Sponsored by the Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Netherlands, a two-day international workshop on “Libraries as Transparency Institutions”, being organised by the Punjabi University’s Department of Library and Information Science, began at the University’s Senate Hall here today.

In his inaugural address, H K Kaul, Director, Developing Library Network (DELNET), New Delhi, underlined the need to undertake research on how to combat corruption in libraries, promote excellence in library services and convert libraries into knowledge centres for promoting professional contributions and expertise. Library associations in India should create anti-corruption portals with the objective of exposing the corrupt and promoting the efficient librarians, he said.

In his presidential address, university’s Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh said libraries were metaphors of memory of the mankind and transparency institutions, committed to making available the most accurate and unbiased educational, scientific and socially-relevant information. Libraries, he said, should extend their mission to become more active components of good governance and fight against corruption as it hinders scientific progress, weakens the social system and obstructs the emergence of knowledge society. Transparency, on the other hand, helps in maintaining good records management system, financial regulatory and monitoring systems which were the hallmarks of socially responsible authorship and journalism for the dissemination of reliable information across frontiers through all types of media, he added.

In his keynote address, Kai Ekholm, Director, National Library of Finland, Helsinki, and IFLA FAIFE Chairman, emphasized that corruption was not a concept; rather it has become an industry across the globe. Transparency, he said, was necessary to check corruption at all levels. He hoped that deliberations would culminate into constituting Punjabi Declaration on the workshop theme. Dr Barbara Jones, FAIFE Expert Resource Person and International Library Consultant from the USA, said that there was a conflict between national security issues and privacy rights of citizens. She advocated the forging of a balancing act to resolve this ticklish issue.

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