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As I\u2019ve spent more time working with OCLC\u2019s Global and Regional Councils, I\u2019ve come to an agreeable realization that\u2019s maybe a bit of a paradox. The wider our professional networks become, the more likely we\u2019ll find faraway colleagues whose local solutions fit our situations. Sometimes the best answers don\u2019t come from next door, but from across the globe.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a surprise, actually, so much as a challenge. There just aren\u2019t a lot of mechanisms for sharing great ideas across library types and geographies. But this year, I\u2019m pleased that we\u2019re bringing two great platforms together\u2014OCLC Global Council and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)\u2014to help libraries around the world promote and improve their best ideas.<\/p>\n
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I first became acquainted with the UN SDGs<\/a> before they were signed off in 2015 in my previous job with the Pan American Health Organization\/World Health Organization (PAHO\/WHO). We worked extensively on Goal #3 (Good health and well-being<\/a>). At the PAHO\/WHO, we saw how health goals overlapped and connected to so many of the others. This is also true with the work libraries do. No matter what type, size, or area our institutions cover, we work to meet the needs of our communities. And it would certainly be appropriate for a library to support any, or all, of the 17 UN SDGs.<\/p>\n When OCLC Global Council decided on this focus, we knew it would be beneficial to narrow them down to where libraries could have the greatest impact. So, through a survey sent to delegates and virtual focus group interviews, we identified five as our focus for this year\u2019s efforts:<\/p>\n Libraries are logical partners for local economic and sustainable development initiatives, particularly those that focus on people and quality of life. The mission of libraries fits well with the SDGs\u2014as the SDGs serve as a call to action for all stakeholders to form collaborative partnerships to address the most pressing inequalities, and the social, economic, environmental, and governance challenges of our time. Library workers already play a vital role in establishing these kinds of partnerships to ensure access to information and knowledge, which are vital to ensuring sustainable societies.<\/p>\nStronger together: Libraries focus on the UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals #OCLCnext <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n There are not only opportunities for libraries to work the SDGs into their own strategic plans, but also to advocate for their partners to participate. For example, public libraries can educate colleagues within local governmental structures and academic librarians can do so within their universities, colleges, and so on. And within their own plans, libraries can explicitly embed some of the SDGs to reduce inequalities and access to information and knowledge, ensure quality education, and establish partnerships.<\/p>\n At my library and institution, for instance, we\u2019ve established a \u201cFaculty Working Group for Equitable Learning\u201d to address quality education and reduce inequalities by establishing internal and external partnerships for sustainable development and accountability. Although this group and internal goals were not established solely based on the SDGs, they align very clearly.<\/p>\n As in other years, the Global Council has brought these efforts together purposefully from a wide range of global institutions to provide helpful materials and activities that you can put to use locally.<\/p>\n Serving on Global Council has been a rewarding experience for me, and an incredible benefit to my daily work. I\u2019ve gained access to a broader professional network and a better understanding of local and regional issues facing our profession. And bringing this SDG research and these sessions to the library community is exciting and important work for me, personally and professionally.<\/p>\n I hope you\u2019ll join us as we share ideas and build our knowledge about the SDGs. Together, we can make a powerful impact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As I\u2019ve spent more time working with OCLC\u2019s Global and Regional Councils, I\u2019ve come to an agreeable realization that\u2019s maybe a bit of a paradox. The wider our professional networks become, the more likely we\u2019ll find faraway colleagues whose local solutions fit our situations. Sometimes the best answers don\u2019t come from next door, but from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,42],"tags":[51,90,162],"class_list":["post-4368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-librarianship","category-membership","tag-advocacy","tag-librarianship","tag-membership-global-council"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
What your library can do with the SDGs<\/h2>\n
How OCLC and Global Council can help<\/h2>\n
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