Library Leader to Speak at FCC Digital Television Workshop on Latino, Minority Communities

Betty Valdés of the Latino library group REFORMA will speak at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the role of libraries in supporting the Spanish-speaking community during the Digital Television (DTV) Transition.



This DTV Consumer Education Workshop will feature panel discussions focusing on minority and non-English-speaking communities and will explore the challenges associated with ensuring that those groups receive and can act on information regarding the DTV Transition.



Ms. Valdés is the President of the Washington, DC, chapter of REFORMA, which is the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, and an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA).



“As librarians, we believe that in our role as trusted providers of information and sources of free public access to the Internet, we are uniquely qualified to help the most at-risk communities understand the transition and prepare for it,” Ms. Valdés said. “Because of the language barrier, Spanish-speaking patrons are among the most vulnerable, and libraries are in the perfect position to help them.”



Other speakers include Brent Wilkes, National Executive Director, League of United Latin American Citizens; Hilary Shelton, Director, Washington Bureau, NAACP; and Lisa Bland Malone, Vice President, National Urban League Policy Institute; among others.



The Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop focusing on minority and non-English-speaking communities will be held Tuesday, December 4, 2007, at FCC Headquarters, 445 12th St., SW, Washington, DC, in the Commission Meeting Room. It will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 12:15 p.m.



A live webcast of the Workshop will be available at the FCC’s website at http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/#dec4 on a first-come, first-served basis. During the Workshop, the public can e-mail questions for the panelists to dtvworkshop@fcc.gov.



To learn more about the DTV Transition, please visit www.ala.org/dtv.