Volume 13, June 15, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) ARSL SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE EXTENDED

2) LIBGUIDES FOR WASHINGTON

3) FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING

4) DIGITAL LITERACY IN SPANISH

5) RESOURCES FOR MAKERSPACES

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) ARSL SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE EXTENDED

Librarians and library employees are encouraged to apply for a full scholarship to attend the Association of Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) Conference from September 6-9 in St. George, Utah. The Washington State Library is providing these scholarships with funding from the Library Services and Technology ACT (LSTA).

The deadline to apply has been extended to June 23!

Scholarships will include transportation, all conference fees, and lodging. Preference will be given to applicants who have not won this scholarship before.

The application, requirements, and submission information are available at: sos.wa.gov/q/arslscholars.

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2) LIBGUIDES FOR WASHINGTON

Looking for information about Washington? The ALA GODORT (Government Documents Round Table) State Agency Databases LibGuides Project lists eResources maintained by state agencies for all 50 states.

The Washington page lists both general databases, e.g., Census QuickFacts Washington, and specialized resources, such as the Interactive Online Crop Location Map. A vast array of useful topics are included.

You will also find some familiar OSOS (Office of the Secretary of State) databases:

• Corporations Search,
• Charities and Commercial Fundraiser Search,
• Washington State Voter Registration Database,
• Washington State Library catalog.

Check it all out at godort.libguides.com/washingtondbs.

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3) FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING

Do you receive lots of requests from patrons for help with financial matters? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to help make libraries the go-to source for unbiased financial education and resources in every community. This free all-day workshop (8:30 to 4:30) at the Central Seattle Public Library on July 19, 2017, will provide detailed information on the free resources available in your community to use when fielding financial questions from patrons.

You will learn about organizations in your community that provide free unbiased financial literacy resources to help empower patrons to make appropriate financial choices for themselves. A wide array of financial topics will be covered, including:

• Paying for college
• Prevention of financial fraud
• Planning for retirement
• Basics of credit such as mortgages and credit rating and scores
• Resources for seniors including financial caregiving and reverse mortgages.

Questions? Contact Daniel Nguyen at [email protected]. To register, visit sos.wa.gov/q/finlit.

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4) DIGITAL LITERACY IN SPANISH

Spanish speakers now have access to digital literacy training resources thanks to recent efforts by the Public Library Association (PLA) a division of the American Library Association. PLA recently announced that all learning content on its website DigitalLearn.org is available in Spanish.

DigitalLearn.org offers a collection of self-directed tutorials for learners to increase their digital literacy on critical topics such as navigating the World Wide Web, using email, searching online for employment and creating a résumé. Modules are video-based with narration, six-to-22 minutes long, and written at the fourth-grade reading level. Since the site’s launch in 2013, nearly 60,000 users have accessed DigitalLearn.org, completing approximately 15,000 modules each year. Visitors may access the site in Spanish by simply clicking the link marked “Español” at the top of any page.

DigitalLearn.org was created in 2013 with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Libraries can set up their own branded, DigitalLearn website, accessible to patrons at any time, that shows the library is providing digital literacy training as a service.

DigitalLearn.org is just one tool PLA offers to help its members make their libraries digital literacy learning centers. The Association also offers continuing education on digital literacy training and a variety of professional tools for public librarians. For more information, visit www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/digitalliteracy.

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5) RESOURCES FOR MAKERSPACES

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is pleased to announce the availability of  “Making + Learning in Museums & Libraries: A Practitioner’s Guide & Framework,” one of several new resources designed to guide and grow the capability of museum and library professionals and create the conditions to support learning within their uniquely formed maker programs. The downloadable publication was developed as part of the Making + Learning project, a collaboration between the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

It will serve as a foundation for the Making + Learning website and a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) which provides  free tutorials that museum and library professionals can use at any time to facilitate use of the project’s suite of tools. The MOOC is presented by Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Peer 2 Peer University.

