ALA’s UN delegation panelists at NYPL, l.-r: Loida Garcia-Febo, Robin Kear, Brandy McNeil, Nick Buron, Lisa Varga, Diana Price, and Melissa Jacobs Photo courtesy of Loida Garcia-Febo

The 17 goals of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development were released in 2015, with the aim of addressing planetary ills such as poverty, violence, and human rights violations over the following 15 years. The simple but far-reaching items overlap, on a smaller scale, with library values—so much so that the American Library Association (ALA) created a Task Force on the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2021, in collaboration with the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), as part of then–ALA President Julius C. Jefferson’s initiatives.

The task force’s mission is still going strong, and this year ALA sent a delegation to New York City (NYC) during the UN’s High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in mid-July. The delegates presented a panel, “Imperatives for Growth: Libraries as Catalysts for Inclusive Employment, Skills, and Prosperity,” at the New York Public Library's (NYPL) Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on July 21, with the aim of highlighting the importance of libraries in a time when their funding and efforts toward equity are under threat.

The discussion’s theme, that libraries are already doing the work of unlocking growth in their communities, and that recognizing their roles can benefit many potential partners, was amplified by panelists representing public, academic, and school libraries. Libraries are—and must be—coalition builders, said Lisa R. Varga, associate executive director at ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office (and LJ’s 2024 Librarian of the Year). “No one can do all this alone,” she said.

DOING THE WORK NOW

ALA President Sam Helmick welcomed the panelists and moderator Loida Garcia-Febo, chair of ALA’s International Relations Subcommittee on UN SDG and 2018–19 ALA president. Libraries are established catalysts for inclusive employment and lifelong learning, Helmick said, and foster skills for resilient futures. For the following hour, the six panelists offered real-life examples of the critical work happening in libraries everywhere.

Libraries across the country develop strong partnerships with local government organizations for business education and workforce development, said Diana Price, Central Library manager at Alexandria Library, VA. Nick Buron, chief librarian at Queens Public Library (QPL), NY, noted that in its service to new Americans—Queens is one of the most diverse urban areas in the country—the library works with local councils and consulates, as well as the NYC Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs.

DEI and social justice are at the core of all the work libraries do, said Dr. Brandy McNeil, deputy director of digital literacy, workforce readiness, adult education, and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) at NYPL and president of the Public Library Association. That includes building digital literacy skills and accommodating a range of neurodiversity, she added.

Educational equity is augmented by increasing the presence of school libraries staffed by qualified librarians—particularly in collaboration with public libraries, said Melissa Jacobs, director of library services at the NYC Department of Education. Libraries in schools enhance not only education but serendipity, pointed out Varga—the chance for kids to discover the unexpected in a world where Google is always listening to, and giving you, what you want.

What do you want listeners to take away from this discussion of libraries’ values? asked Garcia-Febo.

Funders need to prioritize, urged Jacobs. It is cost-effective to invest in libraries and the people who use them, because education moves people forward. Robin Kear, liaison librarian at the University of Pittsburgh, agreed, pointing out that partnering with libraries improves outcomes all around: “We’re an ecosystem.”

Libraries are strong community partners, said Price, and can help showcase local government initiatives. Partnership is key, McNeil agreed, noting that “The people you’re trying to reach are in our libraries.” Panelists offered a range of competencies that libraries help build, including interpersonal, face-to-face communication skills; media decoding; tech adaptability; and English Language Learning built into practical knowledge acquisition. Buron pointed to QPL’s home health care instruction that incorporates English instruction, and Garcia-Febo pointed to a Los Angeles Public Library app that helped street vendors understand conflict resolution while learning English.

The Agenda for Sustainable Development has seen improvement in 60 percent of its 17 goals over the last 10 years, noted Kear who, along with Garcia-Febo, was a member of the original SDG Task Force in 2021. “Libraries are helping with that.”

Helmick later told LJ that they were happy that the panel’s message and visibility were part of the UN Forum and SDGs.

“I’m really pleased that we’re seeing leadership in the wider world embrace the fact that they don’t have to build something new to support technology and support local communities, which obviously has global implications,” Helmick said. “They’ve always had their local library, so if we continue to invest in [libraries], we’re investing in the prosperity of the whole world.”