1. FCC releases new report highlighting role of libraries in bridging broadband divide
2. New fax number for DLTCL Division Administrator's office and two library teams
3. National Library Week radio PSAs now available
4. 2010 Best Books for Young Adults
5. Picturing America grants
6. Website of the Week - Social Security Benefit Calculator
7. Calendar
=================================================
1. FCC RELEASES NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTING ROLE OF LIBRARIES IN BRIDGING BROADBAND DIVIDE
A just-released report "Broadband Adoption in Low-Income Communities," was commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to analyze the factors shaping low rates of adoption of home broadband services in low-income and other marginalized communities. The study draws on some 170 interviews of non-adopters, community access providers, and other intermediaries conducted across the U.S. in late 2009 and early 2010. The FCC is scheduled to release its National Broadband Plan on March 18. It is assumed that the plan will address many of the issues related to the broadband divide.
Among other conclusions, the study suggests that libraries and other intermediaries will remain central institutions for broadband access in many communities, and consequently for the forms of social and economic participation-from job searches to education-that increasingly take place online.
Work
"With remarkable consistency, respondents described the importance of the Internet to job searches and other employment-related activities, even at the low end of the skill and wage ladder. Finding and applying for jobs, maintaining contact with employers, training to find better jobs, and other basic aspects of employment are increasingly Internet based-leaving those without access or only intermittent access at a serious disadvantage." (p. 17)
"The problems facing those without regular Internet access... are obvious and can be exacerbated by low Internet proficiency and limited English literacy. Large employers with online hiring portals typically recommend reserving at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete electronic job applications-a length of time that bumps up against typical time limits for Internet access in many public libraries and community centers." (p. 19)
Education
"For many parents who lack home connections, sending or bringing their children to libraries and other third spaces for homework-related activities is part of their weekly or even daily routine. The libraries we visited were consistently packed during after-school hours with children and teenagers using the computers and printers, getting homework help, and hanging out with friends. (p. 20)
"Students of all ages in our sample reported relying on computers at public libraries to complete their schoolwork." (p. 22)
E-government
"The shift to online [government] services represents a huge challenge for many social service recipients, and it disproportionately affects people at the low end of the socio-economic ladder. Those who require social service support the most are consistently the least likely to be able to afford either a working computer or home access and the most likely to need help accomplishing tasks online." (p. 23)
The report describes the key roles libraries play in helping bridge a persistent digital divide in the United States. "In every community we visited, libraries were the most frequently mentioned sites of broadband access outside the home." (p. 43) The report describes the need for formal and informal skill-building and its impact on staff, and the funding and infrastructure pressures libraries are under in meeting demand for technology services.
Technology assistance and staffing
The report references the need for human support in helping many computer users gain the essential skills they need to navigate online. "Many intermediaries observed that as essential activities move online, users with the lowest technical proficiency and general literacy are increasingly motivated to connect. Invariably, this population needs more help to complete online tasks than more proficient groups." (p. 44)
"Staff time was almost always described as the scarcest resource... and staff expansion the most often-cited way of improving third-space support for constituents" and "Staffing problems extend to maintenance of the computer infrastructure." (p. 45)
Funding and cost shifting
The report acknowledges and describes many of the pressures libraries work under in meeting growing demand. "Libraries have been shifting resources to accommodate the ever-growing demand for online services, but governments have generally not recognized or funded this expansion of service." (p. 47)
Among the study conclusions: "Cost-shifting onto community organizations needs to be met with additional funding of those organizations" and "Fuller funding of these intermediaries is the best means of assuring a meaningful broadband safety net and a stronger pathway to adoption in these communities." (p. 51)
The full 103 page report is at http://webarchive.ssrc.org/broadband_adoption.pdf.
2. NEW FAX NUMBER FOR DLTCL DIVISION ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE AND TWO LIBRARY TEAMS
Due to a move from the third floor to the fifth floor at the Department of Public Instruction's headquarters building in Madison, the DLTCL's Division Administrator's Office, the Public Library Development Team (PLDT), and the Instructional Media and Technology Team (IMTT) have a new fax number. The fax number is now 608-267-9207.
3. NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK RADIO PSAs NOW AVAILABLE
Two free, downloadable radio public service announcements (PSAs) are now available to librarians looking to promote National Library Week (April 11-17, 2010) on their local radio stations. The 2010 theme is "Communities thrive @ your library."
The radio PSAs discuss the value of libraries to millions of Americans, along with the variety of resources libraries provide during tough economic times. The PSAs are available in both English and Spanish and can be downloaded at http://www.ala.org/nlw. Downloadable PSA scripts are also available for radio stations that do not accept pre-recorded PSAs.
In addition to the radio PSAs, a free downloadable print PSA featuring Neil Gaiman, Honorary Chair of National Library Week and the 2009 Newbery Medal winner for "The Graveyard Book," is also available at http://www.ala.org/nlw. Instructions on how to request a customized PSA are also available on the Web site.
Other materials are currently available in both English and Spanish, focusing on the 2010 National Library Week theme "Communities thrive @ your library." They include a proclamation, sample press release and letter-to-the-editor. Libraries can download materials at www.ala.org/nlw. Libraries planning to participate in "Communities thrive @ your library" themed programming are encouraged to share their stories with the Campaign for America's Libraries, by sending an e-mail to: atyourlibrary@ala.org.
4. 2010 BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) announced its 2010 list of "Best Books for Young Adults." The list of 90 books recommended for those ages 12-18 meets the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The list comprises a wide range of genres and styles, including contemporary realistic fiction that reflects the diversity of the teen experience, nonfiction that brings to teens an awareness of the world they live in and its history, and fantastical stories told in both narrative and graphic formats. The complete list, including annotations, can be found on the YALSA website at http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/bbya.
5. PICTURING AMERICA GRANTS
The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office announces five new reading and discussion themes based on the popular Let's Talk About It model and inspired by the National Endowment for the Humanities' (NEH) Picturing America collection. The Let's Talk About It: Picturing America series has been developed to support public libraries in their efforts to conduct high quality humanities programs that highlight the Picturing America collection and engage audiences in dynamic, timely conversations about American art and history.
To encourage use of Let's Talk About: Picturing America, and the Picturing America collection the ALA Public Programs Office and NEH are offering programming grants of $2,000 to 30 public libraries. All public libraries who received the Picturing America collection are eligible to apply by March 31.
The Let's Talk About It model engages adult audiences in scholar-led, theme-based discussions that explore the best in classic and contemporary literature. Five new themes are eligible for program funding under the March 31 deadline:
• Land of Opportunity, which explores American journeys in literature
• Making Tracks, which focuses on railroads in America
• Object of Art, which examines image in American Indian literature
• Places in the Heart, which highlights human experiences shaped by place
• The Work of Freedom: Individual and Communal, which explores African American history through literature
For more information, and to begin an online application, visit http://www.programminglibrarian.org/picturingamerica.
6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Social Security Benefit Calculator -- http://www.ssa.gov/planners/benefitcalculators.htm -- Use any of the calculators on this Social Security site to estimate your potential benefit amounts using different retirement dates and levels of future earnings. The calculators will show your retirement benefits as well as disability and survivor benefit amounts if you should become disabled or die. (Website reference courtesy of refdesk.com)
7. CALENDAR
March 17-19, 2010 - Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) conference, Wisconsin Dells
March 26, 2010 - Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, by webinar
April 11-17, 2010 - National Library Week
April 20-21, 2010 - Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) meeting, Madison
April 20-23, 2010 - Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians (WAAL) conference, Milwaukee
April 28-30, 2010 - Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) annual conference, Sheboygan
April 29-30, 2010 - School Library Staffing Summit, Rothschild
May 10-11, 2010 - WiscNet conference, Madison
June 24-29, 2010 - American Library Association conference, Washington, D.C.
