Paterson library leads effort to recruit Hispanic users Saturday, February 3, 2007
By DIANE HAINES HERALD NEWS COLUMNIST Libraries offer free high-tech resources and services to the entire community, yet nationally the Hispanic community is trailing when it comes to being computer-savvy. How do libraries become more inviting and welcoming to the Latino population? The Paterson Free Public Library and others like it across the country are trying to find the answer. Paterson, New Jersey's first public library, is leading the way with a $25,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, awarded as part of the foundation's Spanish Language Outreach Program. A Gates Foundation study in 2004 called "Toward Equality of Access The Role of Public Libraries in Addressing the Digital Divide" found that only 31 percent of the Hispanic population is Internet-literate, trailing blacks by 10 percent. WebJunction is a program funded through the foundation that offers services to libraries to allow them to exchange ideas and information on how to better serve the community. Full article at http://tinyurl.com/2gc4xe -- Phil Shapiro [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/pshapiro http://philsrssfeed.blogspot.com http://www.his.com/pshapiro/stories.menu.html "Wisdom starts with wonder." - Socrates "Learning happens through gentleness." _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
