Bridging the Universal Literacy Gap: The Role of Libraries in Providing Information Access Towards the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4)
Sarah A. Gbenu, Pauline Ruguru Njagi, Adebola O. Adegoroye · UJ Press eBooks · 2023
Sustainable development was a key topic during the review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2005 to help meet current demands without sacrificing the capacity of future generations to meet their requirements. In order to replace the MDGs, stakeholders, including the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), approved the post-development agenda in 2015. This chapter discusses the significance of public libraries in promoting equitable access to information, universal literacy, and public access to information by improving communications infrastructure. The chosen theory of change sheds light on the contribution of public libraries to achieving universal literacy. The peer-reviewed and grey literature published online between 2015 and 2021 will be examined to gather data. Additionally, data will be thematically evaluated to assess and summarise public libraries’ contributions to closing the global literacy gap.