For more information, and to access these resources, visit makingandlearning.squarespace.com.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, June 19

• Gaining Employee Engagement (Idaho Commission for Libraries) 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT

Tuesday, June 20

• Bozarthzone! Pinterest & SnapGuide for Learning (InSync) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Fundamentals of WorldCat Knowledge Base Collections (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• WorldShare ILL – Borrowing (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• Veterans and Mental Health – Learning About PTSD (Infopeople) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT

Wednesday, June 21

• 3 Secrets on Raising Major Gifts You Can’t Live Without (Nonprofit Hub) 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• How to Use Facebook’s Free Fundraising Tools to Drive Donations (CharityHowTo) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• The Inside Scoop on State and Local Gov Challenges (GovLoop) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Emerging Issues in Copyright: A Jaunt Through Some Common Problems (North Carolina Library Association) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• The Future of Census Bureau Data Dissemination (FDLP) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• Using Story-time to Grow Executive Function and Self-Regulation in ECE: Setting the Stage for Success (Early Childhood Investigations) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• Using the Census API with the American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• WorldCat data sync collections, Part 1 (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• WorldCat Discovery Configuration, Part 1: Content and staff features (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• Create Meaningful Staff Development with a Kaleidoscope of Learning Experiences (Simple K12) 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. PDT
• Beyond the SEA: An Introduction to Tableau (NNLM) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
• ‘Engage for Health’: A Program in a Box for Your Community (NNLM) 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT
• Library, Family, Primary Care and Community Collaboration for Young Children (NNLM) 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT
• Midday at the Oasis: Pacific Disaster Center’s DisasterAWARE for Health Monitoring (NNLM) 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT
• Virtual Library Program Development (edWeb) 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. PDT

Thursday, June 22

• Getting Beyond the Board: Engaging Your Community as Donors and Champions (Bloomerang) 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
• Look at me when I’m talking to you! (Colorado State Library) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• WorldCat Discovery Configuration, Part 2: Patron-facing features (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
• WorldShare ILL – Lending (OCLC) 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT

Friday, June 23

• PubMed for Librarians: Automatic Term Mapping (ATM) (NNLM) 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. PDT
• Health on the Range: Rural Health Issues and Resources (NNLM) 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT

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DISCLAIMER: The State Library regularly highlights third-party events and online resources as a way to alert the library community to training and resource opportunities.  By doing so, we are not endorsing the content of the event, nor promoting any specific product, but merely providing this information as an FYI to librarians who must then decide what is right for them.

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Volume 13, May 25, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FIRST TUESDAYS – BACK TO REALITY

2) WTBBL WINS NATIONAL AWARD

3) FREE BOOKS

4) WSL GRANT CYCLES CLOSING

5) DIGITAL LITERACY & FAKE NEWS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

From the desk of Maura Walsh, WSL’s Grant Manager

Washington State Library has the task of helping distribute funds. We’re accepting applications for four different grants right now. We’d love to help your library share in this funding. Look at the programs below. Each title is a link to more information and applications. Please contact [email protected] if you have more questions.

Digital Literacy

Help your community find and use quality information. We support projects to help your library users get special skills. These can include projects for underserved populations, projects to introduce new technology and projects that can develop new skills. Public, academic, tribal, and school libraries can apply. Please apply by May 26, 2016.

Metadata Enhancement & Remediation Grant—Pilot Project 2016

This is a grant designed to help institutions prepare their collections for launching or placement on other platforms by meeting Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) requirements. Our goal is to help make your materials more accessible and to help use best practices for your digital collections. This is to support public, academic, and tribal libraries in remediating, re-cataloging, and/or enhancing digital collection records currently available to the public through digital library and digital repository systems. The applications are due by June 10, 2016.

Microsoft Imagine Academy

Today everyone needs technology just to apply for a job or stay competitive. We’re trying to help bridge the technology skills gap. If your college or library is an Imagine Academy Program Member, we have special funds available now. We can provide up to $3,000 for supporting materials. You can also use the funds for publicity. Or they can help with salaries. The opening for these funds is April 7, 2016.

Professional development (PD)

Would you like to send your library staff to a special conference? Would you like to bring a trainer to your library? WSL designed our PD grants to help. Every qualified library, system, or district can apply for up to 75% of what is spent. This can include transportation, lodging and registration. Apply for this grant year-round.

Refreshing School Libraries to Engage Students

Recent data showed the average copyright of many school collections is over 20 years old. WSL wants to help school libraries update nonfiction collections. WSL will provide grants of $1,000 to school libraries for buying nonfiction books. If awarded a grant, teacher librarians will be able to select the books they wish through their normal channels. They may choose to purchase processed, shelf-ready books if they want, but the grant limit is still $1,000. WSL will reimburse schools for their purchases. Applications for this grant are due by May 10, 2016.

