Monday's Daily Pulse | 2/1/2021 Florida tourism officials look to expand marketing efforts While leaders push back against a federal recommendation to close bars and halt indoor restaurant dining, Florida’s tourism-marketing agency is looking west as the industry continues trying to rebound during the COVID-19 pandemic. The next target audience for Visit Florida will be the West Coast, expanding earlier efforts that targeted travelers from East Coast cities who could drive or take short flights to Florida. [Source: WJXT] Opinion: Libraries are critical to Florida's recovery In this time of COVID-19, Florida libraries have continued to meet the needs of their communities in a variety of ways and are critical elements of communities as they recover the impact of this pandemic. Libraries have continued to be reliable providers of internet access. According to the PEW Research organization, more than half of Americans (87%) surveyed said that internet access has been essential or important as communities faced lockdowns, parents worked from home and children began virtual homeschool. But as businesses closed and people were laid off, the ability to pay for internet access or other needed technologies worried almost 30% of Americans. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]