Introduction : redefining the role of libraries in the political process and in conflict situations

Abstract

For better or worse, libraries are part of the fabric of society. They cannot survive and thrive as alien bodies nor, to use the language of systems theory, as closed systems with impermeable boundaries. It should therefore not surprise us that libraries are directly and indirectly affected, if not buffeted, by societal trends and perturbations. It remains shocking nevertheless when libraries are damaged or destroyed, especially when it appears that they have been deliberately targeted. A number of recent cases of this nature prompted the Library Theory and Research (LTR) section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to propose the topic “Libraries in the Political Process: Benefits and Risks of Political Visibility” as the theme for its open session held at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Lyon, France, in August 2014. This topic was aligned with the global theme of the IFLA 2014 Congress, “Libraries, Citizens, Societies: Confluence for Knowledge.”