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Report
on
The Library Consultation Meeting
April
19, 1996
Ottawa
Sponsored
by:
Science Promotion and Academic Affairs, Industry Canada
Report
prepared by:
Stan Skrzeszewski, Principal
Advanced Strategic Management Consultants
Tel: 519-473-7651
Fax: 519-471-9945
E-mail: sskrzesz@julian.uwo.ca
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Participants:
- Diane
Bays, Industry Canada, Chair
- Karen
Adams, Canadian Library Association
- Kevin
Caldwell, SchoolNet resource teacher librarian
- Gwynneth
Evans, National Library of Canada
- Bruno
Gnassi, Government Services Canada
- Barbara
Greeniaus, Libraries Branch, BC
- Allan
Johnson, Southeast Regional Library, Saskatchewan
- Monique
Lavoie, ASTED
- Margaret
Main, Ottawa Public Library
- Tim Mark,
Canadian Association of Research Libraries
- Marion
Pape, Provincial Library, Nova Scotia
- George
Skarzynski, Nepean Public Library
- Stan Skrzeszewski,
ASM Consultants
Diane
Bays, Science Promotion and Academic Affairs, Industry Canada
and chair of the meeting, called the meeting to order and introduced Doug
Hull.
Doug
Hull, Director General, Science Promotion and Academic Affairs,
Industry Canada, welcomed the participants and provided the context, and
explained the purpose for the meeting. He asked the participants to help
him in developing a collective vision and an action agenda for libraries
within the SchoolNet framework.
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The
Context:
Canada is
a player in a highly competitive, global economy. The key to being successful
in this environment is through ongoing systematic innovation. Canada has
a strong information infrastructure which is essential for economic development.
Canada also has a powerful education system. How can we take advantage
of the education and skill level that Canadians have to offer?
Canada lacks
the large capital resources that some of the major developed countries
such as the United States have; the capital resources that are required
to build a sophisticated, high-capacity information infrastructure. However,
in terms of middle-ranking economic powers Canada is well-positioned to
develop a competitive information infrastructure.
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The
SchoolNet Model:
SchoolNet
was developed as a response to this analysis. It is based on a "sharing
model". The "sharing model" cannot be copied by the large
corporate players, such as Microsoft and AT&T. In the "sharing
model" the volunteer sector shares in the development of the information
infrastructure. This model can't be unfairly exploited by the corporate
sector, yet it can be used to advantage by the education and professional
community. This approach has worked well, to the point that there is now
enough momentum in SchoolNet that even without federal support the program
would continue.
Every country
faces competition from the United States through provision of educational,
informational and entertainment products. Large corporate players are
trying to be the educational and cultural solution in many countries,
but this solution may come at a high price in terms of loss of cultural
identity. Canada can provide other countries with an alternative model.
We should be able to export the SchoolNet model and analysis.
SchoolNet
is now ready to move into its next phases of development. Phase 2 will
focus on providing material for educators and on what they are trying
to deliver.
Phase 3 of
SchoolNet will consist of two points:
- Pluralize
SchoolNet as quickly as possible.
Pluralizing SchoolNet involves empowering professional educators to
create, publish and produce electronic products (eg. home pages) at
the highest quality level possible.
- Export
SchoolNet internationally.
Exporting SchoolNet internationally consists of facilitating joint development
in other countries rather than exploiting other countries. It means
that Canada will assist in the development of a global, cooperative,
education system. An international agreement has been reached with New
Zealand.
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SchoolNet
and Libraries:
Following
the description of the SchoolNet model and the phases of future development
the participants began to discuss issues relating to SchoolNet and libraries.
The following is a summary of the points made during this discussion.
- Libraries
need their own identity within the SchoolNet program.
SchoolNet has minimal visibility in the library world. This is partly
a nomenclature problem. Also the word 'school' has no resonance for
librarians. The CLA annual conference, to be held in Halifax from June
5 to June 9 offers a good opportunity to ensure that librarians are
aware of the opportunities available to libraries through the SchoolNet
program. Industry Canada would welcome the development of LibraryNet
within SchoolNet, leading to its evolution as a separate endeavour.
- An integrated
community approach is essential, with linkages to community networks
or FreeNets so that advantage is taken of the energy that comes from
working together.
- Planning
for the continuance of the community access site should be included
in the CAP grant criteria.
- Librarians
should form their own SchoolNet committee to begin to develop the policies
and procedures regarding content, collections, accessible use etc. for
libraries providing community network and Internet access.
- Not all
provinces are taking community approaches to developing the provincial
information infrastructure. Some are using the joint solutions procurement
process (a federal approach) through which a vendor recoups costs through
revenue generation.
- The Internet
needs better finding aids or search tools that will identify specific
and limited results. There is a need to look at how information is created,
maintained and archived on the Web. Librarians should create the finding
aids for locating material on the Internet.
- Librarians
need to develop knowledge navigation skills and information locator
skills. A general education package on information literacy for librarians
should be developed and put on the Web.
- The SchoolNet
web site would benefit from better organization and the development
and application of collection criteria and presentation, all of which
are library skill sets.
- There
is a need to define the content that libraries should be able to access
through the Web;
- local
community information
- social
services information
- educational
programs
- virtual
reference desk
- Librarians
need to demonstrate leadership in the development of community networks.
Libraries are an ideal home for the administration and the computing
hardware for community networks.
- There
is a convergence of the efforts of creators/writers, publishers, educators,
libraries which is leading to an effective open flow of information
to the user.
