Libraries Lead with Digital Skills via Public Libraries Online

Libraries Lead with Digital Skills

Public Libraries Online: 2.01.2019 by Shawnda Hines

ALA and Grow with Google launched a national tour of public libraries this week as part of a new partnership to expand resources and services promoting economic opportunity in cities and towns across the country.

Select local libraries on the 50-state tour will host free, one-day events, where Grow with Google experts will deliver in-person workshops for job seekers, small businesses and library staff. As the tour stops in each state, PLA will open applications through Libraries Lead with Digital Skills for micro-funding in that state to provide programming, outreach, and education in their own libraries, to address the digital skills gaps of job seekers and small businesses.

The first stop on the tour was the Philadelphia Free Library. I decided to make the train trip up from ALA’s Washington Office and registered to participate about a week in advance – by which time at least two of the day’s four workshops were filled to capacity.

Public library professionals were the primary audience for the first workshop, which opened with a video highlighting the role of libraries in teaching new skills and promoting economic opportunity in their communities.  READ MORE >>