The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in conjunction with the International City/County Management Association and the Seattle-based University of Washington Information School’s Technology & Social Change Group, earlier this month announced its draft framework proposal [PDF] on building “digitally inclusive communities.” The organizations are seeking public input on the proposal via an online survey through this Wednesday, November 30; survey results will be used to finalize the framework, according to the announcement.
The project’s aim is to help communities develop their own plans to increase access to digital technologies to its residents, and is a response to a recommendation in the National Broadband Plan, released in March 2010:
“IMLS should develop guidelines for public access technology based on populations served and organization size. These guidelines would help libraries and CBOs [community-based organizations] assess their needs for public access workstations, portable devices and bandwidth. IMLS should work with these organizations to develop guidelines and review them annually to reflect changing technology and practices.”
The framework includes the broad strokes of how communities can work toward increasing digital access, by bringing together stakeholders such as government and public agencies (“especially the public library”), nonprofits and for-profit businesses, and local residents; developing a definition and understanding of what digital literacy is, and what is needed to achieve it; and creating, implementing, evaluating, and revising an action plan.
The framework development process has so far included input from more than 100 representatives from libraries, CBOs, businesses, local governments, and other non-governmental organizations.
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