==================================================
To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe,
go to: http://channel.dpi.wi.gov/chn_chweekly
==================================================
Roslyn M. Wise
Editor, Channel Weekly
Department of Public Instruction
Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-6439
FAX: (609) 267-9207
2. New fax number for DLTCL Division Administrator's office and two library teams
3. National Library Week radio PSAs now available
4. 2010 Best Books for Young Adults
5. Picturing America grants
6. Website of the Week - Social Security Benefit Calculator
7. Calendar
=================================================
1. FCC RELEASES NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTING ROLE OF LIBRARIES IN BRIDGING BROADBAND DIVIDE
A just-released report "Broadband Adoption in Low-Income Communities," was commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to analyze the factors shaping low rates of adoption of home broadband services in low-income and other marginalized communities. The study draws on some 170 interviews of non-adopters, community access providers, and other intermediaries conducted across the U.S. in late 2009 and early 2010. The FCC is scheduled to release its National Broadband Plan on March 18. It is assumed that the plan will address many of the issues related to the broadband divide.
Among other conclusions, the study suggests that libraries and other intermediaries will remain central institutions for broadband access in many communities, and consequently for the forms of social and economic participation-from job searches to education-that increasingly take place online.
Work
"With remarkable consistency, respondents described the importance of the Internet to job searches and other employment-related activities, even at the low end of the skill and wage ladder. Finding and applying for jobs, maintaining contact with employers, training to find better jobs, and other basic aspects of employment are increasingly Internet based-leaving those without access or only intermittent access at a serious disadvantage." (p. 17)
"The problems facing those without regular Internet access... are obvious and can be exacerbated by low Internet proficiency and limited English literacy. Large employers with online hiring portals typically recommend reserving at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete electronic job applications-a length of time that bumps up against typical time limits for Internet access in many public libraries and community centers." (p. 19)
Education
"For many parents who lack home connections, sending or bringing their children to libraries and other third spaces for homework-related activities is part of their weekly or even daily routine. The libraries we visited were consistently packed during after-school hours with children and teenagers using the computers and printers, getting homework help, and hanging out with friends. (p. 20)
"Students of all ages in our sample reported relying on computers at public libraries to complete their schoolwork." (p. 22)
E-government
"The shift to online [government] services represents a huge challenge for many social service recipients, and it disproportionately affects people at the low end of the socio-economic ladder. Those who require social service support the most are consistently the least likely to be able to afford either a working computer or home access and the most likely to need help accomplishing tasks online." (p. 23)
The report describes the key roles libraries play in helping bridge a persistent digital divide in the United States. "In every community we visited, libraries were the most frequently mentioned sites of broadband access outside the home." (p. 43) The report describes the need for formal and informal skill-building and its impact on staff, and the funding and infrastructure pressures libraries are under in meeting demand for technology services.
Technology assistance and staffing
The report references the need for human support in helping many computer users gain the essential skills they need to navigate online. "Many intermediaries observed that as essential activities move online, users with the lowest technical proficiency and general literacy are increasingly motivated to connect. Invariably, this population needs more help to complete online tasks than more proficient groups." (p. 44)
"Staff time was almost always described as the scarcest resource... and staff expansion the most often-cited way of improving third-space support for constituents" and "Staffing problems extend to maintenance of the computer infrastructure." (p. 45)
Funding and cost shifting
The report acknowledges and describes many of the pressures libraries work under in meeting growing demand. "Libraries have been shifting resources to accommodate the ever-growing demand for online services, but governments have generally not recognized or funded this expansion of service." (p. 47)
Among the study conclusions: "Cost-shifting onto community organizations needs to be met with additional funding of those organizations" and "Fuller funding of these intermediaries is the best means of assuring a meaningful broadband safety net and a stronger pathway to adoption in these communities." (p. 51)
The full 103 page report is at http://webarchive.ssrc.org/broadband_adoption.pdf.
2. NEW FAX NUMBER FOR DLTCL DIVISION ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE AND TWO LIBRARY TEAMS
Due to a move from the third floor to the fifth floor at the Department of Public Instruction's headquarters building in Madison, the DLTCL's Division Administrator's Office, the Public Library Development Team (PLDT), and the Instructional Media and Technology Team (IMTT) have a new fax number. The fax number is now 608-267-9207.
3. NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK RADIO PSAs NOW AVAILABLE
Two free, downloadable radio public service announcements (PSAs) are now available to librarians looking to promote National Library Week (April 11-17, 2010) on their local radio stations. The 2010 theme is "Communities thrive @ your library."
The radio PSAs discuss the value of libraries to millions of Americans, along with the variety of resources libraries provide during tough economic times. The PSAs are available in both English and Spanish and can be downloaded at http://www.ala.org/nlw. Downloadable PSA scripts are also available for radio stations that do not accept pre-recorded PSAs.
In addition to the radio PSAs, a free downloadable print PSA featuring Neil Gaiman, Honorary Chair of National Library Week and the 2009 Newbery Medal winner for "The Graveyard Book," is also available at http://www.ala.org/nlw. Instructions on how to request a customized PSA are also available on the Web site.
Other materials are currently available in both English and Spanish, focusing on the 2010 National Library Week theme "Communities thrive @ your library." They include a proclamation, sample press release and letter-to-the-editor. Libraries can download materials at www.ala.org/nlw. Libraries planning to participate in "Communities thrive @ your library" themed programming are encouraged to share their stories with the Campaign for America's Libraries, by sending an e-mail to: atyourlibrary@ala.org.
4. 2010 BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) announced its 2010 list of "Best Books for Young Adults." The list of 90 books recommended for those ages 12-18 meets the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The list comprises a wide range of genres and styles, including contemporary realistic fiction that reflects the diversity of the teen experience, nonfiction that brings to teens an awareness of the world they live in and its history, and fantastical stories told in both narrative and graphic formats. The complete list, including annotations, can be found on the YALSA website at http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/bbya.
5. PICTURING AMERICA GRANTS
The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office announces five new reading and discussion themes based on the popular Let's Talk About It model and inspired by the National Endowment for the Humanities' (NEH) Picturing America collection. The Let's Talk About It: Picturing America series has been developed to support public libraries in their efforts to conduct high quality humanities programs that highlight the Picturing America collection and engage audiences in dynamic, timely conversations about American art and history.
To encourage use of Let's Talk About: Picturing America, and the Picturing America collection the ALA Public Programs Office and NEH are offering programming grants of $2,000 to 30 public libraries. All public libraries who received the Picturing America collection are eligible to apply by March 31.
The Let's Talk About It model engages adult audiences in scholar-led, theme-based discussions that explore the best in classic and contemporary literature. Five new themes are eligible for program funding under the March 31 deadline:
• Land of Opportunity, which explores American journeys in literature
• Making Tracks, which focuses on railroads in America
• Object of Art, which examines image in American Indian literature
• Places in the Heart, which highlights human experiences shaped by place
• The Work of Freedom: Individual and Communal, which explores African American history through literature
For more information, and to begin an online application, visit http://www.programminglibrarian.org/picturingamerica.
6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Social Security Benefit Calculator -- http://www.ssa.gov/planners/benefitcalculators.htm -- Use any of the calculators on this Social Security site to estimate your potential benefit amounts using different retirement dates and levels of future earnings. The calculators will show your retirement benefits as well as disability and survivor benefit amounts if you should become disabled or die. (Website reference courtesy of refdesk.com)
7. CALENDAR
March 17-19, 2010 - Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) conference, Wisconsin Dells
March 26, 2010 - Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, by webinar
April 11-17, 2010 - National Library Week
April 20-21, 2010 - Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) meeting, Madison
April 20-23, 2010 - Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians (WAAL) conference, Milwaukee
April 28-30, 2010 - Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) annual conference, Sheboygan
April 29-30, 2010 - School Library Staffing Summit, Rothschild
May 10-11, 2010 - WiscNet conference, Madison
June 24-29, 2010 - American Library Association conference, Washington, D.C.
==================================================
To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe,
go to: http://channel.dpi.wi.gov/chn_chweekly
==================================================
Roslyn M. Wise
Editor, Channel Weekly
Department of Public Instruction
Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-6439
FAX: (609) 267-9207
For questions about this information, contact Roslyn Wise (608) 266-6439