| Librarians have always
been gatekeepers to the world for their communities, whether in the library's collections,
research or programming, and they now bear a responsibility to widen the partially opened
door for people of all ages toward a fuller awareness of our global home.
As the 21st Century dawns, there are not only movements toward
expanding democratization and the accelerating integration of a global economy, but also
conditions of persistent poverty, widening disparity and inequity, depleting resources, a
degrading environment, and all-too-frequent recourse to violence. In light of these
challenges and opportunities, the concept of sustainable development provides a
global vision for forging a more just, humane and ecologically benign future.
First defined in Our Common Future, a 1987 report to the
General Assembly of the United Nations, sustainable development is "development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their needs." This definition stresses the interrelationship of the three
concepts of environmental protection, economic/political development, and social
equity and has permeated not only the UN system, but national and local governments
and major corporations as well.
The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and special UN sessions
in June 1997 provided assessments of the status of sustainability around the world. In
this country the President's Council on Sustainable Development released its major report,
Sustainable America, in 1996 and is planning a National Summit on Sustainable
Development in Detroit for early 1999. Local cities and towns have joined
nonprofit groups in promoting sustainable communities across the nation.
This discussion guide seeks to provide public and school librarians
with a variety of practical resources for contributing to the public's understanding of
major global trends and relationships that affect our local communities as well. The
concern for a future that is sustainable is shared by peoples around the world.
This guide has three sections: 1. Suggested Readings, 2.
Supplemental Videos, 3. Study Circle Handbook: A Manual for Study Circle Discussion
Leaders, Organizers, and Participants.
1. Suggested Readings
These readings are suggestive and can easily be replaced by your own preferences. These
were selected by the Global Awareness Team to reflect a wide variety of topics that might
appeal to library goers across the country. Issues span life style choices that
individuals might consider, as well as public policy and economic decisions. Readings were
also selected to reflect multiple perspectives and a variety of sources, print and
Internet alike. Please note that the Public Opinion Poll: Views of Foreign Aid in
the third section of readings can be used to start the discussion of that section. It can
also be used as a poll with your library's general public as a way to generate interest in
the discussion series. Local respondents can then compare their answers with the responses
from the national surveys, as provided.
2. Supplemental Videos
These videos were originally previewed and included in this project's central publication.
Local Libraries: Global Awareness -- A Librarian's Guide to Global Programming for a
Sustainable Future was published by the American Library Association as a 16 page
insert in the June/July 1998 issue of American Libraries. The videos are included
here because they can supplement a discussion series based on readings.
3. Study Circle Handbook: A Manual for Study Circle Discussion
Leaders, Organizers, and Participants
This manual, reprinted with the permission of the Study Circles Resource Center,
provides excellent suggestions for anyone who wants to organize a public discussion
series. The manual distinguishes between the series organizer and the discussion
leader so that if you are not comfortable leading the discussion groups, you might
still be encouraged to initiate the use of these resources in your local setting.
Jeffrey L. Brown
Project Director
June 1998 |