ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 8, Number 67 July 8, 1999 In this issue: American Library Association Welcomes Department of Commerce Report on Digital Divide Note: The following is a July 8 press release from the American Library Association. For more information contact Rick Weingarten or Claudette Tennant at 1-800-941-8478 or 202-628-8410. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Library Association (ALA) hails a new technology report from the U.S. Department of Commerce corroborating the association's position that Internet connectivity in libraries is crucial. "Falling Through the Net III - Defining the Digital Divide" was released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce and its National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The report describes the increasing digital divide and the challenges for libraries, schools and community access centers as part of the public policy solutions to closing the gap between the information "haves" and "have nots." "The NTIA research confirms what ALA members have been telling us - that libraries serve a vital social role as Internet access points for people who are otherwise unconnected to the information superhighway," said Lynne Bradley, acting executive director of ALA's Washington Office. "Falling Through the Net III: Defining the Digital Divide" demonstrates that users access the Internet for important, life sustaining purposes such as job-hunting, education and locating health information through libraries. This complements research by the 57,000-member ALA that indicates that already more than 75 percent of the nation's public library outlets are providing public access to the Internet. Many of those outlets provide Internet access to rural and low-income areas. About 70 percent of rural library outlets provide Internet access, while nearly 80 percent of outlets serving poverty areas provide Internet access. Those numbers for libraries in all areas continue to grow rapidly, and have been substantially boosted in recent months by the E-rate program of discounts for telecommunications services to schools and libraries established in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Bradley emphasized that public, school, and academic libraries contribute solutions to closing the digital divide - and will continue to do so in collaboration with all the stakeholders in every type of community. "Indeed, our nation's libraries are one of the strong, critical partners to build and maintain a sense of community and close the gap between the "haves" and "have nots," she said. "Libraries have historically served as the 'people's universities.' They will continue to provide access to information of all types and in all forms, including Internet access." "The NTIA report clearly demonstrates that we have a huge challenge ahead of us to close the digital divide," said Rick Weingarten, director of the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy. "But we know that librarians, library trustees, library users and advocates in public, school and academic libraries stand ready for the challenge." He added, "The library community will use every tool and resource - local funding, E-rate discounts and the main federal library program, the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), as well as collaborative projects with schools, local governments, and higher education institutions, to provide equitable access for all." A PDF version of the report is available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/digitaldivide/ ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. To subscribe to ALAWON, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc@ala.org or go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. To unsubscribe to ALAWON, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org or go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff. Editor: Lynne E. Bradley; Managing Editor: Deirdre Herman; Contributors: Mary Costabile, Carol Henderson, Peter Kaplan, Claudette Tennant and Rick Weingarten.