online, a free public option can be a vital stepping stone towards 'private' access. But the value of public access does not end with higher levels of connectivity. Libraries provide an ongoing complement to 'private' access for people who, for example, may feel uncomfortable accessing information on particular topics from a home connection, or who cannot afford the devices necessary to carry out activities such as writing a CV or following a course, or simply want company and support.

Such an approach will of course be in line with the EU's own policy on WiFi4EU (https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/wifi4eu-free-wi-fi-europeans), and also would follow the recommendations made in the Stanford Deliberative Polling exercise (https://cdd.stanford.edu/2016/piloting-the-use-of-deliberative-polling-for-multistakeholder-internet-governance/). The delivery of connectivity to all libraries and schools would also be in line with the WSIS Action Lines, as reaffirmed in 2015. 

As a result, we would suggest adding the following recommendation: Prioritise connections to public buildings, such as libraries and schools, both as nodes in local networks and as venues where individuals can get online and experience the internet in a welcoming and neutral environment.

Furthermore, we would recommend clarifying that reform to spectrum allocation should enable the development of community networks. These provide a promising means of bringing regions and people who would otherwise be at risk of exclusion or under-service. It should be possible for community providers to bid for small ranges of spectrum, or spectrum only in certain areas, in order to facilitate this.

SECTION TWO

We strongly welcome the focus on skills as a vital complement to connectivity. It is important to ensure that people coming online for the first time are equipped to stay safe, and make the most of the potential that the internet offers.

The draft report correctly underlines that schools can play a useful role in providing these skills (which will require all schools to be connected, as highlighted in our comments on Section One). However, as the report also underlines, too many people leave school without basic skills.

Moreover, it is worth noting that while digital tools can allow for significant progress, they will not work for everyone, not least those who are not connected, or who are worried about going online.

What is therefore missing from the report is reference to solutions which can help adults (as well as children in schools without access) gain skills. Libraries can provide just this, benefitting adults throughout their lives, as well as complementing schools. They can also be important venues for informal and non-formal learning, as well as undirected access to and use of information.

The contribution of libraries and access to information to skills development is set out in the chapter on SDG4 by Dr Katarina Popovic, Secretary-General of the International Council on Adult Education (https://da2i.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/da2i-2019-chapter3.pdf).

Libraries have a particularly important role as concerns information literacy skills in a digital world. This can provide a means of countering concerns around deliberate misinformation without recourse to censorship.

We would therefore suggest including the following recommendation: 'Integrate libraries and other life-long learning venues into digital skills strategies, supporting their engagement with adults and children outsife od schools, and draw on their existing expertise in informaiton literacy skills'.

Kind regards,

Stephen Wyber

Stephen.wyber@ifla.org