Office for Information Technology Policy

ALA supports FCC proposal to fund digital literacy training through public libraries
The American Library Association (ALA) yesterday filed comments (pdf) with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) supporting its proposal to advance broadband adoption by low-income people through digital literacy training in our nation’s public libraries and schools.  After wide consultation with the library community, the ALA asserted six main points. Read more....

Defining Digital Literacy
When I was invited to serve as a member of the Digital Literacy Task Force in the spring of 2011 I was thrilled that OITP was forming a group to focus on the issue of digital literacy. I knew that digital literacy was a growing area of discussion not just among librarians but among policy makers and others concerned with the digital divide, 21st century skills and participatory citizenship. Read more....

OITP director, Alan Inouye presents at PLA 2012
OITP Director Alan Inouye was a panelist at the 2012 PLA Conference. He served on the session “Getting eContent to your Customers: Challenges, Best Practices and Solutions” chaired by Gina Millsap of the Topeka and Shawnee County (Kansas) Public Library. The other panelists were Michael Porter, Tom Peters, and Lisa Long Hickman. Alan spoke about some of the institutional implications of the ebook and digital content revolution and provided an update on the ALA Digital Content and Libraries Working Group. (View ppt) (View pdf)

New report outlines power of disconnecting in knowledge economy
The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) recommends that you improve your information diet. In a new report, Restoring Contemplation: How Disconnecting Bolsters the Knowledge Economy, author Jessie L. Mannisto outlines future directions for libraries and other social institutions to improve our capacity for thoughtful endeavor. These changes, the report argues, are essential for success in a globally competitive economy and a higher quality of life. Read more....

OITP outlines library “triple play” for digital literacy
Anchoring the evening’s program, I submitted that libraries often are “silent partners” (ppt)  in digital literacy efforts around the country. While there is growing awareness and recognition of library efforts at agencies like the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and FCC, funding and other support for libraries have not been commensurate with the increased demand libraries have been experiencing for technology resources, particularly since the economic downturn. The audience responded well to my suggestion that libraries provide a great “triple play” in our communities: physical locations with technology infrastructure (including Internet accessible computers and wi-fi), assistance and training from information professionals, and robust and diverse electronic content. Read more....

2012 Patterson Copyright Award Winner Announced
Winston Tabb, Dean of Libraries and Museums at Johns Hopkins University is the 2012 recipient of the American Library Association’s L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award: In Support of Users’ Rights. Mr. Tabb was appointed to the National Board of the Institute of Library and Museum Services (IMLS) by President Obama in 2010. He serves as the Chair of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institution’s (IFLA) Standing Committee on Copyright and Legal Matters (CLM) and advocates for library users across the world at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva. Read more....

ALA recognizes four library programs as top cutting-edge services in third annual contest
The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) and the Library Information Technology Association (LITA) have selected programs at Contra Costa County Library in Pleasant Hill, Calif., New Canaan High School Library in New Canaan, Conn., New York Public Library in New York, and Scottsdale Public Library in Scottsdale, Ariz., as the winners of the association’s third annual contest to honor cutting-edge technologies in library services. Read more....

The Revolution Isn't Just Digital
The digital revolution in libraries is not exactly a secret. Every day we read about some upheaval in the ebook industry, a new development in digitization, or yet another service from Google. And the recent announcement of an ALA-wide initiative on digital content and libraries, while important and necessary, won’t exactly make media headlines. It is natural enough to focus on digital content, whiz-bang technology, and how libraries should provide innovative services for our communities. Yet there is more going on than meets the digital eye. Read more....

Threats to Digital Lending
When the Kansas Digital Library Consortium’s contract with digital-content distributor OverDrive was up for renewal last year, two issues made Kansas State Librarian Joanne Budler decide it was time to move on and transfer the ebook titles to another vendor who could offer a better deal. First, OverDrive planned to raise license fees by almost 700% by 2014. But even more disturbing was a change to the contract that would have changed the consortium’s ownership of the ebooks to a subscription. Read more....

ALA Washington Office News and Media Archives

OITP produces and disseminates publications to inform and engage national policy makers, the library community, and other relevant communities. These publications address the range of OITP issues that includes copyright, public and open access to information, library connectivity, telecommunications policy, privacy, and the future of libraries.

OITP’s work focuses on three areas: public access to information, network and connectivity issues, and the role of America's libraries in the 21st century.  In addition to  these three areas of expertise, OITP maintains a Fellows Program  in order to  hear from experts in related fields and stay abreast of cutting edge issues facing libraries today.