The end of history: censorship and libraries

Libraries have vital roles in society in protecting heritage, offering individuals and societies opportunities to improve the quality of their lives, and contributing to civil society. They play an important role is the free exchange of ideas within societies and across time and space. Libraries can be damaged through war, looting and neglect. But more pervasive is the great variety of methods of information control of censorship which are given many justifications including decency, community well-being, privacy and national security. However, such views are contingent as can be illustrated by considering changing attitudes to pornography. Librarians face personal dilemmas which contend with professional responsibilities to meet the needs of users and to promote the widest possible access to information. Any librarians who might wish to uphold principles of unrestricted access to information must either accept the boundaries or struggle against them

4th Congress of the South-North Mediterranean Dialogue

4-6 October 2015/Milan, Italy "Rural and Regional Development in the South and North Mediterranean and the New Neighborhood Policy" The Milan Congress brings together actors for development, farmers, policy and decision makers and entrepreneurs as equals to incite open dialogue, build on mutual respect and mutual appreciation. The goal is to find opportunities and identify collectively the innovations and solutions promising for rural communities