Librarians weigh in on national ed-tech plan

School libraries are an important resource that should be leveraged as state and local leaders implement the recommendations in the National Education Technology Plan, the American Library Association (ALA) says.

In comments filed with the Department of Education (ED) on May 17, ALA said it applauds many of the plan's recommendations. The organization also stated its case for why school librarians should play a key role in state and local discussions on school technology use. "The school librarian, as an expert in new and emerging information and communication tools, intellectual property issues, ... new interpretations of fair use and use of Creative Commons licensing, ... and information literacies—now often referred to as "transliteracies"—is a critical team member," ALA said. "Including school librarians in the discussions of how to incorporate meaningful uses of technology into the education system will help ensure effective and sustainable decisions are made and implemented successfully." In its filing, ALA listed examples of how school libraries are "at the forefront of creative, meaningful, ethical, and innovative technology integration in many schools throughout the country."