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Digital Literacy Committee – April–August 2021 Report


The group met 2-3 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
Advised on and launched PLA’s new partnership with AT&T, which is a $690,000 grant that will update 10 DigitalLearn courses and develop 2 new courses, create a AT&T DigitalLearn site, and fund libraries to do technology training programs.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Transformation

Second Activity
Continued to promote DigitalLearn and work with individual libraries to purchase and brand their own DigitalLearn sites. During the period, one new site was launched (Miami-Dade County Public Library) and two new library systems started the process with PLA.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Organizational Excellence, Transformation

Third Activity
Advised on PLA’s partnerships with Microsoft, which include providing Wi-Fi access points to rural libraries to extend their signals and working with four urban libraries to promote skilling and certification and provide free computers to learners impacted negatively by COVID-19.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Transformation

Fourth Activity
Submitted a program, New Challenges – and Solutions! – for Your Technology Skilling and Workforce Programming, for LibLearnX, which will cover upskilling older adults, engaging Black and Latinx populations who suffered from longstanding inequities, moving beyond computer basics, and teaching technology skills virtually.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Transformation

Fifth Activity
Brainstormed on how the committee and PLA can address services to the formerly incarcerated, increase library focus on certifications and other training that leads to employment, ensure staff competency in terms of technology, and other issues.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Transformation

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
Completing the Microsoft and AT&T projects, orienting new committee members, reviewing potential updates and new content for DigitalLearn, and planning educational initiatives for libraries that help them do skilling programs for communities and for staff

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
No

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
Over the past few years, the committee has brainstormed many topics and potential agendas for educational programming in various formats (day-long regional trainings, “micro-lessons” delivered via YouTube or Tik Tok, etc.)

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
Given its increasing focus on digital equity, the committee is interested in strengthening relationships with the Black Caucus American Library Association, REFORMA, and others

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
No

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
No

Submitted by Brandy McNeil on 09/03/2021

Posted on

Digital Literacy Committee – April–August 2020 Report


The group met 0 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
Advised on the development of a new PLA/Microsoft initiative launched in May 2020, which is providing 80+ library sites with WiFi access points to extend signals during and beyond COVID closures.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Organizational Excellence

Second Activity
Since the pandemic, PLA has been promoting DigitalLearn.org on-demand content and services available to members so they can increase their own and their patrons’ digital skills to succeed in a virtual environment.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Leadership

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
Creating a plan for updating the Tech Classes available on DigitalLearn.org.

Creating user pathways for DigitalLearn website based on role (user, instructor, and researcher) and add resources for the researcher role.

Brandy McNeil and Chelsea Jordan-Makely will be presenting a session on digital literacy skills at the Computers in Libraries virtual conference in September (rescheduled from March).

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
Not at this time. Keep advocating for broadband internet access to become a public utility!

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
A digital services internship with PLA would be wonderful. Our idea is to work with the ALA accredited library schools to create a “virtual” internship where students could get course credit for helping to vet, update, and manage content on DigitalLearn.org. This could include both the eLearning modules as well as the instructor materials.

Create a DigitalLearn.org Technology Competency learning and evaluation module to add to the Tools for Trainers site for library staffers’ to be able to acquire and test technology competencies.

Monetize Digitallearn.org with different usage categories.

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
LITA. Perhaps some of their members would be willing to work with us to help create an evaluation tool for tech competencies?

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
Yes (if yes, PLA will contact you for more information)

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
No. We had to suspend all committee activities during the last 5 months due to COVID and the need to focus on our individual libraries (hence, the note about attendance above).

Submitted by Monica Dombrowski on 08/07/2020

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Digital Literacy Committee – September–March 2020 Report


The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
Delivered session at ARSL Conference.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership, Transformation

Second Activity
Delivered half-day pre-conference session at PLA Conference.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership, Transformation

Third Activity
Presented work of committee and PLA at various conferences and on webinars.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership, Transformation

Fourth Activity
Committee members contacted state and local congressional leaders to oppose MacMillan Publishing’s eBook embargo.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Transformation

Fifth Activity
Continue to work with Microsoft and Google to expand our existing partnerships.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Organizational Excellence

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
Creating a plan to update the online courses in DigitalLearn.org

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
A digital services internship with PLA would be wonderful. Our idea is to work with the ALA accredited library schools to create a “virtual” internship where students could get course credit for helping to vet, update, and manage content on DigitalLearn.org. This could include both the eLearning modules as well as the instructor materials.

Create a DigitalLearn.org Technology Competency learning and evaluation module to add to the Tools for Trainers site for library staffers’ to be able to acquire and test technology competencies.

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
See above.

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
LITA

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
No

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
No.

Submitted by Monica Dombrowski on 02/24/2020

Posted on

Digital Literacy Committee – April–August 2019 Report


The group met 4-6 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
Created a draft technology proficiencies checklist/resource list.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Transformation

Second Activity
Published an article " 5 Tips for Teaching Tech to Seniors" in PLA's online magazine.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Leadership, Transformation

Third Activity
Presented a News You Can Use session at ALA Annual 2019 entitled "The Digital Literacy Frontier: From Broadband Access to Skill Development."
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership, Transformation

Fourth Activity
Presented a program at ALA Annual 2019 in partnership with LITA entitled "Creating Tech Partnerships for Libraries Small to Large."
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership, Transformation

Fifth Activity
Implemented a partnership with Microsoft entitled "DigitalLead: Rural Libraries Creating New Possibilities."
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, Leadership, Organizational Excellence, Transformation

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
Rolling out the technology proficiencies checklist and creating an assessment tool to support it; expanding user resources for the DigitalLead partnership program; developing several educational opportunities that include a webinar, a program for the 2019 ARSL conference, a program for the Computers in Libraries 2020 conference; holding a focus group of small and rural librarians' development needs at the 2019 ARSL conference; creating user pathways for the DigitalLearn website based on role; creating a plan to keep the 85+ classes on the DigitalLearn website updated; on-boarding six new committee members.

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
We have been discussing the idea of a paid internship to help us keep the DigitalLearn classes updated but still need to work out some details. We hope to have something ready for consideration by to the Board for their March 2020 meeting.

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
Not at this time.

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
LITA. Perhaps some of their members would be willing to work with us to create an evaluation tool that libraries could use to assess technology proficiencies of their staff.

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
Yes (if yes, PLA will contact you for more information)

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
Not at this time.

Submitted by Monica Dombrowski on 08/22/2019