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UK Report. LibraryNet. April 2002This is a final report on the United Kingdom library scene for Industry Canada LibraryNet program and the LibraryNet Board. The UK public libraries are facing similar problems and issues to those of Canadian public libraries in developing public library services in a technology based and electronic information environment. This report to the LibraryNet Board attempts to outline some of the issues and policy and program support to enable UK libraries to be a key player in the information economy. The delegation
writing the final Report are: Our grateful thanks to the considerable assistance and support from our UK colleagues Contents
Appendices:Glossary of UK Library AcronymsAUP : Acceptable Use Policy, in context of Internet usage. CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, formerly The Library Association. Department of Culture, Media and Sport, DCMS Museums, Libraries and Archives Division: government department responsible for libraries; international relations across museums, archives, galleries and libraries sectors; policy across these sectors relating to social inclusion, modernisation of public service delivery, cultural strategies, copyright, creative industries, and training and career structures within the libraries and museums professions. ICT: Information and Communication Technology. LLDA: London Libraries Development Agency Learndirect: part of UK Online strategy; an online supported learning environment for adults in work, seeking work, returning to work allowing people to acquire a wide range of skills from a learndirect centre, home or work. The Library Association - see CILIP NOF: New Opportunity Fund: funded by the National Lottery. Funding of 50 million pounds for a program to digitise historical and cultural resources. Funding of 20 million pounds for all library staff to take a course to obtain a European Computer Drivers License within three years either online, CD-ROM, our course. Funding of 200 million pounds for public library network infrastructure to create the Peoples' Network. Open University: provides part-time higher education opportunities through open and distance learning; focused on three- and four-year degrees; 250,000 online courses. The Peoples' Network: lottery-funded by the New Opportunities Fund and managed by Resource, it is public access Internet points across England in all public libraries and other accessible locations within communities. Part of the Government's commitment to give everyone in the UK the opportunity to use computers and access the Internet. Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries: Created in April 2000 as a successor to the Library and Information Commission and the Museums and Galleries Commission to tap into the potential for collaboration between these sectors. UK Online: government-iniatived drive to make the UK one of the world's leading knowledge economies based on a partnership between government, industry, the voluntary sector, trade, unions, and community and consumer groups. National campaign to boost information technology literacy and use of the Internet. UKOLN (UK Office for Library and Information Networking): UKOLN is a national centre for digital information management based at the University of Bath. It provides services to the library, information and cultural heritage communities. |
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Chapter One: Digital Divide.1. Digital Divide.In the UK, the government uses the term "social exclusion" to refer to unequal access to information technology resources and also to racial inequality. Addressing social exclusion forms a cornerstone of the technology agenda. The following is a summary of the policy framework and the library role for the UK. The Canadian library group will discuss this policy framework with the UK government representatives. Document: e-Government: Benchmarking Electronic Service Delivery: A report of the Office of the e-Envoy. July 2001. Pages 15-16: "A key success factor in achieving effective e-government is for all citizens to have access to technology as well as the necessary skills to exploit its use. As a result, many governments around the world have launched broad comparable initiatives to provide all members of society with supported access to IT (including training) to close the digital divide between the Information Age "haves" and the "have-nots." Document: Libraries, Museums, Galleries and Archives for All: Co-operating Across the Sectors to Tackle Social Exclusion. Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Libraries, Information and Archives Division (January 2001). Page 8.
Document: Libraries for All: Social Inclusion in Public Libraries: Policy Guidance for Local Authorities in England. Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Libraries, Information and Archives Division (October 1999). Page 5.
