ALA applauds announcement of FNPRM on digital literacy training in libraries

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Jacob Roberts| 3 Comments

The American Library Association (ALA) welcomes today’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Order (pdf) voted on by the Commission that will reform the Lifeline program.  ALA has been monitoring this proceeding and is pleased to note that the Commission will be issuing a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) to address the need for digital literacy training in libraries and schools as part of Chairman Genachowski’s ongoing broadband adoption initiatives.

“The Chairman today echoed the sentiment of librarians serving communities across the country when he said digital literacy training will help more Americans participate fully in our 21st century economy and society,” said Emily Sheketoff, Executive Director of the ALA’s Washington Office.

“Librarians are skilled at developing digital literacy programs that meet the specific needs of their communities – whether rural and remote, or urban – and are trained to assess the skill level of the person coming into the library so that she or he gets the most out of the class.”

It is ALA’s understanding that funding for the digital literacy training will be realized by the reforms to Lifeline, and ALA supports this additional and necessary infusion of funds into libraries and schools to bolster their capacity to provide digital literacy training to their communities.    ALA looks forward to the opportunity to respond to specific questions in the FNPRM to help determine the most effective and efficient way to ensure the success of the Commission’s proposal.

ALA thanks the Chairman for his continued recognition of the key role libraries play in supporting a digitally literate society.

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Posted in OITP, Public Libraries, Technology, the Internet, and Telecommunications

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Registration Now Open for 2012 National Library Legislative Day

Posted on January 31, 2012 by TWegner| Leave a comment

Registration for the 2012 National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) in Washington D.C. is now open. At the NLLD registration site, you can register online or print out a form to mail or fax in.

The 2012 NLLD will be held at the Liaison Hotel in Washington D.C. To make reservations, chose one of the options listed on the registration site. Be sure to mention ALA National Library Legislative Day to get the group rate.

For 38 years, there has been an annual National Library Legislative Day in the nation’s capital. Each year, over 400 library supporters travel to D.C. where they receive training and briefings to prepare for meetings with their members of Congress. Many continue their advocacy activities when they return back home by building on the relationships they established at NLLD.

The White House Conference on Library and Information Services Taskforce (WHCLIST) and the ALA Washington Office are calling for nominations for the WHCLIST Award. Each year, the award is granted to a non-librarian participant in National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). The winner receives a stipend of $300 and two free nights at the NLLD hotel. Click here to apply.

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Posted in Grassrooots & Advocacy, OGR, Washington Office News

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Please Sign School Library Petition Before Feb. 4 Deadline

Posted on January 26, 2012 by TWegner| 4 Comments

Time is running out to sign the White House petition asking for the inclusion of school libraries in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Indiana school librarian Carl Harvey posted the petition on January 5, 2012. To date, the petition has almost 15, 600 signatures. To qualify for an official response from the White House, 9,400 more signatures are needed by February 4, 2012. A big thank you to all the library supporters who have signed on thus far!

To download a step by step PowerPoint tutorial (with screenshots) of how to sign the petition, click here.

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Posted in Grassrooots & Advocacy, School Libraries

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President Obama to release his FY 2013 budget request on Feb 13

Posted on January 25, 2012 by TWegner| Leave a comment

The White House announced this week that President Obama will release his FY 2013 budget request to Congress on February 13.

The Washington Office will provide further updates once the President’s budget request has been made public.

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Tablet and e-book reader ownership nearly doubles in one month

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Jacob Roberts| 1 Comment

Today the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project announced that tablet and e-book reader ownership nearly doubled over the holidays. Overall, 29 percent of U.S. adults now own at least one of these devices. This is the first report in a series funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with an advisory group of library representatives – on which I serve on behalf of the American Library Association.

While this first report does not reference libraries directly, it certainly has implications that come as no surprise to our members. Of course libraries have experienced the post-holiday surge of new tablet and e-reader users seeking help using these devices and looking to check out e-books much as they have checked out billions of other library items in the past year. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, these new tablet and e-reader owners will not be able to find the same depth of collections on their new devices as they’ve enjoyed in the stacks. Many of the largest publishers limit or do not allow library lending of e-books, an issue top of mind for the new Digital Content and Libraries Working Group.

In addition to the content divide that currently exists for those seeking e-books through their libraries, the Pew report also surfaces a new “device divide.” While 36 percent of people from families with annual incomes greater than $75,000 have a mobile reading device, only 8 percent of those with incomes below $30,000 report this is the case. In our effort to create and support a nation of readers and lifelong learners, these divides pose significant challenges to our values and ability to meet community needs. They demand our continued vigilance and advocacy, as well as our creativity in developing new sustainable models for connecting our communities.

Pew plans to dig deeper into library experiences with e-books in the coming year. There will be an online survey of library staff asking about their experiences with e-books, e-book readers, and publishers of e-books, as well as a survey of library patrons asking about their experiences of accessing/trying to access e-books at their libraries.  Together, this phase of the research project will explore reader expectations for access to digital content and devices and the challenges and opportunities they bring to public libraries. In subsequent years, the project will investigate community priorities for library services and will describe use patterns and outcomes for library patrons and non-users.

Larra Clark, Director, Program on Networks
ALA Office for Information Technology Policy

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