Sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the forum is organized by Dr. Jon Gant, director of the Center for Digital Inclusion at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with U.S. Ignite and the Office for Information Technology Policy of the American Library Association. For more information on Dr. Gant: http://www.lis.illinois.edu/people/faculty/jongant

Inclusive Gigabit Libraries is an interactive forum that examines how libraries can play a leading role in building next-generation Internet applications and services designed to operate on ultra-fast broadband networks that several communities are building. The forum will feature case studies tailored to libraries to showcase how next-generation networks can meet the current challenges that libraries face.  We will also examine early approaches and projects among libraries in several communities, as well as discussing and brainstorming future possibilities and assessment. The aim of the forum is to promote the exchange of ideas among leaders with different types of expertise. Multiple perspectives are needed for developing innovations to demonstrate the potential of high-speed broadband in areas such as community and economic development, education, health care, government service delivery, and civic engagement.

Currently 25 cities are partners in the US Ignite initiative http://us-ignite.org/. This initiative brings together high-speed broadband resources to create test beds across universities and cities throughout the United States at a national scale. So many common concerns—from safe energy to health information, from workforce development to public safety—could benefit from these networks. One of the key questions that emerged from the White House launch of U.S. Ignite is: how can libraries, as anchor institutions, leverage these networks and applications to benefit communities?

The ALISE conference hotel is the HYATT AT OLIVE 8, 1635 8^th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101 olive8.hyatt.com; the forum will be held in Ballroom A.

Our project website is regularly updated: http://publish.illinois.edu/inclusivegiglibraries/

We welcome your participation! To register for this event, please fill out this form: https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/8779319

For further information, contact: Jon Gant, [log in to unmask]; or Sharon Irish,  [log in to unmask]   

I hope you can join us!

Dr. Jon Gant

Research Associate Professor

Director for the Center for Digital Inclusion http://cdi.lis.illinois.edu/

Director UC2B Broadband Adoption Program http://uc2b.net/

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Graduate School of Library and Information Science

501 E. Daniel St.

Champaign, IL 61820

(217) 333-5975