ABSTRACT
For the library and information professions no value is more fundamental than a commitment to providing the people with access to information. The support of society for this goal emerges from experiences with the development of four historic systems—the postal and telephone services, education, and broadcasting—which led to the advancement of the principle of universal service. The belief became firmly embedded in our nation that some services, essential to the progress of democratic government, must be made available to all. Access to information is one of them. After defining the importance of access to information, its history and dimensions, and the role of the library and information science professions in providing it, this entry describes the current impact of the digital age on equity of access. The key resources and challenges provided by digitization are explored in light of the five fundamental principles that underpin the professions’ commitment to providing information access: equity, intellectual freedom, intellectual property rights, privacy and, in more recent years, awareness, and advocacy. The challenges surrounding equity of access to education are explored along with the crucial necessity for the profession to recruit and retain a workforce with the skill to understand the experiences, the languages, and the perspectives of diverse populations. If library and information agencies are not able to support the programs and services Emerging Majorities want and need, will Emerging Majorities support libraries? Finally, the need for diversity is extended to the role of librarians as global citizens prepared and dedicated to minimizing global disparity in access.
