NPL - Flipbook - Page 28
PROGRAMS
SPOTL IGHT
Digital Inclusion
Today, digital technology is at once an
everyday reality and an ever-evolving
frontier. Yet, while digital tools continue to
transform the ways we learn and work, a
lack of digital literacy skills presents a barrier to student achievement, employment,
and higher education. Many Nashvillians
turn to their neighborhood library for help.
Hosting nearly 800,000 public computer
sessions each year, Nashville Public Library
has become our city’s center for digital
education and public access to technology. Beyond providing our patrons with
free access to computers and the internet,
we offer a comprehensive series of free
digital literacy programs and resources that
equip people to thrive in a digital world.
Our Digital Inclusion initiative takes digital literacy beyond the library and into the
community, increasing access to digital
education and cultivating a more digitally
literate society. We partner with organizations including FiftyForward and MDHA to
develop classes and programs that meet
the needs of our neighbors, from Metro
students to senior citizens. This year, our
26
Digital Inclusion initiative included 330
classes, labs, and community events for
more than 1,946 attendees across the city.
We were especially excited to pilot our CyberSeniors program in collaboration with
FiftyForward and Opportunity NOW, which
teaches older adults new computer skills
with help from youth mentors.
After taking part in Digital Inclusion programs this year, 95% of
participants reported feeling more
knowledgeable about using digital
resources; 90% reported feeling
more confident with those resources; and 93% said they intended
to apply what they had learned to
their lives. We know digital literacy can open a world full of possibilities, and we are equipping
our neighbors to discover those
possibilities for themselves.
N A S H V I L L E P U B L I C L I B R A R Y A N D T H E N A S H V I L L E P U B L I C L I B R A R Y F O U N D AT I O N
I am very excited
about this new
phase in my life.
It is all because
of you and the
computer training
I received through
Nashville Public Library.
Lee, Digital Inclusion graduate