What do I need to participate in the IGF?

What do I need to participate in the IGF?

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  Gain support of your library organisations or library associations/societies before attending—these agencies make the strongest representatives.
  
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  Identify your goals for participation. It could be: library advocacy, dissemination of IFLA position, partnership searching, getting necessary knowledge and skills.
  
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  Identify fields of your interests in IGF: what issues do you planning to cover by your participation, what personal and organizational contacts are you interested. Be prepare to know something about them before you going IGF.
  
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  Formulate your talking points, such as:
  

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  If we are talking about social development, improving lives in 21 century, we understand it couldn’t be manage without modern ICT, digital inclusion. And best place to provide social inclusion through digital inclusion is a public library, where you can find not only Internet access providing, but also experienced navigation, practical help from a professional – a librarian;
  
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  Libraries are public institutions where access to ICT brings public good;
  
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  Libraries meet the critical information needs of their communities: educational, legislative, health, ecological, municipal, business, tourist information and so on.
  
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  Libraries can be key partners in the development of e-government services;
  
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  There are more than 230,000 public libraries in developing and transitioning countries. These are logical, existing access points for ICT;
  
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  Libraries are existing for centuries, they are trusted institutions. Governments can use such a good already existing social platform for social development.
  

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  Build your background knowledge on IFLA positions and WSIS:
  

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  Awareness of background WSIS and IGF documents, ways of participating into the preparatory phases particularly in the national IGFs;
  
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  Awareness of IFLA position on role of libraries in Information Society, development, freedom of expression, access to information, Intellectual Property Rights;
  
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  Awareness of IFLA basic documents on information access, censorship and professional ethics;
  
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  Awareness of national or regional level professional library organization/association position on role of libraries in Information Society, main strategy documents, code of ethics.
  

7. Where can I get more information?

8. IFLA Contacts:

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions