Maureen Kenga

Librarian/Knowledge Manager, Kenya

Archives and libraries are essential institutions to ensure universal literacy and help combat the challenges affecting the attainment of the SDGs. Libraries and archives play a great role in the management of explicit knowledge. They offer a wide range of products and services that promote the attainment of each SDGs, including free access to information; promoting literacy; offering safe spaces; advancing digital inclusion by providing ICT infrastructure; fostering creativity and innovation; providing access to and preservation of the world’s knowledge for current and future generations among others.

Communities with universal access to timely and pertinent information/knowledge can end poverty and inequality, advance all sectors of the economy, offer high-quality education, and promote their citizens’ well-being, culture, creativity, and research.

My eight-point recommendations:
1. Every country must prioritize including archives and libraries in national development plans.
2. Promote and support the Information Science field effectively as guided by the Lyon Declaration on
Access to Information and Development
3. Empower archives and libraries as catalysts for socio-economic development in implementing SDGs.
4. Adequately fund archives and libraries and provide ICT infrastructure.
5. Governments to recognize the value of records, archives, and libraries for the success of SDGs and
develop reporting indicators.
6. Governments to develop and implement policies and regulations to support archives, libraries, and
knowledge management services for SDGs and national goals.
7. Governments to apply holistic approaches towards integrating tools and techniques for managing
records/archives/information/knowledge/ to achieve SDGs.
8. Stakeholders’ engagement and diverse knowledge sharing on SDGs.

Keywords: Libraries, Archives, Knowledge Management, Information Science