Research for CULT Committee – Promoting media and information literacy in Libraries / E-Lending: Challenges and opportunities / The new role of public libraries in local communities

Please note: Each In-Depth Analysis is assigned a DOI (digital object identifier), which is a safe and long term way of ensuring a hyperlink to the full text of this report. However, when ESO creates this record, on occasion the DOI still has not been activated by the EU Bookshop. If you find the source url hyperlink does not work please use the alternative location hyperlink listed as a related url.Three studies on topics relating to challenges and opportunities for public libraries in the 21st century commissioned for the Culture Committee of the European Parliament.

Promoting media and information literacy in Libraries
Librarians and (public) libraries are active in promoting information literacy and (more recently) media literacy. After a brief historical sketch, this document describes how public libraries assist patrons and educational institutions in enhancing knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to critically engage with media and information. It sketches international organisations' endeavours to put media and information literacy (MIL) on the policy agenda, describes what is (not yet) known about the effectiveness of MIL programs, and offers recommendations for EU and public library policy.

E-Lending: Challenges and opportunities
This briefing identifies key challenges and opportunities in the evolving field of e-lending via public libraries based on an analysis of 18 different e-lending models in Europe and North America. It concludes that on-going dialogue between libraries and publishers, alongside better comparative data on e-lending and e-book purchasing across all EU Member States, will be among the key enabling factors for e-lending in the future.

The new role of public libraries in local communities
Especially in the last years, public libraries (and local authorities) have to meet new challenges caused by on-going social, technical and economic changes. This briefing paper provides a short analysis of the impact that public libraries can have on the intellectual and cultural development of citizens with a particular focus on their vital role in providing an open public space for learning, culture and social communication. Following from the analysis, respective recommendations for policy action at EU level are outlined.

• Primary Source

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: In-Depth Analysis, December 2017: Research for CULT Committee - Promoting media and information literacy in Libraries http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2017/573454/IPOL_IDA(2017)573454_EN.pdf

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: In-Depth Analysis, December 2017: Research for CULT Committee - E-Lending: Challenges and opportunities http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/573453/IPOL_STU(2017)573453_EN.pdf

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: In-Depth Analysis, December 2017: Research for CULT Committee - The new role of public libraries in local communities http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/573455/IPOL_STU(2017)573455_EN.pdf

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