ABSTRACT
Promoted by the United Nations organizations, the World Summit on the Information Society was initiated to interrogate the global issues and challenges resulting from the widespread use of information and communication technologies and the growth of the information economy and to propose global strategies. Its first phase, held in Geneva in December 2003, was directed toward the adoption of a declaration and an action plan. The second phase, held in Tunis in November 2005, focused on reaffirming the commitment and advancing implementation of the agreed goals. Identifying the crucial role of libraries and information services as enablers for a fair and just information society, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, worked successfully in concert with other civil society organizations to highlight the vital issues including freedom of access to information, information literacy, and strategies to overcome the digital divide.