Washington Rural Heritage

What’s interesting or unique about your area’s history? What do you want to be able to share easily today and tomorrow? This program helps public and tribal libraries create historical digital collections. You actually digitize your treasures locally with our expert help. These can be objects and documents. Then they become part of the Washington Rural Heritage collection. Your library can collaborate with other groups in your community.  Applications are due by May 25, 2016

Volume 11, November 12, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) PROGRAM IN A BOX WEBINARS

2) VIRTUAL REFERENCE CONFERENCE PLANNING

3) DIGITAL LITERACY SERVICES IN ACTION WEBINAR

4) NEW AGENCY FOR HOMELESS YOUTH PROGRAMS

5) MUSEUMS FOR ALL

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

Recently the Washington State Library awarded 12 grants totaling $75,059 to public, academic, and tribal libraries to support digital literacy efforts. A 3-D Printer, Spanish language computer classes, Digital Petting Zoos and the Microsoft IT Academy are all receiving funding from the Washington State Library.

Congratulations to the 12 recipients of the 2014 Digital Literacy grants. These grants are beginning as the 2013 Digital Literacy grant cycle is wrapping up.

The 2014 Digital Literacy Grant recipients are:

• Columbia County Rural Library District will purchase 10 laptops for use by the public in the library’s e-Commerce incubator initiative. The district will provide a six-week repeatable program of business basics instruction, including e-marketing principles, using Excel as a business tracker, and utilizing online payment systems. The library will work with Dayton Chamber of Commerce, Port of Columbia and Dayton School District 1.

• Ellensburg Public Library will offer classes and support to Spanish language speakers for improving computer skills. The library is partnering with Ellensburg School District staff and St. Andrew’s Catholic Church.

• Libraries of Stevens County will purchase 11 “gadgets” to educate and encourage county residents to engage with technology. The Digital Petting Zoo will be showcased at eight library locations, local events such as fairs, and as requested by other organizations.

• Mount Vernon City Library will provide computer instruction to help with daily business and communication tasks. The library will target two underserved populations: families with young children, especially English language learners; and retired seniors. The library will use grant funds to provide more devices for training, improve computer access for parents with children, and pay for substitute hours so full-time staff can build the program. Project partners are Goodwill Training Center, which will refer clients and provide teaching advice; the Senior Center, which will give referrals, and a practice center for seniors; and Key Bank, which will provide a bilingual presenter for some classes. The library will continue partnerships with the Microsoft IT Academy and the Friends of the Mount Vernon Library.

• Nisqually Tribal Library will offer three six-week series of classes, using Microsoft IT Academy curricula, to specific targeted audiences: TANF/Worksource clients, patrons on a path to completing their GED, and parents of young children. Partners include the Washington State Library and Microsoft, as the tribal library is a current host site for the Microsoft ITAcademy, and tribal community support services.

• Nooksack Indian Tribal Library will conduct digital literacy building for elders. The program will match tribal teens with tribal elders to assist them with computer basics, building teen/elders relationships. All tribal administrative departments will be partners for this project; social services, education, culture, information technology), housing, family services and tribal health.

• North Central Regional Library will use its grant for its Make it NOW! 3-D Printer Project. In traveling education programs, teens will learn how to design, program and create their own 3-D printer objects. Staff will collaborate with local teachers, engage older teens to become mentors, and teach young teens new skills in rural library branches.

• Pierce County Library System will provide Microsoft IT Academy open classroom labs where transitioning service members with moderate computer and technology skills can take online classes and earn certification. The labs will be located at the library’s partner sites, Workforce Central and RallyPoint/6. Workforce Central will identify clients and provide funding for certifications.

• Ritzville Public Library will purchase a laptop lab to hold a series of off-site monthly workshops on a variety of topics aimed at specific user groups. Topics will include basic computing, the Internet, job skills, online security, etc. Workshops will focus on the elderly and disabled who can’t access library programs due to the library’s non-ADA compliant building, or residents in the library’s widespread service area for whom visiting the library is difficult.

• Seattle Central College Library will train and lead a team of faculty in developing digital literacy curriculum for SCC students. Librarians will create a “next wave” digital and information literacy plan that incorporates “metaliteracy.” Using this plan, librarians will partner with the college’s Center for Extended Learning to help faculty develop instructional content for online, face-to-face, and hybrid courses.

