Building Bridges through Dialogue: Librarians in the US and Russia Address the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The US-Russia Dialogue on the Civic Role of Libraries in the 21st Century (US-Russia Library Dialogue) focuses on cooperation and exchange between US and Russian library professionals, strengthening linkages and building their capacity to create vibrant community centers in their respective libraries. The dialogue was launched by the All Russia State Library for Foreign Literature and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, in concert with leaders of the American and Russian Library Associations and leading library specialists and educators. Held annually since 2017, our dialogue began at the Kettering Foundation in the spring of 2017 and continued in 2018 at the Russian Library Association Annual Congress in Suzdal, Russia and in 2019 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, we held our fourth meeting virtually.

Our dialogues between US and Russian librarians support and deepen the pioneering efforts in both countries to transform libraries from providing traditional services to the community into working with the community to foster learning and public problem solving. At the fall 2019 convening in Urbana and continuing with our 2020 virtual meeting, dialogue participants addressed community problems articulated in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This session will discuss how librarians involved with this dialogue are leveraging their experience and expertise engaging communities toward achieving the UN sustainability goals and working together to provide mutual support and training for advancing these goals in communities in both countries.

The meeting is open to all. Password: IS400FALL2

Questions? Contact Emily Knox