The St. Paul Public Library was one of 10 metropolitan library systems in the United States and Canada recently recognized by the Urban Libraries Council for innovations that have an impact on the community.
St. Paul won in the economic and workforce development category for its Northstar Digital Literacy Project, a joint effort with the St. Paul Community Literacy Consortium that helps people develop computer skills and show prospective employers what they can do.
More than 140 entries were considered for the awards.
The project offers free online tests of computer skills in six areas — basic computer use, World Wide Web, Windows 7, Mac OS X, e-mail and Microsoft Word — and then assesses the results with an outline of skills mastered and areas for improvement.
People who pass can get a certificate that provides a credential for employment.
The tests, also available in Spanish and close-captioned versions, can be found at digitalliteracyassessment.org.
KEVIN DUCHSCHERE
@KDuchschere