• Spokane Public Library will provide access and training to the Spokane business community, partnering organizations and library customers interested in technologies that can improve their understanding and knowledge in an ever-changing digital world. The library will provide direct training, as well as produce instructional videos to improve individuals’ and organizations’ digital presence. The partnering organizations for this project are: Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners Women’s Business Center, the Small Business Administration SCORE office, and the Avista Center for Entrepreneurship at Spokane Community College.

• Walla Walla Rural Library District will conduct monthly Tech Nights on Digital Literacy themes for library users throughout its five-branch library district. These hands-on sessions will teach users how to use current technology to find information, conduct personal and business transactions, and enrich their personal lives. Local community members who use tablets and other mobile technology in their small businesses will be invited to attend programs to share their experiences. Partners for this grant project include Library Friends groups, which will provide volunteers for Tech Night programs.

For more information on the grants, contact Jennifer Fenton, the State Library’s digital literacy project manager, at (360) 570-5571.

Are you ready to innovate in your community? Would your library like to:

• Hold a community-wide tech fair?
• Teach computer classes to senior citizens?
• Recruit teen volunteers to help teach tech classes at the library?
• Implement a video production lab with the latest technology?

If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes,” apply now for a Digital Literacy Grant from WSL. The purpose of this grant cycle is to provide funding to help public, academic, college, tribal, and school libraries implement Digital Literacy projects that focus on the skills and resources needed by a library’s community and its patrons. Projects should meet at least one of the following objectives:

• Encourage the development of skills required to communicate and perform business transactions in a digital environment;
• Use diverse technologies appropriately to retrieve quality information;
• Support the development of skills to collaborate with others or to enhance employability in a digital and evolving world.

Digital Literacy grant applicants are urged to utilize project partners such as non-profits, hospitals, credit unions, and local businesses. Overall funding to support this grant cycle is $75,000, with a limit of $7,500 per application. It is anticipated that ten (10) or more applicants may receive awards.

Due to staffing limitations, WSL staff are not able to offer detailed one-on-one consulting on the final application. However, they are available to answer questions from potential applicants and can help them determine if they should adjust or proceed with their proposal or modify the proposal budget before expending the resources necessary to fully plan the project and prepare a full grant application.

For grant guidelines and specifics, go to sos.wa.gov/q/grants. For contact information for Digital Literacy staff, consult “Section 10” of the guidelines. To find out more about Digital Literacy initiatives, visit sos.wa.gov/q/DLwa.

Applications deadline: Postmarked or hand delivered by Friday, April 18, 2014.

Less than a month into a whirlwind tour of over 40 libraries around the state and the Gadget Menagerie is officially a big hit in libraries. January kicked off the Gadget Menagerie with visits to Skagit and Lincoln Counties as well as the Ritzville Library and Mid-Columbia Libraries. Now, we are preparing for a super-busy February with visits to Gonzaga University, Richland Public Library, Timberland Regional Library, Washington State Library, Spokane County Library District, Sno-Isle Libraries and Everett Public Library. Wow, that’s exhausting just at a glance!

Sedro-Woolley staff show off devices at the Gadget Menagerie

The exciting thing about the Gadget Menagerie program is that it is not only for staff, but also for the public. Libraries wishing to offer a public program are partnering with Washington State Library staff to bring the Gadgets to the library for patrons as well. Working directly with library users has been a joy. It is so much fun to help people discover the world of eReaders and tablets. Everyone has different needs when it comes to using a tablet and our job is to help people understand how they are all similar, yet different. Is this a contradiction in terms? Perhaps, but it is very true.

By working with staff and encouraging them to approach devices in a “device agnostic” manner, we hope to get staff more comfortable helping patrons coming to the library on a daily basis with various devices. Each day of the Gadget Menagerie, we are learning more about devices and about our communities.
Devices in the current menagerie include: Kindle, Nook Touch, Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD, Galaxy Tab 10.1, iPad Mini, Microsoft Surface RT and a Chromebook.

New devices are coming soon and will include more android-based tablets. Patrons and students may bring their own device or explore one from the Washington State Library.

Just a few of the available devices at the Gadget Menagerie.

At the public workshops, we assisted many people with their own devices and showcased the gadgets from our menagerie. An 83-year old woman wanted to compare tablets. After working with the various tablets in the Menagerie, she was able to narrow her interest down to 2 tablets. At another session, a 70-something farmer wanted to know when high speed internet would come to his county and town. He loves technology and has quite a few of his own gadgets already. He enjoyed showing us what he liked about the different tablets and was enthusiastic when telling us that when high-speed internet comes to his town, he’d be able to do so much more with all his high-tech toys. When the local librarian asked him “How did you get so tech savvy?,” he responded with, “My grandkids, and I have a lot of them!”

