CENTRALITY OF LIBRARIES IN THE ACTUALIZATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN ZAMBIA

The UN 2030 Agenda is a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that everyone everywhere enjoys peace and prosperity. The 17 SDGs, also known as the UN 2030 Agenda, provide a comprehensive list of the issues that world leaders care about. The UN’s 193 Member States adopted them in September 2015, and they came into force on 1 January 2016. This paper investigates the centrality of libraries in the actualisation of the SDGs in Zambia by 2030. A survey design was adopted for this study. Purposive sampling was used to select 30 respondents from six libraries within Lusaka, Zambia. The study found no evidence of specific programming for SDGs by the surveyed libraries. The paper posits that without the input from libraries it will be difficult for Zambia to achieve the SDGs. The study has therefore proffered recommendations on how libraries can be more proactive in initiating and implementing programs that would enhance their visibility in the realization of UN 2030 Agenda by 2030. The findings of this study would inform policy and practice direction on how best to leverage libraries in the actualization of SDGs. The study concludes that libraries are critical in the full actualization of SDGs in Zambia.