Contact: Steve Zalusky


Manager of Communications, PIO


(312) 280-1546


szalusky@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


July 15, 2008

ALA
Council passes resolution on the role of libraries in delivering E-Government services

At the American Library Association (ALA) 2008 Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., the ALA Council passed a resolution on the role of libraries in delivering E-Government services.

In the resolution, the Council urges Congress to re-emphasize its commitment to support the role of libraries in delivering E-Government services. It supports measures outlined in the E-Government Reauthorization Act of 2007 and calls for language in the act to mirror Section 213 of the E-Government Act of 2002, which recognizes the critical role public libraries play in delivering E-Government services.

It also supports measures outlined in the 2007 act to ensure compliance by federal agencies with Office of Management and Budget guidelines.

The Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, 2007-2008 (LINK:
http://www.ala.org/ala/ors/plftas/finalreport.pdf ), found that every day 74 percent of public library staff, by helping library patrons to understand and use E-Government resources, assists federal, state and local governments in achieving their missions.

In addition, the same study found that more than half of the librarians surveyed indicated that access to government information is one of the top three uses of public libraries’ Internet services.