This report is a first version of the main output of the Dynamic Coalition on Public Access (DC-PAL) for 2023. It summarizes expert views on how the nature and place of public access in libraries in wider connectivity strategies has evolved since it was included in the World Summit on the Internet Society (WSIS) Plan of Action in December 2003.

The WSIS Plan of Action includes various references to the important role of libraries in providing public access to digital technology, digital capacity building, cultural and lingual diversity and local content. In the two decades since the adoption of the Plan of Action, the world has changed dramatically, both in terms of technology and the number of people online, raising the question - is public access in libraries still relevant? The report reflects on this question and the evolution of public access in libraries in wider connectivity strategies.

The first version of the report includes initial contributions by the Internet Society and UNESCO. The DC-PAL will expand the report by incorporating output of the DC-PAL workshop at the annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2023, and with further contributions.

Established within the framework of the IGF, the DC-PAL is led by EIFL and IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions).