By Dr Sadie-Jane Huff, 1-6
Abstract:
The Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4) which seeks to ensure both inclusive and equitable quality education while promoting lifelong learning remains a critical challenge globally. Although there are national education strategies in place that focus on schools as well as higher education institutions, libraries tend to be under-recognised and under-used partners when it comes to realising this goal. With a focus on Singapore, this opinion article examines how public and academic libraries have a more distinctive role within the learning ecosystem, needing to juggle being functional and accessible, yet ensuring that they create informal learning hubs that complement all educational institutions such as schools and universities while remaining accessible to the various underserved groups outside the sphere. With reference to her own professional leadership experience combined with case studies, this opinion piece examines how Singapore’s public and academic libraries can better support the development of a more inclusive and accessible lifelong learning environment. The author further emphasises the importance of strategic inclusion of libraries into education policy frameworks and digital inclusion strategies to fully leverage their potential in advancing SDG 4.
Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals, public libraries, academic libraries, lifelong learning, Singapore, information literacy