16 August 1998, Amsterdam

Information is not free, but we can make it freely available to the user-community (not customers). We should train librarians "to climb on the back of the elephant" (information providers).

The information gap is not even talked about in the American Library Association, a library association of a rich country. We need to bring these issues to the mainstream, and we need to influence IFLA.

We could do local library or community group training in Bangkok next year.

We need to take the message to the Third World that social responsibility is pervasive in librarianship. In fact, this is why we are librarians.

IFLA structure does not work in addressing these issues. The Regional Sections are marginalized in Division 8. The regional sections' officers often cannot even attend IFLA. These issues need to be mainstreamed. There is a paper coming to address IFLA structure.

There is more sympathy for these issues within IFLA than we might know about. The Regional Section on Latin American and the Caribbean is doing a program on a similar topic in Amsterdam.

We need to promote South to North cooperation. Information providers filter out 95% of Third World information. We need to get Third World books in our libraries.

It is impossible to come to IFLA only every five years and to participate fully. For a Third World perspective, see Ellen Namhila, The Price of Freedom (Windhoek: New Nambian Books, 1997).