Libraries and information services contribute to the proper implementation of an inclusive information society. They are trained for intellectual freedom giving access to information, ideas and works of imagination in any medium and across boundaries. They help to preserve democratic values and universal civil rights impartially and to oppose any form of censorship. The exclusive function of libraries and information services consists in responding to the issues and needs of the people. This serves as a complement to the general transmission of knowledge by means of communication, for example, and makes the libraries and information services are vital to an information society open and democratic. Libraries are essential for a well informed citizenry and a transparent Government, as well as for the implementation of e-Government. They also create capacity among citizens with the promotion of information literacy and giving support and training in the use effective information resources, including information and communication technologies. This is especially critical for the promotion of the development agenda, because human resources are fundamental to economic progress. Table%29’>Naveen Selvadurai.

In this way libraries contribute significantly to addressing the digital divide and the resulting inequalities of information. They help to realize the development goals for the Millennium, including the reduction of poverty. The libraries will do many more things with modest investments. The value of the benefits is at least between 4-6 times the investment. Pursuing the goal of access to information for all, IFLA supports balance and fair play in the reproduction rights. IFLA also is implicated vitally in the promotion of multilingual content, cultural diversity and the special needs of minorities and indigenous peoples. IFLA, libraries and information services share the common vision of a society of the Infortmacion for all adopted by the World Summit on the information society in Geneva in December 2003. That vision promotes an inclusive society based on the fundamental right of human beings both to access to information as to its expression without restriction, and that each one is able to create, access, use and share information and knowledge.

IFLA urges national, regional and local governments and international agencies to: invest in libraries and information services as vital elements within their strategies, policies and budgets for the information society; Improve and extend networks already existing library for the maximum benefit of its citizens and communities; Promote open access to information and tackle the problem of structural barriers and other access; and recognise the importance of information literacy and vigorously support strategies to create a competent and literate population that can advance and benefit from the society of the Global information. Source: compiled by. Javier Mejia T. original author and source of the article