Affordable Care Act Resources for Library Staff

ALA, IMLS detail Affordable Care Act resources for library staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the enrollment for the Affordable Care Act beginning on Oct. 1, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the American Library Association (ALA) announce new resources available to libraries.
An IMLS cooperative agreement with OCLC’s WebJunction will result in online educational webinars, tip sheets and other resources to help library staff members respond to increased patron information needs related to the Health Insurance Marketplace. These resources include:

• Sign-up opportunity for anyone interested in receiving project activity updates, new online resources, webinar registrations and archived webinar recordings from WebJunction;
• FAQs for library staff with more information about WebJunction resources and the Health Insurance Marketplace;
• The link to the primary U.S. government online tool for delivering information to Americans about their healthcare options;
• Info widgets for library websites, which will lead users directly to U.S. government info, available in English and in Spanish.

American Library Association (ALA) President Barbara Stripling and IMLS Director Susan Hildreth issued the following joint statement:
“Providing resources that help librarians answer patron requests for health insurance information furthers the long-standing commitment of both IMLS and ALA to make information more widely available to the public. We are delighted to help connect libraries to these resources so they can provide timely information to their customers.
“While libraries provide information in a way that best suits their own communities, IMLS and ALA stand ready to help all libraries prepare for the anticipated increased demand for health-related information.”

About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

 

Contact:

Jazzy Wright

Press Officer

Washington Office

202-628-8410

jwright@alawash.org

American Library Association