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The Department of Arts and Culture briefed the Committee on the building of libraries in communities and in schools. Government had identified a need for transformation in the sector to address the challenges of a decline in service delivery and the disparities in service provision throughout the country. Libraries were excluded from Schedule 5 of the Constitution, resulting in problems with adequate access to funding. As a result, Conditional Grant Projects were introduced to transform urban and rural community library infrastructure, facilities and services (primarily targeting previously disadvantaged communities) through a recapitalisation programme at Provincial Government level in support of Local Government structures.

Edelman convened more than 100 professors of communications, journalism, business and public relations from across North America and Europe to discuss how companies, organizations and media effectively engage their stakeholders through social media. The sessions were led by more than 50 practitioners who guide digital communications strategies within leading organizations

The mission of the International Children's Digital Library Foundation (ICDL Foundation) is to support the world's children in becoming effective members of the global community - who exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas -- by making the best in children's literature available online free of charge. The Foundation pursues its vision by building a digital library of outstanding children's books from around the world and supporting communities of children and adults in exploring and using this literature through innovative technology designed in close partnership with children for children.

Published by the African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), this resource book is a collection of case studies from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia. It documents the experiences of women's participation in these processes leading to laws or policies that enable citizen to enjoy freedom of information, particularly information in the custody of the government. It highlights best practices that have facilitated positive results and the challenges faced by champions of freedom of information campaigns in the five countries.

Educreations is a global community where anyone can teach what they know and learn what they don't. We're on a mission to democratize learning by extending the reach of great teaching.

"Unlike a printed book, a single copy of an ebook could potentially be read by many users simultaneously, from any location. Thus, a major concern of publishers is that ebook borrowing from libraries will be so easy as to erode sales to readers. To counter this, many publishers insist on terms that replicate aspects of print book lending. Some of these terms may be necessary and tolerable, at least temporarily, to offset perceived risks in selling ebooks to libraries. Others, such as requiring patrons to come to the library to check out ebooks, will be onerous to patrons and damaging to perceptions of library service. With today's rapidly changing business environment for ebooks, the choices that libraries make today can have profound impact on the direction taken by the entire reading ecosystem. It is thus of utmost importance that these choices be made with careful consideration of the needs of both present and future users. Decisions are best made in the context of an informed community and never in isolation."

"It's time for school librarians to step out and enlighten their communities about all the ways their libraries impact students' education. "

In partnership with LitWorld, a non-profit organization based in New York advocating for and working towards global literacy, we are going to "Take Action for Global Literacy, Celebrate the Power of Words, Change the World." March 7 is World Read Aloud Day. World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child's right to a safe education and access to books and technology. We are looking for teachers, schools, school children who want to participate in this World Read Aloud Day on March 7. Thru Skype, we can read aloud to each other across the globe.

"Teachers are quickly catching on and even surpassing students when it comes to embracing social media. What if you still have questions about the plethora of communication channels that exist for teachers to reach their students? Thankfully we are proud to share 'Tools For The 21st Century Teacher' by Michael Zimmer, a Technology Integration Specialist in Western Kentucky."

Twitter is a social network used by millions of people, and thousands more are signing up every day to send short messages to groups of friends. But where's the user manual for Twitter? Where do new Twitter users go to learn about Tweeting, retweets, hashtags and customizing your Twitter profile? Where do you go if you want to know all about building a community on Twitter, or using Twitter for business? How can you find advanced tools for using Twitter on your phone or your desktop? To answer all these questions and more, we've assembled The Twitter Guide Book, a complete collection of resources for mastering Twitter. Happy Tweeting!"

"Help a Librarian (HAL) is a community powered service that unites librarians from all over the world to help each other answer questions, share knowledge and enhance cultural understanding. HAL is comprised of librarians from over 50 different countries."

The Institute's Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills initiative underscores the critical role that museums and libraries play in helping citizens build such 21st century skills as information, communications and technology literacy, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, civic literacy, and global awareness.

Informal science is a burgeoning field that operates across a broad range of venues and envisages learning outcomes for individuals, schools, families, and society. The evidence base that describes informal science, its promise, and effects is informed by a range of disciplines and perspectives, including field-based research, visitor studies, and psychological and anthropological studies of learning. Learning Science in Informal Environments draws together disparate literatures, synthesizes the state of knowledge, and articulates a common framework for the next generation of research on learning science in informal environments across a life span. Contributors include recognized experts in a range of disciplines--research and evaluation, exhibit designers, program developers, and educators. They also have experience in a range of settings--museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, aquariums, zoos, state parks, and botanical gardens. Learning Science in Informal Environments is an invaluable guide for program and exhibit designers, evaluators, staff of science-rich informal learning institutions and community-based organizations, scientists interested in educational outreach, federal science agency education staff, and K-12 science educators.

The FunDza Literacy Trust boosts literacy through popularising reading and building a community of teen and young adult readers across South Africa. FunDza achieves this by providing content that is relevant to the lives of millions of young South Africans and leveraging the reach of mobile technology within this demographic.