Libraries for the Future wins grant to support national transformation of libraries into centers for information literacy

NEW YORK -- Libraries for the Future, a national nonprofit that champions the role of libraries in American life, has been awarded a three-year, $1.05 million challenge grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a network of EqualAccess Libraries in 10 states by 2005.  EqualAccess Libraries is a new initiative designed to transform libraries into information and education centers, based on the needs of their communities. The program will be launched in Pennsylvania.

A key component of EqualAccess Libraries is Access Skills, a curriculum developed by Libraries for the Future to strengthen librarians’ capacities for community outreach, coalition building, public awareness and advocacy. These skills will better connect libraries to their communities, bring new users to libraries and integrate programming into ongoing library operations. EqualAccess Libraries also will offer community programs, including after-school technology programs for teen-agers and health-related services and information for at-risk populations.

“This grant supports new approaches that will ensure that the benefits of technology are relevant and accessible to all,” said Diantha D. Schull, president, Libraries for the Future.  “We’re honored that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has recognized the importance of EqualAccess Libraries as a vehicle for transforming libraries and advancing equal access to information, building upon the success of our pilot program in Arizona as a springboard for national expansion.”

While 95 percent of the nation’s libraries now offer Internet access to the public, the majority of libraries are unable to fully help customers use it effectively in relation to specific needs--whether searching for health information, developing new technology skills or engaging in work or school-related activities. Technology now available in libraries is often just an “add on” and not integral to library offerings.

The EqualAccess Library model addresses these challenges by offering librarian training and introducing specific Access Programs to the community. Additionally, it provides a framework for building community partnerships and connections between libraries and local organizations, agencies and schools, with the goal of accessing library resources and programming.  A further goal is developing the support necessary to sustain and expand technology-based programming in libraries.

“Local libraries are vital community centers that link individuals with the latest information through books and the Internet.  We must ensure that library staff members receive ongoing training and support so they can help their patrons benefit from the latest information technology,” said Richard Akeroyd, director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s International Library Initiatives.  “Libraries for the Future, with the support of local funding sources, will help libraries continue to bridge the digital divide and give citizens the skills they need in this digital age.”

The state-by-state launch of the program will begin in Pennsylvania where 61 libraries will benefit. Each library will be equipped to offer Access Programs that target community members with particular information and learning needs. Programs include:

• Youth Access – an after-school technology-based program for teenagers and preteens that fosters literacy and communication skills. Curricula ranges from Imagination Place!, a science-oriented, interactive program where participants explore and design inventions, to an E-journalism program that teaches teens to become community reporters and to create and publish Webzines.
• Health Access – a partnership between libraries and local health providers and agencies to offer health and wellness information and services, with the goal of promoting the public’s use of accurate, usable health and wellness information, especially for at-risk populations and those with low-literacy skills.
• Lifelong Access – a  new concept that develops libraries as centers for productive aging, lifelong learning and civic engagement through workshops, intergenerational and life planning programs, links to community service agencies, and training in information literacy.

The program will be a partnership between Libraries for the Future, local funders, participating libraries and library systems and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The program requires local matching funding to complement the grant and to ensure that EqualAccess training will continue after the initial grant period.  As Libraries for the Future has previously demonstrated in a variety of settings, funds from philanthropic organizations, businesses and individuals are the foundation of public-private partnerships that can bring about essential changes and ensure that library development is sustained.

In Pennsylvania, Libraries for the Future is working with a coalition of private funders led by The Pittsburgh Foundation and library leaders, including the Allegheny County Library Association and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, to help Pennsylvania libraries take full advantage of the program.  Select libraries in Pittsburgh, Aliquippa, Bethel Park, Canonsburg, Cranberry Township, Glenshaw, McKees Rocks, Monessen, Natrona Heights, Upper Darby and York will be the first to benefit.

About Libraries for the Future
Libraries for the Future (LFF) is a nonprofit organization that works to expand awareness and use of libraries, increase public and private support for libraries and promote the value of libraries as essential American institutions. A leader in library redevelopment for a decade, LFF works to strengthen individual libraries and library systems and help them to become more community responsive.

On the Internet:
Libraries for the Future, www.lff.org