Fair for All: Creating Equitable and Universal Access to Information

Presentations are available to view on the Academic and Special Libraries YouTube channel

Thursday March 21st, Ashling Hotel, Parkgate Street, Dublin 8

The ability to access accurate and relevant information is vitally important in a modern society. In 2016, the UN General Assembly passed a non-binding Resolution that declared internet access a human right, while UNESCO advocates for access to information as a fundamental freedom and a key pillar in building inclusive knowledge societies.

However, users continue to face barriers when trying to find and access information. They are hindered by paywalls, censorship, accessibility issues and technological inequalities, and frustrated by information overload and fake news.

At the A&SL Conference 2024 we looked at how we, as librarians and information professionals, support our users in overcoming these challenges and gaining access to the information they need.

The programme for #asl2024 below shows the case study and poster presentations that explored these themes. It was a full day of interesting papers with networking opportunities at coffee and a sit down lunch in the Ashling Hotel’s Chesterfields Restaurant.

“All information resources that are provided directly or indirectly by the library, regardless of technology, format, or methods of delivery, should be readily, equally, and equitably accessible to all library users.” –  ALA Core Values

“Universal access to human knowledge is in our grasp, for the first time in the history of the world. This is not a bad thing” – Cory Doctorow

“The smartest person in the world could well be behind a plow in China or India. Providing universal access to information will allow such people to realize their full potential, providing benefits to the entire world.” – Hal Varian, Chief Economist at Google