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Best Practices 2003: Innovative Internet Use in Canadian Public Libraries
LibraryNet Best Practices Awards 2003 and Award Criteria
In February 2002 the Government of Canada launched an Innovation Strategy, with two companion documents: Achieving Excellence and Knowledge Matters. In support of the drive for innovation in Canada's communities, LibraryNet recognizes leaders in the public library sector with Best Practices awards. Each year, innovative public library projects are evaluated based on the following criteria:
Innovation
Canada's Innovation Strategy defines innovation as "coming up with new ideas about how to do things better or faster." This does not necessarily mean using new technology. Best Practices projects improve upon the status quo in a unique way, using any form of information and communication technology (ICT) available.
Greater Sudbury Public Library - Citizen Service Centres
The Citizen Services Department includes the network of library branches and citizen service centres, including the call centre and our city's heritage museums. They have created a unique model and are the leaders in North America in the provision of citizen services in a blended Citizen Service Centre/Library.
Patrons can visit any Citizen Service Centre to pay their taxes, pick
up a dog licence, buy a bus pass, register for recreation programs or
get information. They're close and convenient. Citizen Service Centres
are co-located with libraries so that citizens receive comprehensive and
cost-effective municipal services through a variety of access points -
including in-person visits, telephone, facsimile, e-mail, web and e-government
and e-reference solutions.
Fourteen public library branches meet citizens' intellectual, educational and recreational needs for information and the access to these resources is free. The public library functions as the community's window on the world, providing access to a range of information resources that were unimaginable in years past.
Oxford County Library - Service Canada
Oxford County Library, in partnership with the County of Oxford and two local offices of Human Resources Development Canada, became a 27-month pilot for "Service Canada", an alternative service delivery approach offering federal government information through a community network of access centres. The federal government provided funding to the library for delivering this service, including staff wages, training, promotion and overhead.
A report of Treasury Board Secretariat concluded that: "Locating access centres in libraries and community centres rather than government offices creates a more comfortable and relaxed environment for citizens who may feel some anxiety about the official business of government." "Locations staffed by librarians bring a certain professionalism to the access centre, as by the nature of their work, they are skilled in helping clients search for and find the information they need."
During the 27 months of the project, 7,250 government inquiries were recorded at Oxford County Library branches (serving a population of 50,000). Government pages visited on the web from public access computers in the library are estimated to have numbered in the hundreds of thousands. As well, countless area residents became aware of government programs and services and used government web sites and information numbers from home as a result of advertising and promotion activities undertaken by Service Canada Oxford.
 Community Engagement
Best Practices projects involve exceptional coordination with community leaders and organizations to assess a real need and use ICT to meet that need. This means including a broad and varied spectrum of stakeholders on an ongoing basis, resulting in a feeling of community ownership.
Ottawa Public Library - Sm@rt Library Portal
Mac Harb (MP - Ottawa Centre), on behalf of Industry Minister Allan Rock, unveiled plans for the Sm@rt Library Portal on February 17, 2003. This online service will allow the public to search the collections of all of Ottawa's public libraries and the National Library of Canada, as well as the libraries of the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and the National Research Council.
"More comprehensive access to numerous library systems makes a tremendous difference to a community," said Mr. Harb. "Projects like these serve as an innovative model for all Canadian communities, and I am pleased that the Government of Canada is supporting this work through the Smart Communities Program."
The Sm@rt Library Portal will provide teachers, students, researchers and other users with fast and seamless access to the rich resources of Ottawa's diverse library systems from one easy-to-use Web site. The portal is one of 13 projects under the SmartCapital initiative, which is managed by the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation. SmartCapital is one of 12 projects across the country that were funded by Industry Canada's Smart Communities Program. The SmartCapital project received $4.5 million in funds from the Government of Canada. Local partners have also contributed a considerable portion of funding, bringing SmartCapital's total budget to $12 million.
Bibliothèque T.-A.-Saint-Germain - Consortium des bibliothèques de la Ville de Saint-Hyacinthe
The Bibliothèque T.-A.- Saint-Germain has partnered with other local libraries in the provision of a unified regional catalogue. Search options include searching only the public library's resources or in any combination of the partner libraries collections desired. Partner libraries include the Centre Documentaire Multimédia de la Polyvalente Hyacinthe-Delorme, the Centre de documentation de l'Institut de technologie agro-alimentaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, la Bibliothèque du Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe, as well as the Bibliothèque publique T.-A.-Saint-Germain. Searching this consortium of unified catalogues is available through a provided website which also offers a AHelp@ page to facilitate advanced searches. The project represents an excellent drawing together of local resources which might normally be overlooked by the public when searching for materials at their local public library.
Community Enhancement
Best Practices projects use ICT to bring lasting benefits to their community and people. Examples include the digitization of historical material and providing training via the Internet.
Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library - The Business Room
The Business Room project was undertaken by the Pictou-Antigonish Regional
Library in partnership with the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, LibraryNet,
Service Nova Scotia, Office of Economic Development, Industry Canada-BusinessGateway.ca,
HRDC and NorthCap. The goal of the project was to design and implement
a plan for government information delivery in a public library/community
access setting and also to produce a "guide to implementing government
information services" that could be used as a model or replicated
by other library systems but reflect local needs. It also measures the
effectiveness of the public library/community access network in delivering
e-government services, specific to this project B online business information
and services. The project involved three locations representative of 3
library/community access service models: urban (New Glasgow), rural (River
John) and outreach (to Antigonish and Pictou Counties) - including the
Virtual Library.
Central to the project was the development of a business "room"
on the Virtual Library website. The Business Room acts as a "portal"
for staff and the public to access services. The business information
services include BusinessGateway.ca /Service NS (representing Federal
and Provincial content), PARL's business collection, online databases
and referral to local business resources. Each page of the Business Room
features the main sources of business information (Library WebCat, BusinessGateway.ca,
Regional Development Authorities, C of C's and other agencies). Also included
is a help component that refers the user to the library for help in searching
for information or using online government services and also refers the
user to local counselling resources. Business information is divided into
three main subject areas - Starting a Business, Operating a Business and
Growing a Business. The Business Room brings together federal, provincial
and local information and resources in a user-friendly format designed
to find answers to your business questions.
Halifax Regional Library - IT Skills Project
Halifax Regional Library developed an array of pre-packaged programs to
meet customer demand for courses on IT-related topics. These "kits"
allow staff in each of the library's 14 branches to present any one of
nine IT skills programs to their community. These kits include CD-ROM
PowerPoint presentations, speaker's notes, a room readiness checklist,
and evaluation forms. During 2004/2004, the library will be implementing
a newly-integrated library system and a new web-based catalogue. Staff
identified the need to teach text-based catalogue searchers the skills
necessary to search the new catalogue.
Public service staff were beginning to feel overwhelmed with the many
one-on-one impromptu training sessions held across a 14 branch system.
While the demand for programs was recognized, not every branch had staff
comfortable with presenting IT related programming. As a result, IT programs
were intermittent and generally held at only a few of our branches - though
always 100 percent filled. Clients can now access workshop times and locations,
and register online, resulting in more effective use of resources and
modules.
Improved Service
Best Practices projects use ICT to overcome physical distance and other barriers to maximize their service level.
Vaughn Public Library and Surrey Public Library - Global Librarian
On September 16, 2002, the Vaughan Public Libraries (Ontario) and the Surrey Public Libraries (British Columbia) launched a unique international initiative that links public libraries around the world to provide reference service around the clock.
In partnership with Southampton City Libraries in the United Kingdom, the Canadian libraries have created the "Global Librarian" online reference service. This international public library partnership developed a high-quality out-of-hours reference service for their patrons, soon to extend to twenty-four hour service year-round, for a cost of less than CDN$500.
All of the libraries have similar population profiles and service philosophies, including the determination to provide website visitors with the same high standard of service received by walk-in visitors. During the planning phase of the project, staff in the partner libraries received intensive training in each other's library practices, local community characteristics, and the educational, regional and national contexts in which the local libraries operate. At the same time, staff collaborated by e-mail to establish a common website, with common protocols and procedures to ensure patrons would receive the same standard of response they get in their local branches.
Provincial Information and Library Resources Board (Newfoundland and Labrador) - BBS ICT Project
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, CANADA - May 9, 2003 - The Burgeo Broadcasting System (BBS) ICT Project used its "world first wireless" technology today to help extend the ability of provincial libraries to increase access to technology for some of the most isolated communities in the province. Today's computer training session is a first for the province's libraries using mobile labs to connect the island of Ramea, one of the five most isolated and technologically inaccessible communities on Newfoundland and Labrador's Southwest coast, to mainland Burgeo, 20 km over water.
The BBS ICT Project is a not-for-profit community joint venture created to enhance health, education and business and to facilitate economic development in the remote communities of Burgeo, Francois, Grand Bruit, Grey River and Ramea. In the last six months, the BBS ICT Project successfully developed an innovative high-speed wireless network link over distances of land and water that has never before been successfully implemented anywhere in the world. Without this link, these and other communities like them would remain technologically isolated. According to Shawn Tetford of the Provincial Information and Library Resources Board, "Without BBS's technology which builds on our other partnerships, our libraries would not be able to provide technology access to many rural and remote communities like we find on the Southwest Coast that need it most. Today's demonstration has already increased the technology usage for our rural communities beyond our results to date."
