Towards the Global Library – Applying Agenda 21 to Library Marketing

International audienceThe Agenda 21 is the United Nations' action plan for the 21st century in favor of sustainable development. Launched at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, its 40 chapters include social, economic and ecological actions to be implemented by local authorities, governments, but also by corporate companies and services. Twenty years after the Earth Summit, our proposal is to apply the Agenda 21 to library marketing and management and to move on to the global or sustainable library. Based on the marketing concepts of global performance and corporate social responsibility, we describe five main dimensions, e.g. social, societal, ecological, commercial and economic performance, and encourage a conceptual framework for the evaluation, management and development of libraries and information services. Beyond marketing, our manifesto is also designed to provide a new outline and clear structure for education, research and publication in library and information sciences