Unfortunately, millions of Americans either have no broadband service where they live, or they cannot afford the access.   As a result, they (and their children) are at grave risk at being left behind in an increasingly digital world.  This problem is known as the digital divide.

What we collectively can and should do about the digital divide was the subject of an important event I attended this week, called the 2009 Minority Broadband Summit.

The best news about this event is that I was the least important person in the room.   When I arrived for the opening breakfast I sat down next to a very nice woman.  After a few minutes I realized that I was dining and chatting with the first female physician elected to the U.S. Congress – Assistant Majority Whip Donna Christensen.   I quickly sat up straight and reached for the proper fork.

Also at my table were John Marks (the mayor of Nashville), Dr. Lee Brown (the first black mayor of Houston), and Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis.   Other notable attendees included the Chairman of the Alliance for Digital Equality, Julius Hollis, Intel’s head of Public Strategic Initiatives, Rick Herrmann, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, Jim Shelton.    There were many more luminaries and big brains that I don’t have space to list.  (The full list is here for those who may be curious.)   The event was moderated wonderfully by CNN Contributor Roland Martin, who clearly cares deeply about kids reaching their potential.

For the next four hours we collectively discussed what we can and should do about the digital divide.  What should the government do to facilitate broadband connections for those who want them but can’t get them (due to lack of availability) or can’t afford them?   What should schools and libraries do to help?   How can private companies play a role?   Should we focus on wiring up every home across the country or are broadband wireless services such as Wi-Max ready for prime time?

Another interesting question we explored was what to do about the segment of the population that barely knows what the Internet is and doesn’t realize how it can help them?   Professor Soto from Northwestern University told a story about how she was talking with a taco vendor in Chicago about the Internet and the vendor said why should she bother with the Internet since it wasn’t needed to make tacos?   How can we collectively demonstrate to her what the Internet can do for her and her family?

Rick Hermann from Intel asked us to imagine a world in which every kid has the ability to connect instantly to a math tutor for help with homework, through the Internet.   Rick mentioned that Intel is doing this right now for its entire employee base – as a free employee benefit — and suggested that the federal government give all private companies a tax incentive to follow Intel’s lead.   Similarly, Jim Shelton from the U.S. Department of Education talked about the power of using the Internet to connect students to experts around the country.   Why should a student in rural Georgia be limited to the one physics teacher within 50 miles of her school when the Internet can allow her to connect to the very best and brightest physics teachers across the country?

We also heard from NPR analyst and former Baltimore Chief Technology Officer Mario Armstrong about how kids are using video games to learn science and math and how crucially important it is for our country’s future that we retake our previous lead in science, math, engineering and technology (STEM) education.   (You don’t want to know where the U.S. is currently ranked in the top twenty countries worldwide.)

All in all, it was an excellent event, and I am looking forward to working with several of the folks who attended.   Tutor.com is already powering the wonderful Intel program and is excited to be working with the Alliance for Digital Equality to help the kids of Clayton County, Georgia.

Tutor.com, the world’s largest online tutoring and homework help service, works with numerous school districts and non-profit organizations to bring online homework help and tutoring to underserved communities across the country.  For further information, feel free to contact Bart Epstein, Senior Vice President of Tutor.com, at bepstein@tutor.com.

Perhaps the best part of the webinar for our staff was reading all of the wonderful comments that came in from the participating librarians. Here’s a few we wanted to share:

“Thanks, so much! I think you should all be giving each other high-fives for this debut webinar event—great job. And by the way, thank you, for all the pre-publicity materials: THAT really helped. We made posters, fliers, and little ½ sheets as well.” – California Librarian
“Today’s resume webinar proved beneficial for our participants. Positive feedback from Berlin patrons was related to the variety of age-related resume samples.” – Maryland Librarian

“The presenter was excellent. I want to re-do my resume. Her tips were concrete and thought-provoking. Everyone of our attendees took notes. We are going to order her book. The attendees seemed very excited about our library having Tutor.com.” – New Jersey Librarian

“This was an awesome program. The economy in our town is extremely depressed and this filled a huge need. I would love to be able to to host additional helpful programs for our patrons. Thanks a million.” – Kansas Librarian

photo credit: powerbooktrance

Did you know that some online library programs, such as Live Homework Help®, can be accessed wirelessly even at places like your local internet coffee shop? Students can relax, have a cup of chai and get some homework help! Or, maybe your library is wireless. These tips can help your patrons take advantage of free access.

Macs – Most Macs will sense the hot spot and ask you if you’d like to connect.

1. Otherwise, start the program “Airport Utility” in the Utilities folder (in the Applications folder)
2. Use the Network drop-down menu to choose the network you want to connect to.

or

click on the Airpot icon at the top right of the screen and choose the network from the drop down menu.

Windows – Most versions of Windows handle wireless connections without special software.

1. In the lower right-hand corner of your screen, click the Wireless Connection icon and a wireless network management screen will open.
2. Click on the network with the strongest signal and then click Connect
3. If you are asked for a password, but you believe you have free access, ask someone who works there for the password.

Other Tips -  Be extra sensitive to the content you share in a public hot spot –  this is not a secure network.

Turn your computer’s volume down, or mute it, prior to logging on to avoid disturbing other patrons.

If you are a student connecting to an online tutor, let them know you are connecting wirelessly so they understand why you disappeared, if the connection drops suddenly.

Wi-Fi Planet is a good resource for more in-depth wireless information or use the hotspot locator to find a hotspot in your region

How do you launch a series of products that will help K-12 and college students, adults searching for new jobs, or returning to school, studying for citizenship tests or getting their GEDs? You listen.

