Libraries in Culture and Public Information; measurement issues for UNESCO

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Libraries in Culture and Public Information
measurement issues for UNESCO

• Simon Ellis

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Outline

• Introduction
• UNESCO multisectoral interests
• UIS UNESCOs official stats agency
• Policy drivers
• Library stats
• Emerging statistical standards
• Data collections including joint library work
  with IFLA/ISO

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UNESCO Libraries

• Education school textbooks, lifelong learning,
  Education for All
• not examined in depth today
• Communication and Information Information for
  All, digitisation, archiving
• Culture diversity of cultural expressions,
  immaterial heritage

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CIWSIS and Knowledge Societies

• WSIS Action lines
• C3. Access to information and knowledge
• C7. ICT Applications e-learning
• C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic
  diversity and local content
• C9. Media
• Digital production
• Publishing and Archiving
• Access to information and use of ICTs
• Information literacy
• Public access

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CLT diversity and preservation

• Convention on diversity of cultural expressions
• Role of libraries in cultural exchange
• Dialogue of civilizations
• Tangible and intangible heritage
• Role of libraries in preserving culture

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Crafts Heritage Uganda

• Cultural assets
• Tombs of the Buganda Kings
• How to value?
• CV techniques
• Ranking
• Traditional knowledge
• Craftsmanship
• food and nutrition
• dress-
• medicine
• tools, instruments
• ritual music

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UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

• The official UN arm for statistics in UNESCOs
  mandate
• Objective production of data for EVERY country
  in the world
• Data used to show progress of countries towards
  global objectives (eg WSIS, EFA, MDGs)
• Independent Governing Board

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UIS wants to capture the changing role of
libraries

• Diversity of information sources
• Digital archives
• Downloads (print, music, DVD)
• Internet access
• events
• Education
• Community and citizenship
• Information literacy

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A good location for collecting statistics?

• Libraries are
• A good data collection point
• perhaps the only recognisable local community
  institution gt comparability
• Potential to reach local households
• Key role in public information (especially in
  rural areas)
• location for internet access
• supply of literacy material
• Education and cultural dialogue training and
  exhibitions

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BUT some major statistical problems

• Publishers data incomplete
• How to measure downloads?
• National data only covers major libraries
• Need to link to poverty literacy including
  digital divide
• Need improved statistical coverage developing
  countries especially rural areas
• Standards for developing countries (adapt ISO?)

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Statistical standards

• UIS trying to find data that will eventually be
  provided by EVERY country
• international comparability
• Few resources for dedicated data collections
• But not always lowest common denominator

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Standards 1 ISO libraries

• Libraries type of institution
• Collections
• books serials manuscripts, microforms,
  cartography, music, audiovisual, graphics,
  patents,
• eBooks, computer files, databases, current
  serials, internet
• (additions/withdrawals of above)
• Usage
• users, loans, in-house use, reservations, info
  requests, copying, interlibrary lending
  (national/international), events, visits,
  training
• Access and facilities
• Opening hours, days open, seats, public
  workstations, catalogues, copiers, space
• Expenditure operating, capital
• Staff professional, specialist volunteers,
  training

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Standards 2 UIS Culture
SICs nuanced by occupation and product classifications SICs nuanced by occupation and product classifications SICs nuanced by occupation and product classifications SICs nuanced by occupation and product classifications
Arts Visual, fine, performing arts Heritage Natural Cultural Tangible and Intangible Audio-visual Film, video, new media Books Press
Production Consumption Employment Value Performances Employment Value Employment Value No of titles Employment Value No of titles
Education Enrolment Performances in/by schools Enrolment Attendance (visitor local) ICTs in education School textbooks
Traditional knowledge Craft artisan Story tellers Festivals (, attendance) Intangible heritage (no of themes) Biodiversity lang.,medicines Traditional knowledge on the Internet Audio-visual documentaries Languages in print
Archiving preserving Document centres Conservation (jobs, ) Film archives (volumes) Libraries (volumes, transactions)
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Standards 3 information literacy

• Often seen as a skill/competency
• Complexity of skills assessment at international
  level
• Basic literacy starting point for developing
  countries
• PISA, IALS, PIAAC, and LAMP
• Supply, access and usage
• Capabilites approach (Amartya Sen)
• Proxy responses in Census and Labour Force Survey
• IFAB and IFLA?

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UIS Actions

• Data release press and broadcast 2007/8
• Pilot library survey with IFLA 2007
• Adopt new cultural statistics framework 2008-9

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UIS Press Broadcast surveys

• Drivers
• information for all WSIS C3
• poverty reduction
• Use of older technologies
• Indicators

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UIS/IFLA/ISO library survey comments on
adaptations

• Conforms to ISO and IFLA principals standards
• Seats or space?
• Electronic services
• Internet access critical role in developing
  countries
• Resources ebooks, databases
• website
• Events broader usage
• Literacy and education the place of the library
• Finance
• How to integrate data from local libraries?

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Issues/questions

• Coverage publishers libraries
• Culture in Africa
• Information literacy standards
• Role of older technologies in developing
  countries, eg radio in libraries?