In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Beyond Access invites you to Local Alternatives for Global Development: Rediscovering Libraries on October 3, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Invite: Local Alternatives for Global Development: Rediscovering Libraries

With the rapid expansion of new technologies and emerging perspectives on what works, the global development community is looking for new thinking on solving development challenges.  Join the conversation with a community of development professionals who are interested in a fresh perspective on information and development.

We can’t promise ready-made answers for achieving development goals. But we can promise thoughtful discussion in a non-traditional format about local approaches and innovative alternatives – all in a PowerPoint-free, coffee-charged setting that challenges the convention of typical DC conferences. The event features:
• USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah joining 33rd President of Chile Ricardo Lagos for a candid armchair discussion on Development in the 21st Century: Information, Technology and Local Institutions
• An afternoon armchair discussion on The Future of Information and Development, including:
Esther Dyson, chairwoman of EDventure Holdings and leading technology entrepreneur
Jon Gosier, co-founder MetaLayer, TED Senior Fellow Alum, and one of CNN's top African tech voices
Suneet Singh Tuli, founder, Datawind
Moderated by Deborah Jacobs, Global Libraries Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• First-hand government perspectives on finding the resources and strategies that match public development priorities, featuring officials from Colombia, Peru, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan and Kenya moderated by Melanie Walker, Deputy Director fo Special Initiatives at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.
• Development coffee lounges led by subject experts on how new technology and information models impact:

Civic participation Non-formal education Gender and ICT Youth engagement Open government

Economic opportunity Health information Access to technology Agricultural information Innovation spaces

1. • A dynamic Innovation Fair showcasing the work of communities partnering with libraries on development efforts, with delegations from government, NGOs and public libraries from Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Hosted by Beyond Access, this one-day event at Arena Stage aims to explore the “how” of information access, and its connection to development across the spectrum rooted in local priorities and partnerships. The event brings public libraries into discussions of development for the first time.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
• International NGOs looking for new ways to tap into local resources
• Development professionals and donors looking to leverage existing infrastructure and  resources
• ICT4D professionals looking for outlets to address international challenges

For more information about the event and to register, please visit beyondaccess.net/conference2012. For the latest on confirmed speakers and attendees, join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Call for Applications: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2013 Access to Learning Award

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is currently soliciting applications for its 2013 Access to Learning Award (ATLA), which recognizes the innovative efforts of public libraries and similar institutions outside the United States to connect people to information and opportunities through free access to computers and the Internet. The award is given by Global Libraries, an initiative of the foundation's Global Development Program. The recipient of the Access to Learning Award will receive $1 million (U.S.).

Applications for the 2013 Access to Learning Award must be submitted via an online submission process no later than September 30, 2012. The application form is available only in English and must be completed in English to be eligible for consideration. However, while applications must be submitted in English, the foundation does offer informational brochures in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. You may find these and additional information on eligibility requirements and the process of selection on the ATLA website.

All applications must be submitted electronically through the foundation's online application system. The system will be open for submissions by July 31, 2012. In the meantime, we encourage interested parties to review the program guidelines and to begin filling out the application, downloadable as a Word document from the foundation's website.

Applications for the 2013 Access to Learning Award must be submitted via an online submission process no later thanSeptember 30, 2012.

Background about the Access to Learning Award

Computers and the Internet are powerful tools that provide opportunities for people to improve their social and economic well-being. Worldwide, just one person in six has access to the Internet. This means that more than five billion people miss out on chances to pursue education and employment, access government services, learn about valuable health information, conduct business online, and exchange information and ideas. The Access to Learning Award encourages new, innovative ways to provide computer and Internet services to people without access, and promotes greater development of public access technology programs around the world.

The Access to Learning Award honors innovative organizations that are opening a world of online information to people in need. The foundation's Global Libraries initiative invites applications from libraries and similar organizations outside the United States that have created new ways to offer these key services:

• Free public access to computers and the Internet.
• Public training to assist users in accessing online information that can help improve their lives.
• Technology training for library staff.
• Outreach to underserved communities.

Please note:

• No U.S. organizations are eligible to apply. That includes U.S. organizations that operate in locations outside of the U.S. If a U.S. organization works through a local organization outside of the U.S., the local organization would be encouraged to apply.
• To be eligible, the applying institution must allow all members of the public to use computers and the Internet free of charge in a community space.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Administrator at atla@gatesfoundation.org.

पुस्तकालयों को विकसित करेगी बिल गेट्स की संस्था

पुस्तकालयों को विकसित करेगी बिल गेट्स की संस्था

उन्नाव, नि प्रतेतत : विश्व के अग्रणी उद्योगपति बिल गेट्स द्वारा संचालित 'बिल एंड मिलिंडा फाउंडेशन, यूनाइटेड स्टेट' ने प्रदेश के ऐतिहासिक जनपद उन्नाव स्थित पं. विश्वभर दयालु त्रिपाठी राजकीय पुस्तकालय के स्वरूप को नया आयाम दिया जायेगा, जिससे पुस्तकालय शिक्षा का उत्थान पाठकों की भावना के अनुकूल हो सके। शिक्षा ही सामाजिक एकता व सदभाव की जननी है।

संस्थान के प्रोग्राम अकसर पिलर पिकाचो व सलाहकार बी मैडम ने गुरूवार को अपरान्ह पुस्तकालय का जायजा लेने के बाद उक्त विचार व्यक्त किया। उन्होंने बताया कि बिल गेट्स की संस्था प्रदेश में पुस्तकालयों की संभावना व विकास पर अध्ययन कर रही है। इसके लिए दूर दराज के क्षेत्रों का भ्रमण किया जा रहा है। उ.प्र. फाउंडेशन पुस्तकालयों के उत्थान के लिये किस प्रकार की आर्थिक सहायता करें ताकि उसका लाभ छात्र-छात्राओं व अन्य पाठकों को मिले। इस पर काम चल रहा है। पुस्तकालय समिति के डा. सुधीर शुक्ल, लल्लन, प्रवीन शुक्ल, पूर्ति अवस्थी आदि थे।

Source:http://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/unnao-9369220.html