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Why does EIFL-PLIP support public libraries?

There are more than 230,000 public libraries in developing and transition economy countries. Known and trusted in their communities and staffed by skilled librarians, they are uniquely positioned to change lives and build strong communities.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has vastly increased access to knowledge in vital development areas - agriculture, health, employment, poverty reduction, education and many others. However, public libraries in developing and transition economy countries struggle to integrate ICT into their services. Obstacles include poor telecommunications infrastructure; the high cost of hardware and software, and lack of knowledge about technology and the skills to use it.

EIFL-PLIP seeks solutions to these obstacles by supporting development of innovative public library services that use ICT, and by building librarians technology skills so that they can use ICT effectively and teach members of the community to use ICT. Our aim is to ensure that public libraries have the resources and capacity they need to improve lives in their communities.