Libraries Driving Access to Knowledge: a discussion paper

Libraries are critical contributors to knowledge generation. The paper provides a brief examination of the evolution of libraries and their contribution to literacy and information provision and access to that information. However, the mode of access has significantly changed, which has brought with it a different set of challenges. These include, among others, the dismantling of barriers to access in an era of information explosion and the moral obligation to drive access to knowledge and information. This paper was prepared as a discussion document for the Presidentelect's Brainstorming Session held at the recent IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Québec City, Canada on 12 August 2008.