Librarians and the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act is coming down the pipe, and the public library will play in important role in assisting people to understand and explore their options.

As part of the Affordable Health Care Act, U.S. citizens and legal residents will be required to have qualifying health coverage by January 1, 2014.  In preparation for this, a health care exchange (a place where consumers can purchase subsidized health insurance coverage) will be available on October 1, 2013.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced a partnership to help libraries get ready to respond to patron requests for assistance in understanding and navigating new health insurance options in the Health Insurance Marketplace.

You can view the archived webinar from August 21st presenting an overview of the ACA and how it relates to Wisconsin Public Libraries by CDT, Stephen Johnson from the Ebling Health Sciences Library at the University of Wisconsin, along with Terrie Howe and Tessa Michaelson Schmidt from the Public Library Development Team at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.  The link to the recorded webinar: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/playback.jnlp?psid=2013-08-21.0742.M.105C64666809901538318B594784D3.vcr&sid=2012293 or http://tinyurl.com/lquvjds

The federal exchange will open October 1, 2013. If an individual wishes their health insurance to begin January 1, 2014, they must enroll by mid-December. Open Enrollment will close March 31, 2014. 

More information can be found here: http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/pld_aca

So, get on your marks and be prepared for Oct 1st.

Popular Software Tutorials - Free!

Popular Software Tutorials from LearningExpress are now available to all libraries in Wisconsin....at no cost to the libraries!  

These tutorials are from basic to advanced and self-paced for the most commonly used applications and operating systems.   The tutorials include fully interactive multimedia, including sound, animation, visual demonstrations, along with quizzes and hands-on practice lab simulations.

Here is a list of what is offered:
Adobe Dreamweaver Courses
Adobe Flash Courses
Adobe Illustrator Courses
Adobe Photoshop Courses
Corel WordPerfect Courses
Microsoft Access Courses
Microsoft Excel Courses
Microsoft Outlook Courses
Microsoft PowerPoint Courses
Microsoft Project Courses
Microsoft Publisher Courses
Microsoft SharePoint Designer Courses
Microsoft Visio Courses
Microsoft Word Courses
Windows and Mac Operating Systems Courses

This additional content is integrated with BadgerLink, so you can access it through existing links to LearningExpress Library through BadgerLink (http://www.badgerlink.net). 

Technical support will be provided by Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning’s BadgerLink Technical Support Team. Contact information for support can be found here: http://rl3.dpi.wi.gov/contact-badgerlink

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds were awarded to WiLS for this project from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.  LSTA funds are provided by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). 

Online Hub for Digital Literacy Support and Training

Here is a website with free learning tools to help folks feel comfortable and confident with technology. They offer short free online "classes" at the website: digitallearn.org

DigitalLearn.org is a site devoted to helping everyone to effectively use digital technologies through simple online training modules. It is also a home for those who want to help others with digital literacy.

If you are new to computers, haven't used them for a while, are a little unsure and uncomfortable, or just need a bit of a refresher, here are the tools to help you tackle technology at your own pace and gain the confidence you need to succeed.

• Getting Started on the Computer
• Using a PC (Windows)
• Using a Mac (OS X)
• Basic Search
• Navigating a Website
• Intro to Email

Ready to help others? The site also offers an online community of individuals working to support digital literacy for all.

The Public Library Association's new site, DigitalLearn.org, is an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant-funded project to create an online hub for digital literacy support and training. The site launched in June 2013 and is intended to build upon and foster the work of libraries and community organizations as they work to increase digital literacy across the nation. DigitalLearn.org is being undertaken in partnership with ALA's Office of Information Technology Policy and Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, as well as bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders including representatives from national agencies, state libraries, public libraries, community organizations, and many others. Included in DigitalLearn.org is a collection of self-directed tutorials for end-users to increase their digital literacy, and a community of practice for digital literacy trainers to share resources, tools and best practices.