Oxford, AL – The City of Oxford announced that Oxford Public Library is among 215 public libraries nationwide awarded funding by the Public Library Association (PLA) this year to conduct digital literacy workshops using new Digitallearn.org resources. The PLA Digital Literacy Workshop Incentive, supported by AT&T, provides support to libraries of all sizes to conduct workshops using DigitalLearn training materials designed to help patrons build skills and confidence using technology.
The Oxford Public Library plans to use the DigitalLearn resources and funding from this partnership to help increase the digital literacy of individuals in the community. Many in our community are sometimes uncomfortable using the digital tools available to them, whether from the library’s resources or from general daily internet use. The library is increasingly concerned about the information that the general community is receiving from online resources, especially in regards to health information. By becoming more familiar with the digital world around them, community members will know how to find legitimate information to make smart decisions in their lives.
Also as part of this initiative, the library will have an interactive digital board in place. This board will be utilized in live workshops at the library; it will also be made available to library patrons who are interested in utilizing the DigitalLearn materials in a private space. Library users can utilize this board to learn at their own pace, free from embarrassment, but with library staff nearby to answer questions and help overcome hurdles. This material will be available to library users in both English and Spanish.
Library Director Amy Henderson observed, “Community is always our focus at the Oxford Public Library. Digital Literacy is important to our community members; the way they access and ingest information from digital sources influences decisions they make in their lives. I want to give the members of our
community tools to find accurate information; digital literacy is a very important tool in today’s world.”
PLA Past President Maria McCauley remarked, “Public libraries continuously play a vital role in providing digital literacy tools and information to their communities. The expansion of this powerful collaboration with AT&T for the second year will ensure that even more families and communities can benefit from programs and resources that increase digital access and equity.”
PLA collaborated with AT&T to develop the digital literacy courses, which are freely available in English and Spanish through PLA’s DigitalLearn.org. The Oxford Public Library will help patrons utilize these resources in an upcoming series of workshops and other tools that will be conducted at the Oxford Public Library; the workshops will be on Wednesdays at 12:00, while other tools will be available anytime the library is open. More details and the schedule can be found at www.oxfordpl.org/computers.
