The Human Rights Centre at the University of Sarajevo works to improve access to information for human rights advocates. Staff members have built a strong information system, concentrated around an information specialist. Using this system and of the specialist’s skills has allowed other staff to better focus on their core programmatic missions.
Benefits of a Library Unit
Establishing a library or documentation unit within human rights organizations can benefit staff. Not only does it help facilitate the flow of information, and manage confidential documents. It also chronicles the organization’s history, and improves day-to-day operations. Key elements of this tactic include the involvement of a skilled librarian or information specialist, an organized space, a core collection of materials, and the right software and technology.
Role of Human Rights Librarians
Human rights librarians have particular skills to offer a human rights organization. These include knowledge of technology and of human rights information and documentation. The role of the librarian is to collect and evaluate materials in relation to the organization’s core mission. They then arrange the materials for efficient use and disseminate them within the organization. This last role involves working with staff to sort and prioritize information.
Essential Space and Resources
It is important to have enough space to organize materials and account for staff interaction. At a minimum, a documentation center includes space for the librarian’s office needs. This includes a networked computer and shelving and file units. The core collection of books and other resources depends on the mission and scale of the organization. In general, an organization should try to include information essential to its present and future programs. Finally, an efficient documentation center will have appropriate software and internet connection. The software, for cataloguing, classification, indexing, and so on. And the internet, to allow the librarian to freely access information.
For more information on this tactic, read our in-depth case study.
Human rights practitioners can often benefit from institutional strengthening tactics that provide new skills, technology or organizational systems. The work of the librarians at the Human Rights Centre in Sarajevo focuses on the information needs of human rights advocates themselves, allowing them to be more effective by freeing up their time and energy. The Centre is a fairly large and well-funded organization, but nearly all human rights work now relies on timely access to complete and accurate information. When an organization has the necessary resources — even if that involves only to a part-time employee or dedicated volunteer — an information center could help provide that access. The librarians and information specialists themselves, however, may need to employ persuasion tactics to convince the organization and its members of the importance of work that may at first seem peripheral to the core mission.
New Tactics in Human Rights does not advocate for or endorse specific tactics, policies or issues.
