13 July 2001

Mr Michael Rankin
Access Branch
National Office for the Information Economy
GPO Box 390
Canberra ACT 2600

ICT industry development and corporate citizenship proposals

Dear Mr Rankin

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) welcomes the opportunity to participate in the Department's public consultations on Corporate Citizenship Arrangements (CCA). ALIA is the professional association for the library and information sector. ALIA represents 6500 personal members, 800 institutional members and 10 million library users.

ALIA supports the CCA initiative and the focus on broader social objectives such as addressing the 'digital divide'. However, ALIA would like to make the following comments.

One of the objectives of CCA is to recognise the efforts of the ICT industry and to better coordinate private and government sector initiatives. There is an opportunity to recognise and further encourage activities by the ICT sector in addressing equity and access issues. This means making conditions right not only for business but also for consumers and it requires a government commitment to ensure that everybody can benefit from the opportunities.

The ability to use computers and to manage digital information is becoming increasingly important for people to succeed in their education and careers. Breaking down the 'digital divide' requires more than providing access to information and networks. People also need to understand how to locate and evaluate the information sources available to them.

The first object of the Australian Library and Information Association is to promote the free flow of information and ideas in the interest of all Australians and a thriving culture, economy and democracy. The challenge in a democratic society is to ensure that all people have the right to access and use the vast amount of information that is available in order to enhance our lives. As ALIA's statement on Information Literacy declares:

A thriving national and global culture, economy and democracy will be best advanced by people who recognise their need for information, and identify, locate, access, evaluate and apply the needed information.

Libraries and the information services sector have a crucial role to play in breaking down the 'digital divide'. However, they do not have the financial resources, technical assistance and training resources, to offer a complete solution on there own.

The Gates Foundation, Library Program provides an interesting model. The program works in partnership with public libraries to provide access to computers and digital information. The Program recognises that although libraries have an important role to play in help bridging the 'digital divide due to a lack of financial resources, technical assistance and training they are unable to deliver a full range of digital services.

A further model is the American Library Association Information Literacy Community Partnerships. [http://library.austin.cc.tx.us/staff/Innavarro/CommunityPartnerships/infolit.htm] no longer active.

For the community to fully benefit from industry contributions there needs to be a strong plan in place for technical assistance, training and long term support to complement industry donations.

Developing an appropriate strategic framework will produce long term benefits for the community. The Association recommends that to maximise the benefits from industry contributions the government should establish a program or partnership arrangement that will increase ICT access and advance information literacy and break down the 'digital divide'.

The program could:

• Recognise the corporate citizen achievements of the ICT industry;
• Set up a register where ICT companies planning to undertake CCA could register their willingness to participate in a community project in partnership with libraries, education, community or not-for-profit organisations; and
• provide an application-based funding resource to support the information literacy and skills component of the partnership proposal to be delivered by organisations such as libraries that would not have the financial resources within their budgetary provsions.

The program could meet the broader social objectives of the CCA proposal by:

• Establishing of public facilities where community groups or individuals can access online services and receive training and assistance in the use of information technology at a small or nil cost;
• Assisting educational institutions, not-for-profit organisations and community groups in the development of relevant Internet services and information, including the preparation of educational material;
• Assisting educational institutions, not-for-profit organisations and community groups for the development or purchase of specialised computer hardware, software and Internet services and information to enable access to online services for people with disabilities; and
• Providing or funding training and skills development in ICTs for teachers, librarians, community groups and disadvantaged individuals;

While the industry CCA donations improve access to electronic information breaking down the 'digital divide' requires more than providing access to information and networks. There needs to be a strong commitment to helping people understand how to locate and evaluate information so that Australia can be an information literate society.

Libraries are the ideal place to offer public access to ICT resources as they are found in nearly every community and they are staffed by professionals whose job it is to help people meet and manage their information needs. If the government is serious about breaking down the 'digital divide it cannot ignore a sector that provides free public access to these services.

I would be happy to discuss our proposal further.

Yours sincerely

Jennefer Nicholson
Executive director