The Right of the Child to Information: The Role of Public Libraries in Human Rights Education.

Information and education are crucial for child development. The child's right to information and education protect human values and the human dignity of the child. Formal and non-formal forms of education by parents, friends, schools, and libraries should be based on human rights. The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) provides a framework for human rights education. An analysis of the various types of human rights is presented. These include: general human rights as formulated in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights; human rights of children, with a focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and human rights of children in the home country. Public library services are based on human rights, formulated in the Unesco Public Library Manifesto. These services can play a constructive role in formal and non-formal education about human rights. They respond to the child's right to information in various ways that are explained in this paper. They also support the schools with required materials and programs based on valuable themes, such as human rights. In many countries, professionals that deal with children still have little knowledge about the human rights of children, and they need information and training in this area. Active libraries can help. Some examples of cooperative work for human rights education are given, with recommendations made in the areas of definition of human rights education; training in children's rights; integrated programs and child participation; and voice for children. Web sites for additional information in this area are listed. (AEF)