Access to knowledge is everybody's right

One of the most relevant aspects of current society is its multicultural character as a consequence of the migratory movements that have taken place during recent years. Nowadays, in any of our cities, it is clear that the presence of people original from Africa, Asia or America is a demographic reality that has such an importance in our everyday lives that we may not deny it.

In order to contribute to the enrichment and the encounter of the different cultures that are in contact, it is necessary to promote communication and respect for the difference that exists between immigrant minorities and national majorities. In this sense, the main premise must be to contribute to the integration of the minority in the society, preserving and developing at the same time its own cultural identity and promoting and contributing to the exchange of cultures and their elements and therefore creating more open, rich and plural societies.

The public library may and must play a crucial role in the social integration of these minority groups, participating in the social integration processes of immigrant population and getting involved in the fight against cultural prejudice. Therefore public libraries should:

• guarantee access to the public library (a basic service), applying the same conditions that are applied to national population, for the immigrant population in Andalusia and for ethnic, linguistic and cultural minorities.
• promote the use of the public library among the immigrant population as a place to meet others and as a place of cultural exchange, trying to create services that will cover their needs and contribute to their social integration.
• promote the acquisition and creation of documentary resources (forms, electronic and audiovisual documents) that will cover the information, educational and cultural needs of multicultural populations.
• raise social awareness about the positive values of multiculturalism, avoiding all forms of racism and xenophobia.

Organisations such as UNESCO and IFLA underline that the library must address all its efforts to these new users, so that all necessary means are available to them and so that they are totally integrated in society. These organisations also consider important for the library to introduce these minorities to society, so that their cultures are not alien to it, and to promote attitudes of respect for diversity and learning to live with the difference.


Other languages and other cultures in your library

Andalusia is a clear example of the existence of ethnic, linguistic and cultural minorities that live together with the rest of the Andalusian population, especially as regards the Arab population original from Morocco. In view of this reality, the Regional Government of Andalusia has developed a Comprehensive Plan for Immigrants in Andalusia that is able to promote total integration of the immigrant population in society, the labour market and the personal level, all in the heart of Andalusian society. Within this general framework of action, the Regional Ministry for Culture in Andalusia, through the Directorate General for Heritage Institutions, launches the "Project of Multicultural Libraries in Andalusia", as it believes that public libraries constitute a clear referent as a place to meet and organise cultural and social activities by Andalusian local authorities, as a place where information access and cultural documents are provided to all citizens on the same footing and in the spirit of democracy and solidarity.

This project was created with the intention of providing Andalusian public libraries with the means and supports necessary to become active driving forces in favour of the integration of all ethnic, linguistic and cultural communities that live together in our territory and it inteds public libraries to do so by constantly adapting themselves to the communities that surround them. In this sense, the crucial element is the cooperation and coordination between the Regional Ministry for Culture and the Andalusian Local Authorities to which most public libraries in Andalusia are accountable to. This cooperation has been regulated in the Cooperation Agreement signed with each of the Local Authorities interested in this project. This agreement also stipulates the conditions of the service in these Andalusian public libraries.


The project of Multicultural Libraries in Andalusia carries out the following actions:

• Definition of the geographical areas for action.
• Study of the users in the selected areas.
• Training of the heads of the libraries.
• Formation of the documentary collection including all types of supports, both for the libraries that take part in the program and for the mobile book unit of the Library of Andalusia.
• Creation of a web page about information resources for ethnic, cultural and linguistic minorities in Andalusia.
• Cultural activities and activities to promote reading, such as reading workshops, training courses for users, guided visits to the library, courses of Spanish language, etc.
• Follow-up and assessment of the service, including statistics about the use of the service and proposals for acquisitions and activities.