Nonprofit Partnerships: The Shared Mission to Bridge the Digital Divide

Libraries have long been working to bridge the digital divide. As technology further impacts day to day life, how can libraries better provide access and tools? Library workers consistently create connections, gather information and make recommendations, but how do we stay connected to other groups that share this mission?

During this online event, hear from and meet representatives of the Library Freedom Project as well as the nonprofit PCs for People.

The Library Freedom Project will report on a new research study they have conducted based on reaching out to libraries across the country. The goal of this study was to see how libraries responded to the increased need for internet services in 2020 and what steps have been taken to meet those needs. The results of this survey will be a helpful tool for library workers when discussing digital access issues with various stakeholders.

PCs for People provides the opportunity for all low-income individuals and nonprofits to benefit from the life changing impact of computers and mobile internet. They will share details about thier work as part of the statewide initiative Connect Illinois Computer Equity Network.

Participants will be invited to attend break-out sessions and idea share after the program.

Event Speakers

Callan Bignoli is the director of the library at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts. She gathers inspiration from everywhere to inform user-centered practices and push the profession forward. Callan studies and speaks about user experience design, library management, and social issues in technology, challenging students and colleagues to fight for a more just and human future.

T.J. Lamanna is a public librarian. His focus is on advocating for both librarian and patron privacy concerns, intellectual freedom, and the role of neutrality in libraries. As past president of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the New Jersey Library Association, as well as a member of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee Privacy Subcommittee, he spends an inordinate amount of time exploring these topics.

Megan Shanholtz is the director of the Hampshire County Public Library. She is extremely interested in the intersection of rural librarianship and digital access issues. Her time is spent keeping abreast on current library trends and trying to ensure that her library is meeting community needs.

Andrea Lindsay is the New Market Director with PCs for People. Her focus is on supporting local teams launching new PCs for People locations in developing processes and partnerships to promote digital equity and inclusion. She has developed library partnerships in both Ohio and Illinois and works with the New Markets team to support library partnerships for technology distribution and digital literacy collaboration nationwide.

Featured Groups

Library Freedom Project

The Library Freedom Project raises public awareness about the relationship between libraries and internet access, including the role libraries and library workers can play in educating about and advocating for universal broadband. The main focuses include working collectively with all interested people and groups to:

• fill the need for better and more comprehensive broadband coverage,

• advocate for more sustainable and more broadly deployed infrastructure, and

• guarantee on a systemic level that affordable and reliable broadband is available to every person who wants and needs it on an equitable basis. Libraries have broad experience with the need for expanded broadband coverage and are deeply invested in providing equitable access to the internet for all.

PCs for People

PCs for People is a nonprofit group working with the initiative Connect Illinois Computer Equity Network. Through technology recycling and upgrading they are able to get low-cost technology into the hands of the people.