LIBRARIES AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Niels Ole Pors, Library Link Regional Convenor - Europe

In Strasbourg, October 1998, the European Parliament adopted, almost unanimously, a report on the role of libraries in the modern world. The report called on the European Commission and the Member States to support a number of measures in regard to consolidating the growing role played by libraries in organising widespread access to knowledge.

An amendment was also adopted on the need for European legislation concerning the use of permanent paper. The Communication addresses a number of specific issues now facing libraries including lifelong learning, copyright, literacy, regional information services and public library collaboration on access to knowledge.

The acceptance of the report by the European Parliament is in some ways a milestone. It is of course difficult to estimate the impact, but the report is rather interesting. It touches upon some of the same topics as the extremely interesting discussion in the Library Link Forum.

The report is approximately 20 pages long and the outline and topics covered by the report are:

• Why an own-initiative report?
• The EU's experience of library projects
• The significance of knowledge and access to it
• Understanding information is an individual process
• The many types of media which exist and literacy
• Copyright and libraries
• Licences to use electronic documents
• Other challenges presented by Internet material
• The physical preservation of library collections requires techniques
• A library network remains a potential resource
• Libraries and the economy
• Charges

The author of the report is Mrs Mirja Ryyn�nen. It consists of 3 parts. The first is a long list of preconditions and presuppositions taken in the Parliament on the basis of the report. The other - and I guess important - part of the report is the Parliament's recommendations to the member states of the European Union. The third part is what is called an explanatory comment. It is in fact a rather overall and condensed description by Mirja Ryyn�nen on the role of libraries in Europe. It covers the above - mentioned topics.

All in all there are approximately 20 recommendations and calls to the member states and to the Commission. Some of them are quite interesting.

First of all the Parliament advises that the member states should take account of libraries in the formulation of strategies for the information society as they see the library system as one of the important systems which give access to knowledge and culture. The Parliament emphasises that member states enable libraries to collect and disseminate rare and even expensive cultural products which contribute to cultural and linguistic diversity and can be made available to a wider public through libraries.

The Parliament also points to the importance of taking libraries into consideration when they solve the serious problems of copyright. The Parliament advises the Commission to continue to support co-operation and networking among European libraries through joint projects. This recommendation is directly connected to the next telematics programme. The Parliament also points to the beneficial co-operation between the different sectors of society.

Preservation and digitalisation is another area that needs support and programmes for the preservation of the cultural heritage. The Parliament also encourages studies of licensing systems, the cost of these systems and their influence on libraries including the public's access to electronic documents.

It is also evident that there is advice to connect libraries more closely to society's cultural work and mission. It is also recommended that all types of libraries should be provided with adequate modern technology, especially Internet connections. It is stated that basic public library services ought to be free of charge.

Of special interest for providers of CPD and the library schools is the recommendation that CPD-activities should be funded, and staff in libraries ought to have a continuing education to cope with today's and tomorrow's requirements. Co-ordinated European efforts in this area should be supported.

These are just some of the recommendations from the Parliament. It is, of course, difficult to estimate the degree to which they will be followed in the different member states, but I guess it is encouraging for library workers that politicians in Europe see libraries as a central part of the future Europe.

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