Draft IFLA Guidelines for Library Services to Displaced Populations Available for Comment

July 4, 2021

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ (IFLA) Section for Library Services to People with Special Needs has released a draft version of Guidelines for Library Services to Displaced Populations for comments.

The Guidelines cover library service to refugees, immigrants, migrants, and asylum seekers.

Comments can be made on the document (in Google Drive) or emailed to Despina Gerasimidou at despina.gerasimidou@ifla.org

The deadline for comments is July 20.

Summary

In these guidelines, you will find practical advice to help you in your daily work of providing needed services to displaced populations. Our aim is to communicate the gist of the immense amount of work that is currently being done around the world and to provide librarians with a practical guide, in a simple and comprehensive format.

Here is a summary of the guideline chapters:

Libraries as human rights actors: the most essential international treaties and agreements affecting displaced people.

15 Key Messages: the core of the guidelines. These 15 key messages are a compact list of items librarians should consider when designing, delivering, or evaluating services to displaced persons.

Library service ideas: ideas of library programmatic support to displaced persons, including examples that illustrate how services are already being offered by libraries around the world.

Library rules and policies: suggested library rules and policies to help libraries tackle complex issues.

Library staff training: tips and what to avoid to better communicate and reach out to vulnerable groups.

Needs Assessment: what information to collect, how to do it and who to ask. Ideas of how to identify the continuing needs of displaced persons.

Evaluation: what and how to evaluate the library services to displaced persons.

Top-5 challenges and solutions: a list of the most common and current challenges a librarian might face when designing, delivering, or evaluating services to displaced populations, and practical solutions to each challenge.

A closer look: the cases of an American, a European and an Australian public library: dive into detailed case studies of an American library (Denver Public Library), a European library (Library of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek in Brussels) and an Australian library (Libraries ACT in Canberra, Australia).

Methodology: methodology used to generate these guidelines.

Final remarks – Looking ahead: Closing remarks and future planning.

Appendix – Glossary: definitions of the term “displaced populations” and specifically the four groups: refugees, migrants, immigrants, and asylum seekers. These groups are entwined with complex legal matters, affecting the services your library can offer. We propose starting with a holistic and global approach.

Foreword

Imagine you want to improve your and your family’s lives, and you are prevented from doing so in your own country. There can be many reasons why people are displaced and find themselves in a new country: war, climate change, the current pandemic, work, political reasons. No matter the kind of limbo state you find yourself in, not only do you have needs and concerns, but you also bring your own values and cultural identity.

Libraries can indeed help displaced people in dire conditions, while displaced people and their diversity can lead to greater cultural awareness and community enrichment.

These new guidelines outline the support and the values to be found at the local library.

The key values of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) guide its work. Among these are:

• The endorsement of the principles of freedom of access to information, ideas and works of imagination and freedom of expression embodied in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• The belief that people, communities, and organisations need universal and equitable access to information, ideas and works of imagination for their social, educational, cultural, democratic, and economic well-being.

IFLA’s work supports the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are now more important than ever. “The pandemic has not only highlighted existing injustices –it has generated injustice on its own. The UN reckons the pandemic could force over 200 million people into extreme poverty” and this means access to information and knowledge will be limited, especially for vulnerable groups.

Librarians understand that serving displaced populations can present challenges for libraries. Governments have different levels of official acceptance of displaced populations. Even if a government is welcoming, the country’s residents or library’s staff members may not be. Libraries may need additional assistance to provide essential language, education, and training services. They may also need additional resources to provide enhanced and multilingual digital and collection services. Libraries will have to reach out to other government agencies, NGOs and IGOs serving displaced populations so they can collaboratively provide the best support.

The International Guidelines for Library Services to Displaced Populations are designed to provide guidance to libraries as they embark on this critical journey of service.

(Via IFLA Section Library Services to People with Special Needs)