European Parliament Written (registered on the 7th of October 2013) recognises the essential services offered by public libraries in communities across the EU which provide opportunities for lifelong learning, social/digital inclusion and pathways to employment (based on published in March 2013). This Declaration highlights the fact the public libraries are not just about culture and books – they represent a 65,000 strong pan-European network of community based institutions delivering positive educational, social and economic benefits to 100 million library users across all EU Member States.
We have a three month window to persuade MEPs to sign this Declaration – and if it receives the support of 50% of MEPs (by the 7th January 2014) – the text will be adopted by the European Parliament and forwarded to the European Commission to respond. We need all librarians, library users and library supporters across all 28 Member States to contact their MEPs in support of this important campaign in order to make the most of this unique opportunity!
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