Our youngest patron at the Gadget Menagerie was 9 years old. She had a tablet and wanted to learn about YouTube. Unfortunately, since she has no access to internet at home, her tablet has limited functionality when items aren’t downloaded directly onto it. She loves coming to the library and now knows that she can bring her tablet in and use the library’s wi-fi to download what she needs and ask the friendly staff for help.

So, by now you are probably wondering, what exactly is this Gadget Menagerie?

The Washington State Library is partnering with local libraries across the state providing gadget training for library staff. Library patrons and students will be given similar training focused on the needs of the device user. Over 40 locations and 70 trainings are scheduled for the Gadget Menagerie through June 2014.

“We are very excited to be able to provide this training,” State Librarian Rand Simmons said. “We hope these skills will be beneficial to both library staff and those who rely on library resources.”

Staff at the Burlington Public Library study devices at the Menagerie.

Library staff will learn how various eReaders, tablets and other devices work. They will discover what these devices have in common, how they differ, and learn basic operating tips. Staff will learn basic troubleshooting and tips for helping patrons with their devices, including how to download books from the library.

The Gadget Menagerie will familiarize local library staff with the variety of gadgets available, allowing for staff to be more comfortable and skilled in helping library patrons.

Not all libraries are offering both types of training; some libraries are focusing only on staff training since they either already offer public workshops or don’t have the resources to offer trainings at this time.

These trainings are funded by the Washington State Library via the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

For this project, which is part of the Washington State Library Digital Literacy project, we are actively encouraging feedback and stories. So far, 100% of the public attendees say they have learned something valuable and would recommend the program to another. Comments from the public vary, but this one is very typical of the responses we have been receiving; “It was useful to have knowledgeable persons explain the equipment-what they will and will not do. Thank you for bringing the variety of devices.”

As one staff person said in a thank-you note, “We couldn’t have asked for better, more useful, hands-on training!”

Libraries are leaders in literacy. That in itself shouldn’t be surprising. However, literacy is now much more than being able to read standard print. Literacy now includes the ability to use digital, as well as print, resources. To succeed in the 21^st Century, digital literacy is essential. Whether applying for a job online, house-hunting, taking care of your health, or catching up with distant friends and relatives, life is much easier if you know how to navigate in a digital world.

Although defining digital literacy is no easy task, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Digital Literacy Task Force (which is led by the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy) has developed the following description to convey its meaning:

Digital literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information, an ability that requires both cognitive and technical skills.

A digitally literate person:

● Possesses the variety of skills—cognitive and technical—required to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information in a wide variety of formats;

● Is able to use diverse technologies appropriately and effectively to search for and retrieve information, interpret search results, and judge the quality of the information retrieved;

● Understands the relationships among technology, lifelong learning, personal privacy, and appropriate stewardship of information;

● Uses these skills and the appropriate technologies to communicate and collaborate with peers, colleagues, family, and on occasion, the general public;

● Uses these skills to participate actively in civic society and contribute to a vibrant, informed, and engaged community.

Nationally, much is happening in the realm of digital literacy. Thursday, April 18, the DPLA (Digital Public Library of America) launched.  The DPLA is a platform that enables new and transformative uses of our digitized cultural heritage. The DPLA’s application programming interface (API) and open data can be used by software developers, researchers, and others to create novel environments for learning, tools for discovery, and engaging apps. Other major initiatives include Connect2Compete’s EveryoneOn campaign, DigitalLearn, and the Microsoft IT Academy.

At the Washington State Library, we have been following trends in digital literacy and evaluating a wide variety of digital literacy tools to create a portal that focuses on local resources as well as major national digital literacy projects. The Digital Literacy Advisory Team, made up of Washington State Library staff and representatives from the library community, have collaborated to make our new digital literacy resource page a valuable resource for all. Check it out here.

“For more information about WSL Digital Literacy project, please contact Jennifer Fenton, [email protected].”

The EveryoneOn launch is Thursday, March 21, 2013.

