Thought for the Day
WHAT THE ALA WANTS PRESIDENT OBAMA
TO KNOW ABOUT LIBRARIES
Excerpted from a letter dated March 18, 2009
Dear Mr. President:
The American Library Association held a Membership Town Hall Meeting on January 24, 2009 during its Midwinter Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the meeting was to articulate and discuss important issues the ALA membership wanted to share with your new Administration.
A thread expressed by many was the need to clearly establish the fundamentally good work done by libraries in assisting the public. Over and over again, comments reinforced the need to be sure that your administration has a solid understanding of the role which libraries, as essential institutions of life-long learning, play in serving and assisting virtually every segment of the population.
Libraries are perfectly positioned to disseminate information relevant to the issues and challenges that face us as a nation, the same key issues which your Administration is seeking to address. Libraries disseminate healthcare and government information. They offer literacy programs, assistance for non-English speakers, as well as access to computers, the Internet and the wealth of library resources. Libraries serve and support all diverse populations.
Public libraries are an obvious resource to support early childhood education programs and to support and augment all areas of school curricula. They work in partnership with government and business, offering Internet support for online employment applications, filing for unemployment benefits, supplying tax forms and providing assistance to those seeking government assistance. Libraries serve as a primary conduit for information for the public, and have the ability to support any national initiative.
The increased usage libraries are experiencing testifies to their value. That recent increase, well established through statistics, has resulted in dramatic increases in circulation, in-library materials usage, and attendance at programs by individuals of all ages. Urban libraries should hold a prominent spot on the urban agenda.
Dramatically increased library usage points to the need for increased library funding. A one-time infusion of dollars flowing into libraries would provide badly-needed additional resources at a time when libraries are seeing a tremendous increase in usage. . . .
A core value of the profession, “equal access for all,” provided another strong thread for discussion. The need for an educated public was stressed, with libraries playing a central role in providing equal access to information to all persons, while remembering the poor, the disabled and the undocumented. Adequate access must also include metadata and cataloging, preservation and the availability of trained librarians, skilled in finding the information that is most relevant and useful. In rural areas without broadband, access is of vital concern. . . .
Government must understand that access is more than simply putting information on a website. In thousands of communities across the country, librarians play an essential role in providing access to e-government and in empowering all.
Respectfully,
Jim Rettig
President
For more information about the ALA's federal lobbying efforts,
follow this link to the ALA's legislative action page.
TO KNOW ABOUT LIBRARIES
Excerpted from a letter dated March 18, 2009
Dear Mr. President:
The American Library Association held a Membership Town Hall Meeting on January 24, 2009 during its Midwinter Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the meeting was to articulate and discuss important issues the ALA membership wanted to share with your new Administration.
A thread expressed by many was the need to clearly establish the fundamentally good work done by libraries in assisting the public. Over and over again, comments reinforced the need to be sure that your administration has a solid understanding of the role which libraries, as essential institutions of life-long learning, play in serving and assisting virtually every segment of the population.
Libraries are perfectly positioned to disseminate information relevant to the issues and challenges that face us as a nation, the same key issues which your Administration is seeking to address. Libraries disseminate healthcare and government information. They offer literacy programs, assistance for non-English speakers, as well as access to computers, the Internet and the wealth of library resources. Libraries serve and support all diverse populations.
Public libraries are an obvious resource to support early childhood education programs and to support and augment all areas of school curricula. They work in partnership with government and business, offering Internet support for online employment applications, filing for unemployment benefits, supplying tax forms and providing assistance to those seeking government assistance. Libraries serve as a primary conduit for information for the public, and have the ability to support any national initiative.
The increased usage libraries are experiencing testifies to their value. That recent increase, well established through statistics, has resulted in dramatic increases in circulation, in-library materials usage, and attendance at programs by individuals of all ages. Urban libraries should hold a prominent spot on the urban agenda.
Dramatically increased library usage points to the need for increased library funding. A one-time infusion of dollars flowing into libraries would provide badly-needed additional resources at a time when libraries are seeing a tremendous increase in usage. . . .
A core value of the profession, “equal access for all,” provided another strong thread for discussion. The need for an educated public was stressed, with libraries playing a central role in providing equal access to information to all persons, while remembering the poor, the disabled and the undocumented. Adequate access must also include metadata and cataloging, preservation and the availability of trained librarians, skilled in finding the information that is most relevant and useful. In rural areas without broadband, access is of vital concern. . . .
Government must understand that access is more than simply putting information on a website. In thousands of communities across the country, librarians play an essential role in providing access to e-government and in empowering all.
Respectfully,
Jim Rettig
President
For more information about the ALA's federal lobbying efforts,
follow this link to the ALA's legislative action page.
posted by Heidi Rodeback at 1:55 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home