How can public libraries contribute to media and information literacy and to bridging the digital divide? Illustrate with reference to the IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022.

UNESCO's Information for All Programme (IFAP) endorsed the IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022, which was launched at the World Library and Information Congress in Dublin [1]. It calls public libraries "a living force for education, culture and information" [2]. Billions of people are still unconnected, so libraries are where access to information can become the ability to judge and use it.

Libraries as hubs of Media and Information Literacy (MIL)

• Manifesto mandate: Libraries help all members of society access, produce, create and share knowledge [1]. This makes citizens creators of information, not just consumers.
• Key MIL partners: At the 89th WLIC (2025), UNESCO named libraries key partners in MIL [2]. Trained librarians teach source-checking, which counters misinformation.
• Education partnership: The Manifesto treats libraries as partners in transforming education and in spreading Open Educational Resources [1].
• Local languages: The Manifesto had been translated into 36 languages by 2025 [2]. Users can learn MIL in their own language.

Libraries as bridges across the digital divide

• From connectivity to meaningful use: UNESCO-IFAP's 2025 Issue Brief notes that more than 2.8 million libraries worldwide can reach people where they are. They help turn bare connectivity into real digital inclusion [3].
• Equity focus: The same brief makes the gender divide and digital literacy core policy areas [3].
• Offline solutions: UNESCO's RACHEL-based digital libraries in South Sudan work where internet and electricity are scarce [4]. This model suits India's low-connectivity areas.
• Indian example: The National Mission on Libraries runs the National Virtual Library of India and has trained 2,465 library professionals [5]. However, libraries are a State subject, so how far the Mission reaches depends on each state [5].

Physical access → Digital access → MIL skills → Informed citizen
   (library)       (NVLI/offline)    (trained staff)

Fig: Libraries move users along the access-to-empowerment chain.

In short, public libraries combine infrastructure, content and human mediation. A phone alone does not provide all three. India should help states pass library laws, add offline copies of NVLI content and train staff in MIL. This would put the 2022 Manifesto into practice and advance SDG 4 and SDG 16.10, making libraries the foundation of an inclusive knowledge society.