Opportunity Online Partner Meeting

Devra and I are attending the Opportunity Online Partner Meeting, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Foundation staff are sharing information about the existing/last round of hardware programs (by the end of 2011, 2,500 libraries in 32 states will have leveraged $11.5 M in local matching funds and installed more than 17, 500 computers) and about the Foundation’s next set of investments to support public access to technology (moving toward supporting local efforts to manage, advocate for, and invest in public access to technology). They pointed out that advocacy training, Turning the Page, was presented to 3600 library leaders from 32 states with participants reporting 85% confidence in ability to build public support for the library (vs. 44% prior to the training). What are those of you who attended the Nebraska training doing right now to raise your local matching funds for your Opportunity Online Hardware grants? One topic that is getting everyone’s attention is the answer to the question, “What will the Foundation do next?” They seem to be clearly saying, “Our investments have changed with the evolution of adoption of Public Access technology. Our next investments will focus on cementing the gains the field has made in providing and sustaining technology.” The focus for 2010-2014 is Anchor Access—Capacity Building and Advocacy. Tools the Foundation will be helping us develop: •Public Access technology benchmarks that make sense to local stakeholders •Sustainable professional development program to help library leaders improve Public Access technology using benchmarks •Incentivize broad adoption of Public Access technology benchmarks and evolve the standards via providing funding for leading innovators—innovation grants for high performers •Research on the value of public libraries and dissemination of findings to decision-makers •Additional investments to leverage existing advocacy efforts What do you think about this approach? Do you think benchmarks could help Nebraska libraries to motivate re-investment in public access technology? Click on Comment below to share your thoughts…Thanks, Mary Jo