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In recent years, Italian academic libraries have undertaken third mission activities linked to the enhancement of their heritage: library science scholars have already been studying this kind of initiatives, and today the Italian national agency for the evaluation of universities and research institutes (Anvur) considers such actions as a result of the institutional commitment of a university library. A workshop, organized by the Library System of the University of Ferrara together with the Italian library association during the Stelline congress 2022 (Milan, 11 march), analyzed the case study of the bibliotour Storie di libri e palazzi, set up by the University of Ferrara; the workshop also explored new strategic opportunities for the enhancement of academic libraries' heritage, firstly the inclusion of all audiences, with specific reference to Goal 10 ("Reduce inequalities") of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Furthermore, this perspective embraces potentially the entire corpus of recommendations provided by the Agenda. The paper is intended not only to report the main ideas that emerged during the workshop held in Milan but, starting from them, also to suggest building a network of academic libraries, in order to facilitate the communication of third mission initiatives and their public outreach. Therefore, full adherence to the inclusive dimension and the commitment to sustainable development are two new strategic opportunities for academic library activities related to heritage enhancement. AIB has been supporting both strategies for several years, by means of concrete actions, such as the "Maria A. Abenante" Award, as well as organizational structures, like the Observatory on library and sustainable development (Obiss). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to focus on the importance of investigating the value and weight given to libraries by politicians, decision-makers and administrators within their political and administrative activities. The article proposes a reflection on the value given to libraries by some Italian policymakers and a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the presence of libraries within the electoral programs of the Italian local elections (autumn 2021-spring 2022). This study has made it possible to construct a map of the positioning of libraries in the mind of politics. This fact is essential for understanding the context from which librarians and researchers can start to change the perception, often simplistic, of policymakers about libraries, to make them understand the impact that libraries can have on society, and to identify effective and efficient strategic actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reproduces Giovanni Solimine's last academic lecture, held in streaming on May 28, 2021. The lecture develops around main themes on which the author focused in his long academic career: the library, the function of books and reading, the skills in the knowledge society, the way in which culture develops and circulates on the web. Solimine has dedicated many publications to these issues, including his last four books published by Laterza between 2004 and 2020 (La biblioteca: scenari, culture, pratiche di servizio; L'Italia che legge; Senza sapere: il costo dell'ignoranza in Italia; La cultura orizzontale). In his lecture, the author takes up and updates the main reflections contained in his volumes which, according to him, seem to belong to a unique design that has taken shape over time, just like a journey where each new stage finds its origin in the conclusions of the previous stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]