- The main
focus of what we are trying to accomplish should be "Plugging Learners
into the World". Libraries and schools should be integrated into
a single education system. Users are changing their information seeking
habits and will have to become computer literate.
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What
Role do Libraries Want to Play in the Community?
Doug
Hull suggested that libraries have many
roles including:
- book depositories
- economic
development agents
- economic
incubator
- in
some cases, community economic development and survival depend on
libraries undertaking this role.
- supports
job creation
The consensus
was that libraries must maintain their cultural role and must also undertake
an economic role and a role as a facilitator of life-long learning.
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Funding
Strategy:
Governments
cannot afford to distribute information and services the way they used
to. Governments are moving to the electronic communication and distribution
of government information and services. There is no readily available
electronic information distribution system available to government. Libraries
could be that distribution system. People still have a sense that the
library is important. Libraries may be the last popularly supported public
institution.
To be able
to provide a government distribution service, libraries will have to be
able to find new revenue or drop other services. Libraries will also have
to have better telecommunications rates if this concept is to be cost-efficient.
Stand-alone
kiosks are not the answer. The government services work-stations should
not be located in malls where there is limited security, no support staff,
and no supporting printed collections. Government services work-stations
should be located in libraries.
Libraries
should charge government for the provision of this service which would
provide an alternative revenue stream for libraries. Libraries would charge
public information providers to deliver their information, while the service
to the public would remain free. Providing this service would also help
libraries to become economic development centres.
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Implementation
Strategy:
To provide
government services work-stations libraries will need high speed communications
lines, high bandwidth, preferred telecommunications rates, sufficient
and appropriate hardware and software, and trained staff.
The place
to start is with government information. One possible way to begin to
test the concept of delivering government information through libraries
could be by developing a pilot study with the Depository Services Program.
Delivering the Depository Services Program electronically to a limited
number of library sites would be a good test of the concept.
12 to 20
sites should be identified as pilot sites in order to demonstrate how
libraries could be used to deliver government information electronically
using the Depository Services Program as the test case. The sites must
include large libraries as well as small libraries. For the idea to gain
momentum the pilot site project must have a new and descriptive name.
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A
New Vision: SchoolNet -- LibraryNet
Librarians
must develop a new vision of library service based on libraries being:
- key facilitators
and centres of life-long learning,
- economic
development sites for the new economy,
- business
incubators,
- distribution
points for government information (federal, provincial and municipal)
- information
and services,
- cultural
and recreational services,
- supporters
of community networks.
The vision
is dependent on connecting all libraries across Canada. The vision should
define what is possible and develop a rationale for the vision. The program
which will realize the new vision will be known as LibraryNet.
The vision
should include a new funding strategy which could be used to provide ongoing
funding for the library system.
By basing
the new services in the library every town would have a high speed, public
access site.
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LibraryNet
Implementation Strategies:
- Industry
Canada will establish an Advisory Committee for LibraryNet as a separate
committee under the SchoolNet Advisory Board. It will discuss allocation
of resources under both the SchoolNet and Community Access Programs.
- A "Concept
Paper" developing the LibraryNet vision will be prepared.
Once the "Concept Paper" has been accepted a more extensive
vision document should be produced. The vision document should define
a role for libraries as key facilitators of life-long learning, economic
development sites for the new economy, business incubators, distribution
points for government (federal and provincial) information and services,
cultural and recreational services, and supporters of community networks.
This document should include the business case and funding strategy
required to support to support the new vision. The funding strategy
will be based on the increased market power of the proposed library
consortium, preferred pricing negotiated by Industry Canada, and on
the selling of electronic information distribution services to governments.
- Industry
Canada will create an LibraryNet Advisory Committee, consisting primarily
of representatives from the library community, to advise Industry Canada
on the implementation of LibraryNet. The Advisory Committee should be
established by April 30, 1996. The responsibilities of the LibraryNet
Advisory Committee will include the following areas:
- Establishing
policies for LibraryNet dealing with issues such as:
- acceptable
use policies,
- collection
policies,
- pricing
policies,
- free
vs. fee policies
- Developing
LibraryNet standards
- Identifying
LibraryNet content
- Creating
a national coalition or consortium in order to give libraries the
market power to negotiate better prices for telecommunications,
hardware and software and network licenses relating to LibraryNet.
The consortium will work with Industry Canada in negotiating improved
prices.
- Conducting
a needs assessment and consultation with the library community.
- Industry
Canada will help to negotiate preferred rates for libraries with the
telecommunications industry.
- Industry
Canada could hire library school students this summer as part of the
CAP Summer Program to train business people and the general public to
access government information on the Internet. This could be done as
a pilot project in one province. Students could also be used to develop
appropriate content and the finding tools for LibraryNet. Some of this
work could also be outsourced.
- Develop
and implement a communications plan to facilitate the selling of the
new vision. Use the CLA conference to take place in Halifax from June
5-9, and any provincial library conferences to present the new vision
to and to discuss the new vision with the library community in Canada.
- Industry
Canada and the Depository Services Program should develop a project
model and business plan for the Depository Services Pilot Project.
The model should:
- require
government to provide the work stations for the pilot project.
- be
limited to a manageable geographic area.
The business
plan should:
- identify
what it costs to publish and distribute government information under
the current system
- project
what it would cost to deliver the program electronically.
- Industry
Canada and the Depository Services Program should develop an evaluation
plan for the Depository Services Pilot Project.
The plan should include the following:
- identify
the problems facing small libraries in becoming government information
distribution points
- identify
options for who will pay for the hardware, including printers
- evaluate
the cost-effectiveness of the service,
- develop
"Success Stories" from the Depository Services Program
pilot
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