We received feedback from millions of students in their post-session comments, and had countless conversations with our clients, librarians, governors, job seekers and our Advisory Council. Then we took all of that information and went to the drawing board. We already have thousands of qualified tutors and lots of happy students. How do we take all of what we learned, and do even more?

After a lot of hard work, revisions, changes and some exhausted developers–we’re proud to unveil our new Tutor.com Learning Suite.  Of course, our award-winning Live Homework Help® is included, for one-to-one, on demand online help, but now students can use our ProofPoint™ Real Time Writing Center, and the SkillsCenter™ Resource Library for thousands of vetted resources that are available 24/7.

We hope you check out more about the Suite, or visit us at ALA (Booth #1848) for a demo–but we wanted to make sure we took the time to say “Thank you.” Without your feedback, and being so open and in-touch with what your community needs, we couldn’t have created the services that we’re so proud to offer.

Upon being invited to this panel I started thinking about the keys to a successful Tutor.com Live Homework Help program. When libraries sign up for our service, we provide them with the Tutor.com Getting Started Guide, a checklist for a successful program. Although geared toward launching Tutor.com in the library, these Six Steps can be applied to any online resource.

Step One: Assign a Program Manager
Having a staff member who is passionate about the service manage the resource ensures that someone has ownership and that information is being shared amongst staff. At Tutor.com we call these champions our Raving Fans!

• Acts a liaison to staff and library branches
• Monitors the success of the service
• Champions the service
• Point of contact for the vendor
• Coordinates staff trainings

Step Two: Engage ALL Library Staff
Staff cannot promote or recommend a resource they are not familiar with or don’t understand. Empower staff so everyone in the library can refer patrons to your online resources.

• Make training a priority for everyone that interacts with the public
• Let all staff know about the service in an email or staff newsletter

Step Three: Easy Access for Your Patrons
This is the step that can make or break the success of your online resources. If patrons cannot find it they won’t use it! A New Jersey library director recently told me that her goal is to have patrons thinking about using the library from home. To her, redesigning her small library’s website was a top priority to increase traffic and usage of the library’s online resources.

• Advertise prominently on your library website
• Online resources should be featured prominently on the library homepage
• Spread the links around on your research and reference pages, teen and children’s pages, everywhere patrons might go to look for these resources
• Add links and icons to your library computer desktops

Step Four: Announce and Celebrate
In addition to your well orchestrated press campaign, celebrate with a fun launch event. Invite local dignitaries, the mayor and town council members, school administrators, teachers, and of course invite the local press to cover the event!

• Send a Press Release to local newspapers and magazines
• Put an ad in the paper
• Include an article in the library newsletter
• Contact local TV and radio stations
• Have a party!

Step Five: Effective Outreach
Roll up your sleeves and step out into the community to spread the word about your online resources. Talk to local businesses, attend local community meetings, meet with teachers and school administrators, go to local events with information about your valuable resources! Most importantly, get savvy about cyber outreach and reach your patrons where they are…online.

• Community Outreach to local businesses and civic organizations
• School Outreach to teachers, principals, media specialists, PTAs/PTOs
• Cyber Outreach using social media such as Twitter and Facebook

Step Six: Sustain Your Success
Once you have launched and promoted your online resources, you need to be thinking about your next steps. Tie information about your online resources into promotions you do throughout the year – Summer Reading, Anime Club, Story Time, Quilting Club, Book Club, National Poetry Month, Math Awareness Month. No matter what the program or event, you should always mention your online resources.

• Promote throughout the year
• Share success with library staff
• Continue efforts to garner publicity
• Use reports and statistics, as well as patron feedback, to gain support from local officials and potential financial supporters

Go the Extra Step: Be Creative and Innovative
Get your creative juices flowing, and find different ways to reach your patrons with everything from displays in the library. banners over the local highway, fun promotional items, and more.

• Create a project to decorate the computer areas, library entrance, and bulletin boards with fun facts and information about your online resources
• Design an online survey asking patrons for feedback about the library website and online resources
• Dedicate one or more library computers for use with your online resources

All of these steps will help to generate buzz and getpeople in your community talking about the great resources they have available through your library website. Word of mouth is the rain and nutrients that will grow usage of your online resources.

This year’s winner of the ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award is the Indianapolis-Marion County Library System in Indianapolis, IN.

As recently posted on the YALSA blog, there is a digital divide between those kids who have access to laptops, desktops and current software, and those whose only access to the internet is at public locations such as schools and libraries. As we concern ourselves with preparing our school kids for the twenty-first century, kids without access to today’s technology, including iPods, cell phones, as well as adaquate computer access are left even further behind their peers.

IMCLS’s new physical and virtual space, The Learning Curve @ Central Library addresses the needs of kids from their toddler to teenage years, by giving them not just access to, but also instruction in the use of technology today. And they make it fun, with an interactive virtual universe, CurveWorld, that builds literacy in information, technology and media through fun games and activities.

Like Tutor.com’s Live Homework Help®, The Learning Curve @ Central Library, aims to bridge the digital divide. Groups and individuals can visit the library for planned activities and to visit the Learning Curve space where they can experience the interaction of technology and traditional literacy, and the evolving role of the public library.

The app was dreamed up by Chris Tonjes, chief information officer and IT Director at DCPL. Check out dclibrarylabs.org to see some innovative things he’s doing with his team, including their content creation stations, bridging the participation gap in Web 2.0.

http://xeniagazette.1upmonitor.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=162925&TM=32079.6