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Digital libraries, Learning, Communities

Abstract

Describes the current version of WebJunction and highlights its forthcoming WebJunction.org, an online community. Provides content in the form of feature articles, monthly newsletters, assessment tools, and online courses and also provides opportunities for those involved in public access computing to communicate with each other and share success stories, best practice and solutions.

Electronic access

The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm

During his February presentation at the 2004 Public Libraries Association (US) national conference, Bill Gates Sr announced the release of a new report, "Toward equality of access: the role of public libraries in addressing the digital divide," describing the impact of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's $250 million US Library Program (Anon, 2004). Prior to the onset of the US Library Program in 1997, only about one-fourth (28 percent) of US public libraries offered public access to computing.

Now, after the installation of 46,000 computer stations in 11,000 public library service locations in the US and Canada (Gordon et al., 2003), the public can access computers at 95 percent of US public libraries (Maxwell and Bittner, 2004).

As the completion of the five-year US Library Program neared, it was clear that the need for continued training and technical support remained. The answer came when the next phase of Gates support for computers in libraries was launched at the US Library of Congress on 12 May, 2003 in the form of a large Web portal called Webjunction (Webjunction.org). This "viewpoint" describes the current version of Webjunction and highlights upcoming services.

Webjunction.org is best described as an online community. It not only provides content in the form of feature articles, monthly newsletters, assessment tools, and online courses, but also provides opportunities for those involved in public access computing to communicate with each other and share success stories, best practices and solutions.

OCLC is coordinating the development of Webjunction.org with three years of...

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