RLUK24 | IARLA Roundtable: The role of libraries in supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

RLUK24 Conference
https://www.rluk.ac.uk/
https://rlukconference.com/

Jane Harvell, Director of Library Services and University Librarian, University of Sussex and RLUK Vice-Chair
Andrew Pace, Executive Director, Association of Research Libraries
Brett Waytuck, Dean, University Libraries and Archives, University of Regina and CARL President
Carmel O'Sullivan, University Librarian and Director (Library Services), University of Southern Queensland and CAUL Chair
Masud Khokhar, University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection, University of Leeds and RLUK Chair

Research libraries play a significant role in contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing access to information, preserving knowledge, and promoting literacy and digital skills. According to the United Nations, libraries ensure that information and the skills to use it are available to everyone, making them critical institutions for all in the digital age. They contribute to improved outcomes across the SDGs by promoting universal literacy, closing gaps in access to information, and supporting various other goals such as quality education, good health and well-being, sustainable cities and communities, and equality of the sexes.

In this roundtable, colleagues representing research libraries from across Europe, North America, and Australia explore how the sector supports various aspects of sustainable development, and the opportunities and challenges ahead, both locally and globally.