Umbrella 2011 Why do European Libraries matter?

Umbrella 2011

The opening Plenary session was by Gerald Leitner from the Austrian Library Association and current President of EBLIBA. 

[Herewith be my written up scribbled notes from the session!]

Why do European Libraries matter?

He was discussing the European Libraries idea / concept. He noted that there has never been a ‘right time’ to discuss this. It remains just as important in the current economic climate impacting on Europe and on libraries . All libraries are impacted upon, and what is happening in the UK is followed by European colleagues, especially re public libraries and education. Leitner sees libraries as a means by which the worst impacts of measures taken in Member States can be mitigated. He argued that European libraries should work together and use the mechanisms of the EU to bring libraries, and the benefits of, into the debate.

Navigating EU infrastructure

He outlined the different purposes of the Council of Europe (47 member countries which can choose to make commitments) and the European Union (27 member countries who have transferred their own executive powers in certain subject matters to the EU). Thus EU legislation is binding on Member States and implemented everywhere, but the Council of Europe creates Guidelines which are recommended but not binding.

Co-operatively developed Libraries documents

He noted the IFLA Public Library Manifesto (an advisory document) and the EBLIBA Guidelines 2000.  The Guidelines had not proved powerful, a few States had made changes locally in result, but not many.

EU Threats and Opportunities

The EU, being a commercially orientated organisation, had produced nothing on libraries as such. And yet a lot of its legislation directly impacted on the way libraries can provide services and the context in which they operate e.g. Copyright Directives. He discussed the pre-legislative documents re Green (discussion paper) and White Papers (official proposals) the EU produced and benefits of getting one on libraries. But it hadn’t happened.

Transformation of the media and information market

He noted the developments in ICT technology had been vital and enabled a new user-based philosophy. The work of librarians and libraries had changed but it had brought the digital divide also and copyright laws had not kept up, they kept libraries in physical places and formats by imposing lots of restraints despite most libraries being hybrid.

E-books

Leitner argued that the mass market in ebooks has gained momentum and is changing publishing in result. There were new challenges to this to do with creating financial models, changing copyright, understanding ebooks are different legally – these made ebook services difficult. He noted the attempt underway to create one central Austrian nationwide elibrary.

He argued strongly that libraries need copyright law changes through the EU to deal effectively with electronic media and that contractual terms and conditions were all in favour of the publishers.

EBLIBA and international advocacy

EBLIBA influences EU politicians, but it needs help, we all need to co-operate to advocate for changes that are necessary and benefit us all.

Economic Crisis and Libraries

Sovereign States are now the debtors with no money. In many places this is a crisis for libraries with closures and reduction in service provision. Libraries can help and have a civic responsibility to advocate the benefits that they can bring to politicians and to the overall agenda. They can counteract the worst aspects of cutbacks. The crisis is not just economic but also social, a strong vision for society is needed.

He talked about OECD research into literacy levels among 15 yr olds showing fatal gaps and lots of differences between States. He argued this was a time bomb libraries were needed to combat. The role of libraries went far beyond public libraries, National Libraries were doing much to save digital memory, research libraries to underpin development and economies.

The Need to Promote Libraries

Leitner noted in very few countries were politicians aware of what libraries could do to help and in many places libraries were in crisis. There is no impetus campaigning on the role of libraries. EBLIBA lobbies for European Libraries but it takes time and effort and it has been more successful in some aspects (e.g. intellectual property rights) than others.

From Reactive to Proactive

Libraries involvement has tended to be reactive but we need to become proactive and offer a convincing overall vision. While the European Digitial Library has been launched this only touches on a small area of overall EU activity, need to be involved a lot more and to discuss things at both national and European level.

His Conclusion

Leitner noted there is no common policy for European libraries. A  European Libraries Directive is unlikely. But we can lobby together for a White Paper on the role of libraries in Europe. This should consider all types of libraries, not just public libraries. EBLIBA is trying but it is slow and more partners are needed to lobby together for the benefit of all. As part of this the young need to get involved and be commited

Some thoughts on the session…

A purely personal opinion here. What struck me most was what he said near the beginning on the ‘is this the right time for this discussion in the context we are all facing / well there is never a right time’ theme.  I think that applies to an awful lot of things that never quite make it up a communal priority list for all sorts of reasons. The EU is a vast body and libraries by their very variety don’t fit comfortably in one place so perhaps lose out on obvious homes and champions that way. It’s difficult to envisage libraries getting far up the EU agenda with all the other competing priorities which are perhaps slightly more narrowly defined and thus easier understood.

European advisory documents are interesting in but up to individual States whether they choose to engage with them or not, and at a time when the biggest debtors are in fact the Sovereign Member States investment money would be very hard to come by unless the document  e.g. White Paper, really showed the societal and economic benefits in a way that could be measured as value for money. Perhaps what we actually need is a way to integrate more European level impact studies into the role of libraries into policy documents or, if these already exist and I’m showing my ignorance, more promotion of them.