MNet Congratulates CHUM Ltd. and London Public Library on their Media Literacy Centre Partnership

January 24, 2002 (OTTAWA) – The Media Awareness Network (MNet) congratulates CHUM Television and the London Public Library (LPL) on their ground-breaking partnership that will see a state-of-the-art Media Literacy Centre housed in the LPL.

“Public libraries have a major role to play in media literacy, particularly given the fact that they offer universal access to all Canadians in all parts of the country, as well as expert assistance on-site,” said Jan D’Arcy, Co-Director of MNet. “Canadians increasingly view libraries as a primary public point of access to the Internet. And with Canada being the first country in the world to have all of its public libraries connected to the Internet, there’s a natural fit between libraries and the growing area of Web literacy.”

In July 2001, the Canadian Library Association and MNet announced a partnership to produce and deliver a Web Awareness Canada program to all public libraries in Canada. MNet’s Web Awareness Canada initiative has been identified by the federal Government as a key contributor to the public awareness and user empowerment objectives of its CyberWise strategy to promote safe, wise and responsible Internet use.

“With our focus on developing leading-edge online media literacy resources, it’s great to see initiatives like the CHUM Media Literacy Centre at London Public Library so that everyone in the community can have access. The CHUM organization (an MNet Silver Sponsor) has a well-known commitment to media literacy and this new partnership with the library sector is another example of their contribution,” Ms. D’Arcy said.

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The Media Awareness Network (MNet) is a non-profit Canadian organization whose mission is to support media education and its widest possible integration into Canadian schools, and to raise awareness of Canadian parents of the powerful role of media in the healthy social development of young people. For more information on MNet and to access its extensive range of media literacy resources, visit our Web site at www.media-awareness.ca

For more information contact:

The Media Awareness Network gratefully acknowledges its sponsors:

Bell Canada • Rogers@Home • CanWest Global • CHUM • CTV • Shaw Communications • A&E • AOL Canada • Canadian Heritage • Human Resources Development Canada •Industry Canada • CA*net Institute