Open Biblio Lab is an innovative project that aims to make the public libraries of Dakar, Saint-Louis and Ziguinchor catalysts for transparency and citizen participation for a pilot phase. By advocating the opening up of local public data, it mobilises young people, local elected officials and library professionals around citizen forums, targeted training and strategic advocacy reports.
Activities
Training librarians in the use of open data, local digital governance and citizen advocacy.
Installation of Open Biblio Lab points in three pilot libraries in Dakar, Saint-Louis and Ziguinchor to provide a digital, educational and civic environment for consultation and dialogue around open data.
Organisation of “Open Data & Youth” participative citizen forums in libraries to debate access to public data and formulate recommendations for open governance.
Production and dissemination of advocacy reports on local data openness based, among other things, on needs expressed at citizen forums.
Advocacy with local and national authorities to promote the recommendations of the citizen forums.
A monthly program of events in partner libraries designed to popularise transparency issues and strengthen young people’s civic culture.
Expected outcomes
3 local authorities will have begun to open up their public data, in line with the principles of open government.
3 pilot libraries to be equipped with Open Bilio Lab points
+ More than 600 citizens will benefit from these new local information services, strengthening their ability to find out about, understand and act on local issues.
30 librarians will be trained in the fundamentals of digital governance,
managing open data, and facilitating citizen access to information.
3 citizen forums will be organised to promote direct dialogue with local authorities and data producers
3 advocacy reports proposing concrete recommendations for the attention of the Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie (ANSD), and public decision-makers
About ASBAD
ASBAD is a Senegalese professional organisation gathering librarians, archivists and documentalists. It works to promote, strengthen and enhance the documentary information professions, while contributing to the development of public policies in favor of access to information and collective memory.
