| On the basis of the results of a study of IT
competences in Denmark in 2007 the
Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and
Innovation has set aside financial means
for an upgrading of the population’s IT
competences. |
This initiative includes i.a. the training
of 60 IT mediators in 2008 and 2009
who will subsequently offer instruction
to citizens who wish to learn how to
use IT, e.g. Internet, e-mail, digital selfservice
etc. The instruction is to be free
of charge and to take place locally, e.g.
in libraries or professional organisations.
Knowledge is passed on
The IT mediators are recruited from
the participating partners’ own ranks,
and more than half of them come from
Danish public libraries. They have been
trained in making the tuition easily
comprehensible for people with no or
just a minimum of qualifications.
The IT mediators from the libraries
have committed themselves to pass on
their knowledge to colleagues in other
libraries. This ‘unrolling’
of knowledge
will take place at courses and meetings
during autumn 2009 where colleague
will be teaching colleague. The point of
reference will be the homepage
www.itformidler.dk and this is also
where the IT mediators will place their
teaching programmes – freely available
to other instructors.
Partners in the project
Among the participants are, apart from
the libraries which are i.a. represented
by the Danish Agency for Libraries and
Media, also education associations,
unions, Local Government Denmark,
Danish Association of Senior Citizens,
Ministry of Science, Technology and
Innovation and, of course, National IT
and Telecom Agency, the latter being
the initiator.
PR and campaign
The National IT and Telecom Agency
has prepared
a package with various
marketing materials. During the
autumn there will be various
programmes on Radio Denmark – a
national television channel – which
will also
be dealing with the subject of
improved IT competences and the ‘Learn more about IT’ project.
Backing for ‘Learn more about IT’
In connection with the ‘Learn more
about IT’ project the Association of
Library Directors, the Danish Library
Association and the Danish Union of
Librarians have promised each other
on behalf of the libraries that all
Danish libraries will participate in the
project. This means they will all take
part in the campaign by marketing the
‘Learn more about IT’ project and
arranging courses in IT and digital selfservice
in the library.
‘Learn more about IT’ is a very important
factor in directing focus towards
user-education in the libraries.
Judith Benz Therkelsen
Vejle Libraries
Coordinator for competence development in networks
Member of the steering committee for
‘Learn more about IT’
jbt@vejlebib.dk
Translated by Vibeke Cranfield
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