Lifelong education and library services in Malta

Abstract

As was established in the Conference on Lifelong Education Initiatives in Mediterranean Countries, held in Malta by the Faculty of Education of The University of Malta, between 5-7 November 1984, the concept of 'Lifelong Education' has been interpreted in a great variety of ways. What the speakers agreed on, however, was the fact that it is an influential factor in the formation of society. Lifelong education is not just a more trendy name for adult education. It moves away from the traditional viewpoint which links education with schooling and 'relates to the whole of learning, formal, non-formal and informal, over the lifespans of individuals and across the resources of society . . . it is underpinned ethically and politically by the norms relating to the diverse forms of interaction and the channels of communication available in society.' Lifelong education is the process of self-learning, the ability of people to learn continuously and become the creators of knowledge they consider necessary for themselves. All the stages of learning in people's lives and consequently all the resources for encouraging and facilitating them become important. One such important resource centre for lifelong education is the library. In this study, through the analysis of questionnaire responses and library records, we will be researching just how adequate the library services in Malta are in satisfying these needs of the society in which it functions.