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MIT, librarians, editors look "Beyond Books: News, Literacy, Democracy & Americas Libraries" April 6-7 / Cambridge

"BEYOND BOOKS: News, literacy, democracy and America's Libraries" Assessing the common mission of journalists and librarians April 6-7, 2011 / MIT Center for Future Civic Media

REGISTER NOW:
http://www.biblionews.org

WHO'S COMING:
http://journalismthatmatters.org/biblionews/whos-coming

For three centuries, in American towns large and small, two institutions have uniquely marked a commitment to participatory democracy, learning and open inquiry - our libraries and our free press. Today, as their tools change, their common missions of civic engagement and information transparency converge. Economic and technology changes suggest an opportunity for collaboration among these two historic community information centers -- one largely public, one largely private. How?

The capability of newspapers to provide community information is declining. At the same time, informal sources of local information are rapidly increasing.

Libraries and legacy media have always shared a common purpose -- helping us acquire the information we need to be engaged, informed (and entertained) citizens. They used different tools - newspapers, broadcast stations and books. Now the tools are converging - web search, data taxonomies, database creation and analysis, social networks - as librarians and journalists together foster civic literacy and engagement.

Librarians want to expand public access to accurate information, including trustworthy local news. So do journalists. How do we expand libraries as community information centers beyond books - perhaps even beyond their four walls - facilitating and engaging with journalists? What can libraries and journalists do - together - to foster improved access to community information?

Thus, as the tools and mission converge, it's time to ask: "What's possible at the intersection of libraries and journalism that serves the information needs of communities and democracy?"

On Wednesday and Thursday, April 6 and 7, 2011, Journalism That Matters, the American Society of News Editors, the Office of Information Technology Policy of the American Library Association, the MIT Center for Future Civic Media, the Media Giraffe Project at UMass Amherst, the New England News Forum and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute invite you to join in a work session for civic information transparency that builds from and beyond books.

Via a pre-event social network, an evening agenda-setting dialogue, a day of roundtable planning and closing action commitments, we'll discover what's possible at the intersection of public spaces, open documents, citizen reporting and journalistic purpose. Among the questions we may ask:

* What does engagement mean to journalists and librarians?
* What might libraries do to facilitate community social news networks?
* Must free speech be absolute within a taxpayer-supported institution?
* How do we define the boundaries between engagement and partisanship?
* Are libraries poised to become public-access media centers as cable fades?
* Should a library operate a news collective, non-profit or citizen-journalism service?
* How can libraries help preserve a free digital information commons?

REPRESENTATIVE COLLABORATORS

Among our list of collaborators are(alpha order): Joe Bergantino (New England Center for Investigative Reporting), Jessica Durkin (New America Foundation fellow), Linda Fantin, Minnesota Public Radio's Public Insight Network, Fabrice Florin (NewsTrust), Renee Hobbs, (Temple Univ.-Media Education); Marsha Iverson (ALA and King County libraries), Library Leadership & Management Assn. (LLAMA), Alan Inouye (director, Office of Info Tech Policy, ALA), Barbara Jones (ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom); Nancy Kranich (Rutgers Univ., chair ALA Center for Public Life), Lorrie LeJeune and Andrew Whitacre (MIT C4FCM), Leigh Montgomery (SLA news-division chair-elect, Christian Science Monitor librarian), Donna Nicely (Knight Commission/Nashville Public Library), Josh Stearns (FreePress.net), Colin Rhinesmith (Univ. of Illinois) and Bill Densmore, (New England News Forum/Media Giraffe Project/Reynolds Journalism Institute).

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Email jtm@journalismthatmatters.org or call Bill Densmore at the the New England News Forum, 413-458-8001.



Franklin Center Unveils Capitol Reporting News Website

Alexandria, VA – Today, the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a national non-profit journalism organization, is revealing a new website which will be dedicated to providing news from the nation's state capitols.  StatehouseNewsOnline.com will work be a national leading news website, networking with dozens of state-based news organizations to provide in depth coverage of state legislation, government and special interests, state budgets and political/campaign news.

“StatehouseNewsOnline.com is a direct response to the growing vacuum in state-based coverage of the happenings in state capitals,” said Jason Stverak, President of the Franklin Center. “By placing reporters in state capitals in several states, these reporters will have the opportunity to cover the daily happenings of government and hold elected and public officials accountable to the people.”

As the newspaper industry has taken a substantial hit in the past few years, the coverage and media presence in state capitols has dramatically diminished. An American Journalism Review study found that only 355 full-time newspaper reporters still are based state capitols; 44 statehouses have fewer full-time reporters than they did six years ago.

StatehouseNewsOnline.com will take content from the Franklin Center’s Statehouse News Bureaus as well as reporters from other news organizations at state capitols. Many of Franklin Center’s Statehouse Bureaus are accredited in their respective state capitols and are included in Google News feeds.

“The Statehouse News Bureaus spend countless hours in their state capitols, wade through mounds of legislative paperwork and know the ins-and –outs of each legislators’ agenda,” said Stverak. “The reporting that Statehouse journalists do is a valuable asset to the media in their area and their entire state.”

To read more about Statehouse News Online visit StateHouseNewsOnline.com.

For more information, please visit FranklinCenterHQ.org

NH DHHS - State Releases First Healthcare-Associated Infections Report

Concord, NH – The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services will discuss the first report of healthcare-associated infections provided by hospitals in New Hampshire. The report includes a listing of the types of infections monitored, the rates of each infection by hospital, and recommendations on how to improve the rates.

Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas, Director of Public Health Dr. José Montero, and State Epidemiologist Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis will be speaking at the event and available to answer questions.

EVENT TIME LOCATION

Presentation of Healthcare-Associated Infections Report

Monday, August 16th 29
11:00 am
Department of Health and Human Services
Hazen Drive
Concord, NH

For more information, please call 603-271-4051.

NH DHHS Releases Data Assessing State’s Homeless Population

Concord, NH – The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bureau of Homeless and Housing Services (BHHS), today announced the results of the one-day statewide Point-in-Time (PIT) count of homeless individuals and families. This count took place on January 27th, 2010 from 12:00 midnight to 11:59 p.m. and targeted city/town welfare offices, homeless shelters, hospitals, police departments, soup kitchens, food pantries, outreach workers, and other providers serving homeless people in New Hampshire. The count is an effort between three local homeless Continuums of Care, Nashua, Manchester and the “Balance of State” coordinated by BHHS.

The PIT count revealed that there were 2,144 homeless individuals across the state. Of the total, 1,355 were sheltered, 257 were unsheltered, and 532 persons were temporarily doubled up (temporarily residing with family or friend). Of this count, 358 were families.

“The data from this count reflects the continued need for services and housing for the homeless population in New Hampshire,” said DHHS Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas. “It’s sobering to realize that for one day there were 2,144 people experiencing homelessness in our state.”

The BHHS coordinates this Point-in-Time count in order to gather an accurate and unduplicated count of homeless individuals and families across the state. As part of the funding BHHS receives from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, this count is required to identify the needs created by the ongoing issue of homelessness; both sheltered and unsheltered, in New Hampshire.

“The annual PIT count provides us with a snapshot of who is homeless in the State, and where they are located,” said BHHS Administrator Maureen Ryan. “By coordinating this effort statewide and requesting information from a wide range of providers who may serve people who are experiencing homelessness, we obtain a more accurate count. This information helps us ensure services are targeted at the areas and populations in need.”

Attachment: PIT county map