ALLIANCE TO CREATE COMMUNITY ACCESS POINTS DATABASE - March 23, 2000

For Immediate Release
March 23, 2000
For Information Contact
Denise Davis

ALLIANCE TO CREATE COMMUNITY ACCESS POINTS DATABASE

Washington, DC - The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) announces an alliance with the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the American Library Association, Washington Office (ALA). The alliance, in concert with efforts by the U.S. Department of Education Community Technology Center Program, will create a database of community access points (CAPs) for technology information and access. NCLIS is committed to increasing national awareness of the need to address the digital divide and the efforts of libraries in building and promoting community technology programs. Libraries throughout the country serve as the gateway for the disadvantaged populations by providing them with technology services and training. These library initiatives are making considerable strides in closing the digital divide.

NCLIS will assist in the database creation using information from its regular Internet connectivity studies done in collaboration with a variety of library organizations and its role as coordinator of the Library Statistics Program for the National Center for Education Statistics. The NCLIS Task Group will begin work in April by bringing together essential library data regarding computer connectivity, resources available, and web addresses for all public libraries and state library agencies; identifying key library sites, by state, that exemplify community technology centers; identifying key research drawing attention to needs, especially funding and equipment; and linking to access and use guidelines. All the assembled information will be added to the NCLIS website at http://www.nclis.gov.

NCLIS members of the Task Group are Martha Gould, NCLIS Chair, and Rebecca Bingham, Commissioner; Denise Davis, Director of Statistics and Surveys, and Kim Miller. Other Task Group members are: Elizabeth Sywetz, Deputy Director, Office of Library Services, Institute for Museum and Library Services http://www.imls.gov/; Saundra Shirley, Office of Information Technology Policy, American Library Association Washington Office http://www.ala.org/washoff/index.html; and J. Maurice Travillian, Assistant State Superintendent for Libraries, Maryland http://www.msde.state.md.us/divisions/ids.htm. The Office of Information Technology Policy website is http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/CTC/

The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science is a permanent, independent agency of the Federal government charged by Public Law 91-345 to appraise the adequacies and deficiencies of current library information resources and services and to advise the President and Congress on national and international policies and plans.