Page 7: Public libraries a focal point for the provision of information services in the community. Page 11: "The Information Age has created fundamental social changes which call for policy action and for cultural adjustments at all levels of public services. There will be reflected in new kinds of social relationships, cross-sectoral partnerships, changes in patterns of communication, new ways of learning and new forms of mutual support." "Significant or growing gaps between those who have access to information and those who don't are unacceptable. Public library authorities and other local agencies have crucial roles to play in exploiting the new technologies to generate social cohesion, community involvement and participation. Communities which can exploit the Internet to improve links with public agencies keep their political representatives informed, establish economic connections, will have a great chance of being sustainable than those that do not." "By providing access to ICT and encouraging library buildings to be used as neutral meeting places for residents, public library authorities can contribute significantly to community regeneration." Page 23: The arrival of the Information Age, and its impact on people's lives, means that libraries have an important role in developing a socially inclusive information society. They are an important conduit for information and communication at local level. A cornerstone of this is providing affordable local access to ICT." In order to enable individuals and communities to participate fully in the learning society and in the cultural, social and economic life of the United Kingdom, the issue of social exclusion needs to be addressed. Social exclusion is one of the Government's highest priorities and an area of utmost importance for the Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries. Social exclusion:
As a result of the above, social exclusion can be manifest in each or a combination of the following three broad domains:
The capacity for change - the journey towards the inclusive societyCombating social exclusion involves understanding and working towards the elimination of the sources of exclusion. Reducing disparity, discrimination and disadvantage while recognising the value of diversity will enable individuals, communities and institutions to move toward a more inclusive society. A society with inclusive values will demonstrate:
The agenda for change requires interaction between individuals, society and institutions. Libraries as the essence of inclusionMany organizations within the cultural sector have important contributions to make to the campaign, but few are likely to be as well placed as public libraries to generate change. By their very nature libraries and information services already embody the values necessary to contribute to a socially inclusive society. Libraries are a symbol of:
Libraries are:
Libraries
provide the infrastructure for inclusion through :
accessible and sustainable learning spaces providing:
a reflection of changing communities and a response to individual needs:
Libraries confer and engender:
The Department of Culture, Media and Sports has identified an outline for what public library authorities can do to combat social inclusion. Some of the highlights of this include:
Library authorities are encouraged to adopt a strategy based on the following six-point plan:
Public libraries are highly respected and well used by the public - approximately 60% of the population in England are library members and there are some 3,600 separate public access points, spread reasonably evenly across the country. Libraries cater for all age groups, social classes and sexes. Recent research by the British Library demonstrated that 27% of regular public library users are from social class DE, compared with 22% of the population as a whole. Under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, the 149 English library authorities are required to provide a service for everyone who lives, works or studies in their areas. Over the years public libraries have developed a range of special services, targeted at various disadvantaged social groups to facilitate equality of provision. However, the scale and complexity of social exclusion issues now requires public libraries to take a fresh look at the extent to which their services embrace all parts of our society. Libraries now need to address what can be done to ensure that they serve the 40% of the population who are not library members. Since 1998, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has required public libraries authorities to submit Annual Library Plans. These plans must include statistical information about their library service, reviews of past performance, and strategies and targets for current and future years. Library authorities were expected to show in their planning process how they are responding to the government's social inclusion agenda, supporting lifelong learning, working with education services, undertaking reader development services, and taking opportunities to develop new services funded by new sources of income and through partnerships. There is an expectation that libraries will reach out to and meet with specific communities that may be excluded and formulate action plans to offer services to meet the needs of these communities. Over time, more and more library authorities are changing their policies on fees and access so groups are less likely to be excluded. At one point, prior to the implementation of the Peoples' Network, 75 per cent of library authorities charged for access to the Internet. Now less than 6 per cent do. In rolling out the Peoples' Network, the national government provided enough lottery resources so all libraries had an adequate number of public access computers. Although local government provides most public library funding, in this case the national government could influence local library policy because they had provided substantial resources. Examples of new information-technology services being used to assist people who might otherwise be excluded are:
Substantial lottery funding has been directed to setting up a network of public access computers in libraries and other venues, to staff training, and to digitising historical and cultural content. However, it is not clear if any further resources will be provided to sustain the ICT services put in place. Document referred to: Appraisal of Annual Library Plans 2000-: Report on Outcomes and Issues. By the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Libraries, Information and Archives Division (January 2001) Chris Batt, Director of the Learning and Information Society Team of Resource stated that learning centres established at library were very cost effective. The unit cost of learning centres established in communities in locations other than libraries versus unit cost for learning centres in libraries is approximately 13 to 1. Libraries have staff with ICT skills and a customer service focus. Libraries are a short cut for the government to get socially inclusive, cost effective learning centres in place. |
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Chapter Two: InfrastructureInfrastructureThe issue for UK Libraries is this: despite the enormous investment in equipment, content and training, the lack of a broadband network has failed to engage the populace in the new economy. This is especially true in rural areas, which continue to suffer a geographic digital divide. In Britain, less than one percent of the population has the broadband access needed to download the large amounts of data required for video and audio files. In a report by Local Futures Group entitled 'On the Move', Director of Research Kate Oakley warned that if local authorities concentrate solely on getting their services online… people will be left out of the loop because of a lack of access and awareness. "It is very, very plausible that while all the services will be available usage will be poor." There is especially a growing digital divide (included in the concept of social exclusion) between urban and rural areas. |
