INASP Invited to Take Up Administration of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Access to Learning Award 2007

OXFORD, England -- INASP is delighted to announce that it has been invited to administer the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Access to Learning Award 2007. The award, now in its seventh year, recognises excellence and achievement in providing free access to information through the utilisation of new information technologies in an innovative way.

Open to all libraries and similar organisations outside the USA, the only prerequisite is that members of the public are able to access information without any cost to themselves. Applications for the 2007 award have to be submitted by 31 December 2006 and an international advisory panel examines them and makes recommendations to the foundation. The recipient will receive an award of up to US $1 million.

Carol Priestley, Director of INASP, says, "The Access to Learning Award is truly unique in the field of public access to information. It has already done much to raise the level of awareness about the importance of libraries and related activities in providing without-cost access to information through the use of new technologies. INASP is honoured to have been invited to administer the 2007 Award.”

Martha Choe, Director, International Library Initiatives, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, says, "Information technology can connect people to the world of education, employment and health. We look forward to working with INASP and our esteemed review committee to recognize institutions that are providing free access to computers and the Internet."

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INASP
The International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications is a UK registered educational charity. Its vision is that all people are able to access and contribute information, ideas and knowledge necessary to drive sustainable and equitable development; and a mission to enable worldwide access to information and knowledge with particular emphasis on the needs of developing and transitional countries. To implement this, INASP works with partners around the world to encourage the creation and production of information, to promote sustainable and equitable access to information, to foster collaboration and networking, and to strengthen local capacities to manage and use information and knowledge. For more information on INASP please visit http://www.inasp.info or send an email to [email protected].