Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13342 | 21 October 2013

Libraries and museums in an era of participatory culture

Signatories: Baroness Diana ECCLES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Paride ANDREOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Christian BARILARO, Monaco, ALDE ; Mr Joe BENTON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Brian BINLEY, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Delia BLANCO, Spain, SOC ; Mr Marek BOROWSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Michael CONNARTY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Pascale CROZON, France, SOC ; Mr Geraint DAVIES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Joseph DEBONO GRECH, Malta, SOC ; Ms Ismeta DERVOZ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Jim DOBBIN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Baroness Margaret EATON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Tülin ERKAL KARA, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Jonathan EVANS, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Gvozden Srećko FLEGO, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Sahiba GAFAROVA, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Cheryl GILLAN, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Pierre-Yves LE BORGN', France, SOC ; Mr Jean-Yves LE DÉAUT, France, SOC ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Vesna MARJANOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Nicos NICOLAIDES, Cyprus, SOC ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Ivan RAČAN, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Deborah SCHEMBRI, Malta, SOC ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Ms Karin STRENZ, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Björn von SYDOW, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Sabine VERMEULEN, Belgium, NR ; Dame Angela WATKINSON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Karin S. WOLDSETH, Norway, EDG

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

As key stewards of our culture and heritage, libraries and museums have traditionally enjoyed a unique role and special responsibility within societies around the world. But as economic changes and rapid technological innovation have brought about dramatic societal changes, roles and responsibilities of libraries and museums need to be revised creatively and strategically to respond to the emerging societal needs.

The 21st century indeed poses new perplexing challenges, in particular how to reach marginalized parts of population, how to actively involve very diverse audiences and make them participative, how to creatively interpret collections addressing compelling contemporary issues, and how to seek stronger links between museums, libraries and other relevant cultural and non-cultural institutions and partners.

These challenges offer intriguing new opportunities for libraries and museums to become a “contemporary agora” – places of open exchange on countless contemporary issues which would help setting a more vibrant artistic, cultural, spiritual, social and political life for the local community.

The Parliamentary Assembly decides to study how to enhance the use of libraries and museums as contemporary “democratic spaces”, which should promote participation and democracy; diversity and intercultural dialogue, social and political empowerment.