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Ensuring No One Is Left Behind: Community Digital Inclusion

Ensuring No One Is Left Behind: Community Digital Inclusion. John Carlo Bertot, iPAC Larra Clark, ALA. Agenda. Defining Digital Inclusion Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion Using New Survey Data Potential Library F unding O pportunities Concluding Comments. The Study Team.

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Ensuring No One Is Left Behind: Community Digital Inclusion

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  1. Ensuring No One Is Left Behind: Community Digital Inclusion John Carlo Bertot, iPAC Larra Clark, ALA

  2. Agenda • Defining Digital Inclusion • Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion • Using New Survey Data • Potential Library Funding Opportunities • Concluding Comments

  3. The Study Team • The American Library Association (ALA) • Office for Research and Statistics • Office for Information Technology Policy • The University of Maryland • Information Policy & Access Center (iPAC) • International City/County Management Association (ICMA) • Community Attributes • Paragon New Media • Funded by Institute of Museum and Library Services

  4. Digital Inclusion • Digital inclusion brings together high-speed Internet access, information and communication technologies, and digital literacy in ways that provide opportunities for individuals and communities to succeed in the digital environment: • All members understand the benefits of advanced information and communication technologies. • All members have equitable and affordable access to high-speed Internet-connected devices and online content. • All members can take advantage of the educational, economic, and social opportunities available through these technologies. • IMLS, UW, and ICMA (2011)

  5. Community Challenges & Opportunities • Basic Needs • Health and wellness • Education • Economy/workforce • Arts and Culture • Neighborhoods and communities • Environment --Seattle Foundation (2006) • Sub issues • Transportation • Diversity • Growth • Broadband • Energy

  6. New Era for the Public Good • Old • Do more with more • Do more with less • Acceptance of a “public good” • New • Challenge to the “public good” • Work smarter with what you have • “Smart government” leverages existing resources and crowdsources solutions to community challenges, attain community priorities, and pursue new opportunities to create healthy communities • PPP (Public-Private Partnerships)

  7. New Era for the Public Good • Real challenges remain for communities to solve • Literacies: digital and other • Workforce: creating a current and future workforce with a range of relevant and employable skills (STEM) • Health: obesity, diabetes, asthma, autism, healthy lifestyles • Civic Engagement: e-government, open government, participatory government, open data, forums, and more

  8. Constraints Remain

  9. Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion • Public libraries support digital inclusion in four essential ways: • By providing free access to public access technologies (hardware, software, high-speed Internet) • By providing access to a range of digital content to their communities • By providing digital literacy services that assist individuals navigate, understand, evaluate, and create digital content using a range of information and communications technologies • By providing programs and services around key community need areas such as health and wellness, education, employment and workforce development, and civic engagement

  10. Community Access—Computers • Public libraries report an overall average of 20 public computers—nearly double the number five years ago, with a range of 40.5 (city) to 10.1 (rural). • In spite of this increase, about 36% of libraries report they experience daily wait times, with this true for 62% of city libraries.

  11. Community Access—Broadband

  12. Digital Content • 100% offer licensed databases • 97% offer online homework assistance • 96% offer online job and employment resources • 90% offer ebooks • 55% offer online language learning programs • 43% offer mobile applications

  13. Digital Literacy • 98% of libraries offer technology training • 53% offer new technology training • Of those, 50.3% offer individual/by appt training

  14. Public Programming • Education and learning • Almost all public libraries (98.4%) offer summer reading programs. • Workforce • Nearly 80% of libraries offer programs that aid patrons with job applications, such as interview skills and resume development.

  15. Public Programming • Civic Engagement • Nearly all libraries offer assistance in completing online government forms. • Health & Wellness • Over half (56%) of libraries offer programs that promote the development of healthy lifestyles.

  16. Digital Inclusion Survey • Identify the impacts of public computer and Internet access on the community. • Consider library public access technology services in terms of key community demographics. • Identify gaps in public access technology services based on community needs. • Support community conversations related to building more digitally inclusive communities.

  17. Using the Data - Locally http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/content/interactive-map Demographics Education Employment Health

  18. State Data and Map  State Level Map State Summary   Downloadable PDF http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/state-details

  19. Using the Data - Locally http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu/content/interactive-map Live, interactive use with Q/A

  20. Funding Opportunity: E-rate • E-rate is the government’s largest ed-tech program for libraries and schools: approx. $2.5 billion/year • Greater focus on broadband and wi-fi • 100 Mbps target for small libraries; 1 Gbps target for larger libraries • Simplified administration and application processes • New opportunity to seek support for shared school-library networks

  21. Funding Opportunity: E-rate • 66% of libraries would like to increase broadband to better meet demand • 30% of libraries report that the fact that city/county/other entity makes decisions regarding bandwidth is an important factor affecting their broadband capacity • Public comment period now open regarding long-term program funding needs for library and school broadband

  22. Funding Opportunity: Workforce Investment & Opportunity Act • Allows public libraries to be considered additional One-Stop partners and enables access to federal funding for library job training and job search programs. • Authorizes adult education and literacy activities provided by public libraries as an allowable statewide employment and training activity.

  23. Funding Opportunity: Workforce Investment & Opportunity Act • Nearly 100% of public libraries offer workforce development program and online job and employment resources • Comments to Secretary of Labor should be sent now to support funding for libraries through rulemaking

  24. Thank You! Email: jbertot@umd.edu Twitter: @johnbertot Email: lclark@alawash.org Twitter: @oitp Digital Inclusion: http://digitalinclusion.umd.edu Public Libraries Internet/PLFTAS: http://www.plinternetsurvey.org

  25. Questions/Comments? Additional Information…

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