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September 1995, vol. 27, no. 9
Introduction
UNESCO prepared its Public Library Manifesto in 1994, in cooperation with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), to proclaim its "belief in the public library as a living force for education, culture and information, and as an essential agent for the fostering of peace and spiritual welfare through the minds of men and women".
Many of the tenets described in the manifesto may be axiomatic for people in western nations where access to information and freedom of expression are the norm. But for peoples who do not enjoy such liberty, its principles are a much-desired goal and the manifesto a guide on how to reach it.
The manifesto affirms that public library services, which are usually free of charge, should be provided "on the basis of equality of access for all, regardless of age, race, sex, religion, nationality, language or social status....Collections and services should not be subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship, nor commercial pressures".
According to the manifesto, some of the principal goals of public libraries are:
The text of the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994 was published in National Library News, July-August 1995. Following are comments on the manifesto by some members of the Canadian library community
Copyright. The National Library of Canada. (Revised: 1995-10-31).