The May 9, 2003 two-site computer training session over 21 km of water between Burgeo and Ramea via videoconference represents a significant new partnership with the Burgeo Broadcasting System (BBS) ICT Project. The BBS ICT Project was designed to develop and implement wireless technology to connect five otherwise isolated and technologically inaccessible communities on Newfoundland and Labrador's southwest coast over distances of land and water that, up to about six months ago, had never been done before, anywhere in the world. The Provincial Information and Library Resources Board's partnership with the BBS and others demonstrate the significant potential to extend the mobile labs' reach and impact on bridging the digital divide even further, in Newfoundland and Labrador, and as a model around the world.
User Friendly
Best Practices projects are created with the client in mind, making it easy for community members to use the service and find what they need when they need it.
Richmond Public Library - B.C. Practice Driving Test
Richmond Public library staff has created a B.C. Practice Driving Test
made up of multiple-choice questions, to help new drivers prepare for
the written portion of the B.C. Learner's license application. It allows
them to test their skills and readiness by becoming familiar with the
type of questions encountered on the formal exam.
The B.C. Practice Driving Test is accessible online from the library,
home, or the office twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This helps
customers overcome physical distance to a library and provides library
information remotely. This resource helps the library meet customers'
needs in a pragmatic, relevant way. The need for this online reference
course is demonstrated by its immense and ongoing popularity.
The B.C. Practice Driving Test is one of an impressive suite of online
tests offered by or electronically linked to by the Richmond Public Library.
Other tests include an age-specific child development checklist, a Canadian
Citizenship Practice Test, as well as links to a broad range of language,
education, and training resources (such as LSAT, GRE, CMA, etc). Of particular
note is the library's New Immigrant Orientation Program of free lectures
and training sessions offered in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English with
simultaneous translation.
Western Counties Regional Library - Study Smart
The main objectives of the Study Smart project were to create homework
help pages specifically for teens and to introduce the library's online
resources to first-year high school students and their teachers in the
area served by Western Counties Regional Library (Digby, Shelbourne, and
Yarmouth counties, NS.)
A set of Study Smart web pages was created to give online help with writing papers, bibliographies, and research methods for both the Internet and the library, and web awareness. A tour of the online library and a collection of recommended web sites are also included.
Western Counties Regional Library saw the Study Smart project as a way to reach and assist a high school audience. Because our web resources are available 24 hours a day, students are not denied library access because of restrictive library branch open hours. Online homework help is always there for students who live a distance from branches. Teens are comfortable in a web environment. Using information and communication technology to serve a wired generation brings library services to teens when and where they need help.
Transferability
Best Practices are shared within the public library sector so that we may learn from each other. Best Practices projects are ideal for others to adapt to their own situations.
Calgary Public Library - Multilanguage Computer Capabilities
For a number of years Calgary Public Library customers have been asking for the Library's public computers with Internet access to be able to work in non-English languages and display web sites, to send and receive non-English email from web-based email accounts and to compose documents in non-English languages. Public use computers present an interesting challenge in language use because they need to have the capacity to display the fonts from many languages while changing the way a conventional Roman alphabet keyboard behaves so that non-English characters can be entered.
This enhanced service represents significant progress in improving access to the use of the Internet for Calgarians and has implications for improving multilanguage public computing access for all Canadians. It offers lasting benefits to customers and improves the status quo of public computer access in a relevant and exciting manner.
As of this writing, Calgary Public Library customers can view web sites in over 50 languages, send and receive email in over 50 languages and compose documents in Microsoft Word on any of the Citrix public computers. The language list includes languages which have in the past been challenging to accommodate with North American software such as Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Korean and Japanese as well as right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. These accomplishments are not because of installing regionalized software; they are the result of revealing the little-known features of Microsoft products.
Peterborough Public Library - 24 by 7 TEKdesk
Culture Minister David H. Tsubouchi launched the new '24 by 7 TEKdesk' at the Peterborough Public Library. This innovative live phone service and Web-based help desk will provide technological support to all libraries in Ontario. Among the facilities that will benefit from the service are smaller, remote, rural and First Nations branches that do not possess a high level of in-house technological expertise. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to all library staff.
"The Eves government is proud to be a partner with the Peterborough Public Library and the Ontario Public Library Network in this exciting new initiative, " said Tsubouchi. "With answers now just a phone call or mouse-click away from staff at even our smallest and most remote branches around the clock, patrons will have more stable and reliable access to a wealth of information."
The TEKdesk initiative began last fall, in response to a 2001 Ontario
Public Library Network survey. The survey, developed by the Peterborough
Public Library, looked at the impact of computers on public libraries
across the province. Library staff identified the issue of technological
support as key to enabling them to provide more efficient service to their
communities. The project has already attracted interest from other provinces
and community groups interested in using the system to provide technological
support to their stakeholders. "The Peterborough Public Library has taken
the lead role in the development of the TEKdesk," said Gary Stewart, MPP
for Peterborough. "I am proud of the effort and initiative that went into
the creation of this new resource that will benefit libraries and patrons
across Ontario."
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