ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 8, Number 72 July 20, 1999 In this issue: OITP ISSUE BRIEF [1] Libraries Help Decrease the Digital Divide According to NTIA Report [2] Senate Caucus Discusses Digital Divide Note: Earlier this month a new government report was issued that documented a growing gulf between Internet haves and have-nots. These two articles cover the press conference announcing the report and a subsequent congressional event: [1] Libraries Help Decrease the Digital Divide According to NTIA Report More Americans are connected to the nation's information infrastructure than ever. Yet, the gaps between the information rich and poor have widened substantially in the last year, according to the latest National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) report on Internet connectivity, "Falling Through The Net: Defining the Digital Divide." At the July 8 press conference announcing the report, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Larry Irving emphasized the vital role of libraries in bridging the "digital divide" and the importance of E-rate in expanding connectivity and access. According to the report, libraries have a critical role in providing access to the Internet for those who otherwise do not have access. Users access the Internet for important, life sustaining purposes such as job- hunting, education and locating health information at libraries (see the related July 8 ALAWON; v8, n67). Irving also highlighted data that indicate a growing "racial ravine," and noted the growing gap in household access to the Internet between black, white, and Hispanic households. Libraries play a critical role in reducing these gaps, according to the survey. Sixty percent of Hispanics who are connected to the Internet get access through libraries, and rural African Americans use the library more than any other group. The report shows other gaps, including differences based on: income (persons with incomes above and below $75,000), family status (two-parent versus single-parent households), and location (urban versus rural areas). The report also found that the greatest lack of telephony, connectivity and Internet access was found in rural areas and the rural south. To ensure access to the fundamental tools of the digital economy for all Americans, Irving also announced President Clinton's initiative to encourage the development of partnerships between nonprofit organizations and the private sector--including technology, telecommunications, and other businesses. Four of the existing "Partnerships to Bridge the Digital Divide" were presented during the press conference: * Ameritech Digital Campus/Community Technology Centers -- a partnership between Ameritech and the National Urban League and others to build 114 Community Technology Centers in urban and rural areas throughout the U.S.; * Oprah Goes Online -- a 13-part television and tape series to build technology awareness and to encourage use of the computer and the Internet; * Urban Challenge/3Com -- a $1 million program established by Global Market Development to increase development and training of network managers by awarding grants to schools in urban areas for equipment, course/curriculum design, and training; and * Digital Divide Clearinghouse and Grant Initiatives -- a partnership between the Benton Foundation and America Online to monitor and share information on efforts to address digital divide issues. Irving pointed to these partnerships--plus federal grant programs to develop community technology centers ($65 million in FY99) and increase high-tech skills, and other initiatives--as a few of the mechanisms to encourage innovative and creative ways to decrease the digital divide in rural and low-income areas. "Falling Through The Net: Defining the Digital Divide" and the previous reports are available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/digitaldivide/ [2] Senate Caucus Discusses Digital Divide In response to the NTIA report, on July 16 Sens. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and Bill Frist (R-TN) chaired a Senate Science and Technology Caucus to discuss disparities in certain demographic, and racial and ethnic groups who are lagging behind the rest of the population in terms of computer use, ownership, and Internet access. "The basic conclusion of the report is that the digital gap is not only widening, but could become one of America's leading economic and racial issues over the next few years," said U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary William M. Daley. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and National Telecommunications and Information Administration Administrator Larry Irving said that ethnic minorities do not have the current technological skills to teach their own teachers--who in turn will teach the next generation. "We need not only a place to access technology, but a place to learn how to use that technology," he said. Sen. Frist mentioned the E-rate discounts and libraries-- especially those in rural areas--as possible solutions to Internet access. He expressed concern that efforts to wire classrooms, schools, and health facilities will lag behind the need for computer literacy in the workplace. By next year 60 percent of jobs in the U.S. will require computer literacy, he said. The divide now exists among "those already employed, much less those who are unemployed." Sen. Rockefeller expressed concern over the incoming generation of teachers. Citing various teachers' organizations, he said that current and retiring teachers are better equipped to incorporate new technology into their teaching curriculums than are graduating new teachers. One of the reasons, said Sen. Rockefeller, is that schools of education have yet to fully integrate technology into university teaching models. In contrast, teachers already in classrooms have learned how to integrate technology along side of the students, he concluded. Marlin Coffee, president and CEO of the New Mexico Technet, spoke about the technological initiatives in New Mexico. Despite the overall low percentage of Internet access available in that state, Technet provides dial-in access, Web hosting, and Internet training. They also sponsor numerous programs to increase computer availability and Internet access in schools across the state. He described "Computer Reruns," a joint initiative with Intel, in which rebuilt computers are donated to schools. Technet also offers a free high-tech training facility for New Mexico teachers. ****** 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. 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