Submitted on: 01/08/2014 1 Libraries as activators of farmer’s learning Ramune Petuchovaite Public Library Innovation Programme, EIFL, Rome, Italy. E-mail address: ramune.petuchovaite@eifl.net Ugne Lipeikaite Public Library Innovation Programme, EIFL, Rome, Italy. E-mail address: ugne.lipeikaite@eifl.net Copyright © 2014 by Ramune Petuchovaite and Ugne Lipeikaite. This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Abstract: This paper shares the experience of the EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) Public Library Innovation Programme (EIFL-PLIP), which supported public and community library pilot projects focused on meeting farmers’ needs for information and access to resources provided by governments. Since 2010, EIFL-PLIP has supported 13 library projects focused on supporting farmers in developing and transition economy countries. As a result, farmers have access to ICTs for the first time, have acquired ICT skills, increased opportunities to exchange knowledge with peers (face to face or online), and gained adapted agricultural content, for example, content translated into local languages. The paper reflects on EIFL-PLIP’s learning over three years, and concludes with some of the ways in which public and community libraries are contributing to farmers’ learning and consequently to improved livelihoods. Keywords: agriculture, public libraries, technologies. Introduction In the developing world, small farms are one of the most important sources of food and income. It is generally accepted that access to agricultural and other information plays an important part in boosting farmers’ productivity and their willingness and ability to adopt more efficient farming practices. Today, access to information increasingly depends on access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), online resources and services. The internet has become not only the major channel for accessing the most up to date knowledge and practices, but also facilitates financial transactions, widens access to markets and fosters communication and networking with peers and relatives.