Katha Kanan Library, Nagaon, Assam

The “Rome Declaration of the G20 Culture Ministers” (2021) inserted culture in the G20 process, recognising it for its social and economic value, and stating a commitment to the protection of cultural heritage and expressions at risk. This Declaration recognises the need for strengthening and developing effective, sustainable, inclusive and coordinated management models and tools for protecting cultural heritage at risk. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has recognised this as an opportunity for libraries and documentary cultural heritage experts to play a vital role in developing these models and tools, as well as benefiting from them. As a result the upcoming G20 meeting in India will showcase libraries. This statement is by the Free Library Network, a member of IFLA, drawing attention to the imperative need for India to have a free library policy.

The Free Libraries Network (FLN), is a coalition of free libraries and librarians advocating for free library access and the right to read in India and South Asia.  FLN believes in universal access to reading materials and information. FLN offers a platform for sharing resources, best practices, and insights about free libraries in India. Although it does not own or operate libraries, FLN plays an integral role in coordinating and acting on policy issues related to access to knowledge resources.

The FLN Statement

The Free Libraries Network (FLN) will participate in the Festival of Libraries by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on August 5 and 6, 2023. This conference, focused on the library landscape in India, is an opportunity for library advocates across the country to discuss the need for a public library system that offers free access to books and information to all people.

During the conference, FLN members will be contributing to three panels, aimed at sharing insights on free libraries’ potential in promoting reading, thinking and community discussions, as well as in such libraries’ potential to undo the historic exclusion of the vast majority of people from reading and to promote the Constitution’s vision of equality. Additionally, FLN members will engage in various advocacy activities both inside and outside the conference venue, appealing for a policy that guarantees free library access to all.

All the freedoms in the world rest upon the core freedom of thought and expression. Yet, without free access to books and a safe space for discussion, thought and expression becomes severely handicapped. A national policy that creates free libraries is integral to the practice of democracy, and to the sustenance and nourishment of our fundamental rights.

Annie Zaidi, Writer. 

Since the 1930s, the struggle to provide every Indian with free library membership and access to reading materials has been a priority for educational reformers like S R Ranganathan. However, despite a Rajya Sabha Standing Committee’s 2022 directive for the Ministry of Culture to draft a policy regarding free library access, progress has been slow. FLN is hopeful that the forthcoming conference shall catalyse efforts to finally develop and implement such a policy.

 The Community Library Project: Delhi-NCR

There is a significant demand for accessible and free public libraries all over India. Surveys indicate, there is roughly one rural library for every 11,500 people, and one urban library for over 80,000 people in India. Furthermore, there is a severe lack of clarity regarding the level of service capabilities and functionality of these libraries, emphasising the necessity for a comprehensive and nationwide policy.

Books don’t just give us knowledge; they also teach us how to empathise and to imagine, and thus they expand both our understanding and our horizons. Libraries that are free, welcoming and engaged with their communities, that allow for both quiet reading and heated discussion, should not be a privilege limited to a few but rather a fundamental right for all, essential to the development and empowerment of any country and its people.

Parvati Sharma, Writer

FLN is dedicated to its mission of ensuring the right to read for all people. As a coalition of free libraries, librarians, and library activists, FLN provides a platform for sharing resources, generating data insights, and advocating for policy issues related to access to knowledge resources.

As part of the conference, FLN will distribute leaflets featuring its member organisations (more than 150 in total) and the names of prominent allies. Supporters in Delhi are encouraged to join FLN at the conference venue, either inside or outside. They will be visible, expressing their support through buttons, stickers, speeches, singing, and reading activities.

FLN hopes that this conference will be a step towards a national policy that ensures free library access for all people in India through the creation of a flourishing public library system, and effective implementation of pre-existing schemes like ‘Padhe Bharat, Badhe Bharat’, which aim at promoting  reading in schools and establishment of  high quality libraries in schools.

India Needs A Free Library National Policy!

A library is a space in the physical or virtual domain that guarantees access to information and knowledge to all without prejudice. To quote IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022: “The public has trust in their library, and in return, it is the ambition of the public library to proactively keep their community informed and aware. The services of the public library are provided on the basis of equality of access for all, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, language, social status, and any other characteristic.”

In India, public libraries do not uniformly provide access to knowledge and information to all. Hence, it is important to use the word ‘Free’ to define a public library i.e. a library that charges no fee for membership or any of its services and proactively, as a matter of policy, programming & best practices, invites all people regardless of caste, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability to use its knowledge & information resources. 

The Free Public Library ensures for all people:

• Access to information & knowledge through free membership, zero fines or caution deposit, ease of admission with no document proof
• A space to socialise and practice culture
• Free access to books, literature and reading through member-driven library curriculum
• Support and guidance for educational needs and opportunities
• Freedom to exercise democratic and social rights

It creates an inclusive and welcoming space for all by:

• Serving the needs of the public through an anti-caste, gender-inclusive, disability-inclusive and anti-hate policies and best practices
• Abiding by the constitutional values of justice, equality, fraternity and liberty
• Imbibing the principles of love, ensuring respect & dignity for all
• By encouraging reading with thinking and joy
• Building a diverse collection of books, reading material and digital resources in the languages of the people

It is:

• Financed from public funds

It is not:

• Influenced by commercial, private or government pressures
• Subject to censorship
• Meant to serve the ideals of any political party

For more information, visit the FLN website at https://www.fln.org.in/.

Contact:

Purnima Rao, Director, Free Libraries Network freelibrariesnetworkfln@gmail.com

Rituparna, Capacity Building & Curriculum, Free Libraries Network and Director, Akam Foundation (Assam) neogrituparna0@gmail.com

Amit Gautam, Core Team Free Libraries Network and Director, Savitribai Phule Village Library & Resource Center amitsureman70@gmail.com