Digital divide

This joint submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA), Australian Law Librarians Association (ALLA), School Library Association of Victoria (SLAV) and Australian School Library Association (ASLA) supports the provision of high quality and reliable telecommunications in regional areas and the increasingly important role of libraries in supporting the nation through their support of communities.

This joint submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and eight other library associations supports the development of an information infrastructure with libraries as the conduit for a sustainable knowledge economy.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Government 2.0 Taskforce. ALIA believes that:
 

This joint submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Australian Public Library Alliance (APLA) discusses the role of public libraries in the digital space, enhancing people’s online experiences, helping people connect to this new virtual world, and providing a safety net for those who are in danger of being left behind, particularly in terms of the ability to access government information.
 

Australian libraries – especially public, State and Territory Libraries – have found the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) to be an invaluable source of data about the levels of digital inclusion nationally, regionally and locally. The information gained from the ADII reports has enabled libraries to advocate successfully for investment in technology, programs and services to meet the needs of their communities and users. It has identified specific target groups requiring greater assistance, and it has helped guide program and service development.
 

10th ALIA Top End Symposium, 12-13 October 2018 Darwin: Enabling universal literacies in the digital age
 
This presentation (PowerPoint slides) supports the session on literacy in the 21st century.
 
The symposium provides a professional development opportunity for local information professionals to engage with national and international experts on universal literacies, a theme deemed to be of interest to all members of the community. This event is a premium professional development activity for information and library workers in the Northern Territory.

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Australian Public Library Alliance (APLA) welcome the opportunity to respond to the Regional Telecommunications Review 2018. ALIA and APLA recommend that consideration be given to a new funding stream to support libraries and enable them to provide digital programs and services, particularly in regional, rural and remote locations. Introducing a sustainable funding model would ensure equity of access to the benefits of new technologies for all Australians and help bridge the widening digital divide.

INCITE: The magazine for library and information professionals - November/December 2019 Volume 40 Issue 11/12 (supplement)
 
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has been a strong advocate for digital inclusion for more than 30 years. Libraries were early adopters of digital technologies, not only to support our own operations, but also to improve customer services and help our clients build their own technology skill sets.
 

This submission from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) in response to Australia's first Open Government Action Plan 2016-2018 discusses the role of public, academic, research and special libraries in supporting open data and digitial transformation, citizen engagement and access to government information, the provision of data management and researcher support services, and the societal benefits of access to high-value datasets within Trove.