 EveryoneOn is a national campaign powered by Connect2Compete, a national nonprofit organization bringing together leaders from communities, the private sector, and leading foundations. Through EveryoneOn programs and the power of technology, the lives of Americans will be improved – regardless of their age, race, geography, income, or education level.

The use of technology to access educational content is necessary to ensure future generations can compete in the global economy and to prepare them for the 21st century workforce.

Connect2Compete will help Americans access technology through three exciting offers: free digital literacy training, discounted high-speed Internet, and low-cost computers.

View the April 25^th C2C PSA video at http://everyoneon.org/about-us.

EveryoneOn has the reach to distribute PSA materials to 33,000 media outlets nationwide.

EveryoneOn has an SMS text-based message response program to help people find free computer and Internet training. 

English speakers text CONNECT to 30364. Spanish speakers text CONECTA to 30364.

EveryoneOn has a toll-free 1-855 phone number to help people find free computer and Internet training. 

People can call 1-855-387-9166 to find free computer and Internet training classes near them.

EveryoneOn has a website where people can use an online training locator tool.

Computer users can link to EveryoneOn.org, type in their zip code or their city and state to find free computer and Internet training classes near them. http://everyoneon.org/ and http://www.connect2compete.org/

All of the TV, radio, print, outdoor and digital PSAs from the EveryoneOn campaign direct people to one or more of the resources named above and will connect people to local digital literacy training providers.

EveryoneOn also has a Facebook presence and is on Twitter too.

Find EveryoneOn at http://www.facebook.com/EveryoneOn and #EveryoneOn

Libraries have been key players in providing computer and information literacy training and now are key players in ensuring the residents of their communities have access to digital literacy training.

EveryoneOn has a national reach but will also be very visible at the local community level during the three-year campaign. Libraries need to continue to be seen as meeting community needs in these very important ways. Entering information about your library’s digital literacy services into the EveryoneOn training tool will create additional awareness of your library for all of your community to see.

Want to learn more?

The EveryoneOn campaign toolkit is now available!

The Ad Council has created resources to describe the importance of EveryoneOn and to promote digital literacy in local communities. Libraries can begin using these materials at any time if they are ready and interested. Additional resources will continue to become available in the coming months. The toolkit currently includes:

• Background information
• Downloadable posters and graphics
• Tips on using the campaign materials and spreading the word

NEXT STEP:  In the coming weeks, libraries will be invited to view a webinar that will discuss EveryoneOn, the toolkit materials and how they can be used to support these efforts.

REMINDER:  The campaign launches on March 21, 2013, and several cities are working directly with Connect2Compete to host a local event to support EveryoneOn. We look forward to additional activities and roll-outs in communities across the US over the next three years!

3.21 EveryoneOn and Connect2Compete

http://www.everyoneon.org/ and http://www.connect2compete.org/

Someone asked the other day what all the fuss is about. Do libraries really need to pay attention to this national campaign? At this point we don’t know if the campaign will create a ripple or a splash, or if it will gain a huge amount of momentum over the three years of the campaign.

What we do know is that it allows another layer of society to have access to technology and Internet services at modest prices. For those most poverty stricken, the available technology and access to Internet will still be out of their reach. In this sense, and in either case, libraries will still be a critical piece of bridging the digital divide.

What we also know is that the campaign directs people to their local library, Goodwill, and other digital literacy training providers. From the EveryoneOn website, people will be able to access a search box which will return a list of libraries and other providers within a certain distance from the city and state, or zip code that is entered. For public libraries, at a minimum, their location and contact information will be provided. Libraries also have the opportunity, at the branch level, to enter information about the services they provide at each location.

My guess is that with the number of national organizations behind this effort, awareness of the campaign will not be an issue. Some four billion dollars of direct contributions and in-kind funding are being directed to this effort. Intel, Best Buy, Citi Group, Morgan Stanley, Four H, Boys and Girls Club, IMLS, United Way, TechSoup, National Urban League, Microsoft, ALA, Goodwill, Cox, Time Warner, Cablevision, Brainfuse, CareerBuilder, Learning Express, Sesame Street, and a host of others have signed on.

I would suspect libraries will be contacted whether or not they post more information to the EveryoneOn site. March 21, 2013 is the national kickoff to this three year campaign. Library staff should be prepared to be contacted by the ones and twos, the tens, the hundreds, and for the largest library locations perhaps the thousands, all of whom will want to know more about the services and the trainings their local library provides.

Jeff Martin, Library Development Program Manager, Washington State Library