Post-Pandemic Perceptions - Regional Council Report

Post-PandemicPerceptions Alookathowgovernments’,communities’andlibraries’own perceptionsoflibrarieshasevolvedsincebeforeCOVID-19 IFLARegionalCouncil,10April2024 AkeyroleofIFLA’sRegionalCouncilistobringtogetherandsharetheperspectivesandvoicesoflibrariesindifferentpartsoftheworld.Thisenablesbuildinganunderstandingofglobalcommonfactorsanddifferences.ItalsohasanimportantparttoplayinIFLA’sadvocacywork,whichfocusesonhowtoshapeperceptionsoflibrariesasameansofsecuringsupportandpartnerships. Thisreportbringstogetherthesetwoaspects,exploringhowperceptionsoflibraries–amonggovernments,communities,andlibrariesthemselves–haveevolvedovertheperiodsincetheCOVID-19pandemic.ItisbasedonapaperpresentedanddiscussedattheCouncil’sMarch2024meeting,whichinturn drewtogethertheresultsofashortquestionnairesharedamongIFLA’sRegionalDivisionCommittees.Theiranswers,convertedintotextformatwherenecessary,areinannex. Intermsofhigh-levelmessages,thereportunderlinesthatoftenthebiggestdifferencesarewithinregions,ratherthanbetweenthem.Ineverypartoftheworld,itisclearthatitispossibleforgovernmentstodevelopanewappreciationoflibrariesascentresfordigitalinclusion,educationandmore.Similarly,ineachregion,therearecommunitiesthatdiscoveredanewsidetolibrariesasplacesnotjustforreading,butalsoforlearningandconnecting. Finally,thereportconfirmsapointalreadyhintedatinpreviousIFLAworks,thatthepandemicsawmanylibrariansmakepeacewithtechnology,andseethemselvesnotjustasdigitalactorsbutalsoasinnovatorsandkeypartnersfordevelopment.Thisreportcontainsasummary,andthenlongerresponsesperregion,includingreferencestowhichcountriescontributedresponses. Summary HowdidgovernmentperceptionsoflibrarieschangeoverthePandemic? Asia-Oceaniarespondentsnotedthatgovernmentsnowsawlibrariesasdigitalactors,andsoweremorewillingtoinvestindigitalprojects.Thelocal governmentsappreciatedlibrariesaslocalhubs.However,therewaslessfundingavailabletosupportin-personevents.Europeanrespondentsalsoindicatedthatthepandemichadledtoarealisationamonggovernmentsthatlibrariesweremorethanjustbooks,andratherwerekeypartsofthedigitalinclusioninfrastructure.Librariesarealsoseenasensuringwellbeingandattainmentofwiderpolicygoals.OurLatinAmericanandCaribbeanrespondentshighlightedthatinsomewaystherehadbeenlittlechange(theroleoflibrariescontinuedtobeseenasbeingaboutprovidingaccesstoinformationandcultureasawayofsupportingcommunities).Therewasvariation,withsomeworriedaboutanongoingnegativetrend,butothersbeingmorepositiveaboutlibrariesbeingseenassomethingworthinvestingin.MiddleEastandNorthAfrica(MENA)respondentsnotedthatwhiletherewasageneraltrendtowardsstrongerrecognitionoflibraryrolessuchasdifferentissuesaroundinformationliteracy,old-fashionedperceptionsremainedpersistent.InNorthAmerica,therewasacomplexpicture,with,inparallel,growingrecognitionoflibraries'roleinprovidingservicesthattacklesocialchallenges(exageratedbythepandemic)butfacedwithfundingshortfallsandhighinflation.Addedtothis,politicalstepsbypopuliststoattacklibrariesfortheirpro-inclusivityapproach.Thepandemicdidhighlighttheimportanceofequitableaccesstodigitalcontent1.Finally,inSub-SaharanAfrica,experienceswerealsomixed,witheducationallibraries(andthoseseenassupportingeducation)receivingnewandstrengthenedrecognitionandsupport. HowdidcommunityperceptionsoflibrarieschangeoverthePandemic? InAsia-Oceania,answersindicatedasteadyappreciationoflibraries,althoughwithalastingshifttowardsdigitaluses,exceptwherethiswasnotpossible. Mirroringtheresponsesaroundgovernmentperceptions,Europeansalsofeltthatcommunitiessawlibrariesashavingabroaderanddeepersocialroleafterthepandemicthanbefore.Inparticular,theynotedthesupportlibrariescanoffertobuildcommunities.Supportfordigitalinclusiongrewclearerascommunitiesbecamemuchmoreawareoflibraries'digitalservices.Librariesarenowseenasmoreopen,flexible,forward-thinkingspaces.MeanwhileinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean,theperceptionoflibrarieswasalsoseenashavingimproved,thankstostrongercommunicationaboutlibraries’workthroughsocialmediaandpersonalnetworks.Somepeoplehoweverstillremainedignorantofwhatlibrariescoulddo.MENAresponseshighlightedthevaluingoflibrariesnotjustforreadingandliteracy,butalsoascommunitycentres.InNorthAmerica,therearecontrastingtrends,withanintensificationofpre-pandemictendenciestowardsbeing‘anti-woke’(i.e.againstprogressive 1Onapositivenote,thedecisionbyHathiTrusttoremovecopyrightrestrictionsduringlockdownperiodstoHathiTrustinstitutionswhoownedthecopyrightmaterialwasagame-changerforstudentsandresearchers. voices)increasinglyfocusingonlibraries,butalsopositivenewsstoriesaboutthepositivedifferencethatlibrariesaremaking.Finally,inSub-SaharanAfrica,librariesalsogainedfromtheirreputationassourcesoftrustedinformation,aswellassafespacesforlearning.Althoughsomecountriesreporteddropsinphysicalvisitsinfavourofonlineaccess. Howdidlibraries’ownperceptionsoflibrarieschangeoverthePandemic?Asia-Oceaniarespondentssuggestedthatcomparedtobeforethepandemic,librariansfelttheneedtoimprovetheirperformanceindigitaloffersandconnectionwithusers,aswell