Access to UN Information in the Digital Era : Reengineering the UN Depository Libraries Programme

Abstract

Since July 1947 the United Nations has had a vibrant, diverse network of depository libraries around the world. Today there are 360 participating libraries in 134 countries. The programme is poised to enter into a new phase, taking into account current technology, users’ needs and the results of a consultation process that depository librarians worldwide participated in. The authors present a brief overview of the UN Depository Libraries Programme (history, development, current management), discuss the outcome of the consultation process (moving towards a primarily digital deposit), and cover in detail (mandate, content scope, features and functionalities) the two digital services that have since been developed: the United Nations iLibrary, launched in February 2016, and the United Nations digital library that is still in the implementation phase. In conclusion we discuss the proposed new policy for the UN Depository Libraries Programme that was communicated to depository libraries in March 2016.