(LIVINGSTON, LA) – Livingston Parish Library (LPL) is pleased to announce its participation in the Louisiana Statewide Digital Inclusion Pilot. The initiative is a partnership between the Louisiana Board of Regents, ConnectLA (Louisiana Office of Broadband Development & Connectivity), LOUIS: the Louisiana Library Network, the State Library of Louisiana, and the Louisiana Department of Education to help bridge the state’s digital divide and increase the digital literacy skills of its residents.
According to ConnectLA, an estimated 462,000 Louisianans lack basic digital literacy skills. Additionally, a 2019 American Community Survey reported that 26.5 percent of households in Livingston Parish do not have a desktop or laptop computer. As one of five digital literacy pilot sites, LPL will seek not only to increase access to high-speed digital resources but also to improve the overall computer and internet literacy in the parish.
"We are extremely honored to be selected to participate in this initiative to help increase the state's digital literacy skills," said LPL Director Giovanni Tairov. "Eliminating the digital divide in our parish has long been a goal of the Library. From the introduction of mobile hotspots in 2018 to increasing the Library's Wi-Fi signal during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to providing exceptional services to positively impact the Livingston Parish community.”
LPL will join the public library systems of East Carroll, Jefferson, Rapides, and West Feliciana to assess the community's needs for digital literacy and provide instructional opportunities such as skills assessment, self-directed online learning, and digital skill building. These activities will be conducted by library staff members who will serve as Digital Navigators. Digital Navigators have completed more than 11 hours of training through the National Digital Inclusion Alliance and Northstar Digital Literacy to ensure the success of the digital literacy pilot sites.
Livingston Parish Library’s digital literacy pilot program will officially launch on Monday, October 3. Patrons will be able to schedule proctored assessments with one of the Library’s Digital Navigators at all five branches of the LPL. Proctored assessments for each branch will be offered at the following times:
Albany-Springfield Branch
- Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Denham Springs-Walker Branch
- Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Main Branch in Livingston
- Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
South Branch
- Mondays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Watson Branch
- Mondays through Wednesdays from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
In addition to proctored assessments at each branch, patrons will also gain access to free online resources and services through Northstar Digital Literacy, an online learning platform that offers users the ability to explore and increase their skills at their own pace through self-guided training modules and assessments. While online learning through Northstar will be available for all users, only patrons who participate in proctored assessments at a library branch will receive certificates of completion for completing the program.
For more details about the Library's digital literacy pilot program or to learn how to participate, visit us online at www.mylpl.info/northstar-digital-literacy.