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6th March 2002. Big country, little internetRural areas still starved of web access...The digital divide between town and countryside will get wider and the lack of adequate broadband provision is making the situation worse. While the government has put every effort into focussing on the supply-side - in other words what services it should be providing to citizens - it has failed to acknowledge how people want to use technology and what they want to get out of it. And only last week it seemed all of Britain was happy about this news... The findings come from a report by Local Futures Group entitled 'On the Move'. Kate Oakley, director of research programmes at the group warned that if local authorities concentrate solely on getting their services online as part of the government's pledge to get all of its service online by 2005, people will be left out of the loop because of a lack of access and awareness. Oakley told silicon.com: "It is very, very plausible that while all the services will be available usage will be poor." Her comments follows news yesterday that the government's portal for the people, ukonline.gov.uk, is failing to draw in the crowds despite its reputed technological excellence. Local Futures suggests that local authorities should look to satellite and wireless as alternatives to broadband in the battle to get more ICT services out to rural areas. However, the impetus for these alternatives must come from central government. Oakley concluded that in the short-term, rural communities face the prospect of an ever-increasing divide with their town-living counterparts. | |||||
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Rural areas, such as Norfolk, have struggled to find cost-effective ways to access broadband capacity. Norfolk is currently sharing broadband capacity with the education service. By aggregating demand, it was possible to get acceptable broadband capacity. Roll-out of high-speed Internet services in Britain may be complicated by a shortage of help services for potential subscribers, according to a recently published survey. BT Group survey of existing users indicated even "expert" Internet users would need help with self-install broadband connections. The survey, commissioned by a U.S. firm selling online customer service and trouble-shooting software, found that while less than 10 percent of those surveyed considered themselves Internet "beginners", almost two-thirds experienced difficulties getting started with high-speed connections. These struggles result in expensive queries to call centres, with one third of the 362 broadband users surveyed saying they had phoned up to three times per month, the survey said. Despite widespread adoption of Internet access in Britain, less than one percent of the population has the broadband access needed to download the large amounts of data required for video and audio files. "This survey suggests that much work still needs to occur in order to achieve 'Broadband Britain'," said Donald Tait, research analyst at consultancy Frost & Sullivan. "Crucially, services providers need to resolve these basic service issues. Otherwise, broadband will be stifled before it reaches critical mass." Survey sponsor Motive Communications, a Texas firm founded in 1997 which has already sold its technology to major U.S. broadband players, said its software would help pre-empt calls by new users by automatically providing advice via the computer. Former UK state telecoms monopoly BT, which has already automated much of its customer service and plans to close many of its call centres as a result, is aiming for one million broadband customers on its network by the middle of 2003. BT's wholesale price for broadband will be halved in April. BackgroundIn December 1999, the European Commission launched the e-Europe initiative. Its objective was to "become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion." Specifically the initiative is concerned with Internet use, technical skills, and Internet infrastructure. EU leaders agreed to make Europe the most successful knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010. On September 11, 2000, Prime Minister Tony Blair launched UK online to get people, business and government online. 'It is the goal to get UK online. To meet the three stretching targets we have set for Britain: to be the best place in the world for e-commerce, to get universal access to the Internet and to put all government services on the Net.' The government created a network of UK online centers to provide access to the Net, and deliver training. In addition to 600 online centers, all public libraries were connected to the Internet with lottery funding - the single largest investment in the library network in 150 years. Second, they also launched UK online for Business, an advice service for business. In addition, all government procurement and opportunities will be electronic. You must be online to do business with the government. Third…government online. By 2005, all government services will be online. To build this electronic service capacity, the government committed to £ 1 billion ($2.2 billion CAD) over three years. The People's NetworkUK online was preceded by creation of the People's Network - a network linking all 4300 public libraries throughout the UK. It recognized the importance of the existing network of public library buildings used by millions of people from all sectors in every community. Libraries were uniquely well placed to be the centre for local communities of a new electronic network. The People's Network report was commissioned from the Library and Information Commission by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The roles envisioned for the public libraries include:
Private/public partnerships were the government's preferred method of managing major public capital investment projects. It had been estimated that the People's Network will cost £ 730 million ($1.6 billion CAD) over six years. Building the New Library NetworkResource (or re:source), The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries was established in April 2000 as the successor to the Library and Information Commission and the Museums and Galleries Commission. It is the expert advisor to the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) of the National Lottery for the design and implementation of the People's Network. The Lottery Fund would be tapped to fund the new Network. A total of £ 170 million ($375 million CAD) was invested into libraries:
In addition, £ 1 million was set up as a Challenge Fund to stimulate cutting edge leadership initiatives. This was an explicit statement of the government's recognition of the power of the public library to be at the heart of federal policy. Libraries were able to create 13 UK online centers for every option other than libraries (post offices, community centers, etc.). In addition, the necessary ICT skills and customer service systems were already in place. To reinforce these skills, the government provided funding of £ 450 ($1000 CAD) to train every library employee in new ICT skills. UK onlinePublic libraries are to become more than mere book depositories, but part of a portfolio of service points (similar to the Service Canada concept). Libraries will be the interface from the bottom up, integrated into a national network. This transforms libraries into information foundries (content). Libraries capitalize on their sense of place, traditional strength of mediation between the seeker and the source, and the added human context of people to people contact. This is a policy of empowerment. Libraries can give people the skills to lead fuller, richer lives. It will encourage people to read, question and communicate. But it calls upon libraries to be more interventionist to promote skills of information access, critical thinking, in short - an encouragement to learn. Museums and archives are also included in digital content creation initiatives. BroadbandBroadband (a high capacity information pipe - whether fiber, cable, wireless) is essential to enable more people to access better, new and more numerous services and resources. It is an economic imperative that any developed nation ensure its infrastructure is upgraded in a timely and cost-effective manner to deliver broadband to all homes and offices (from the current capacity of 64 kbps - the standard telephone line - to over 2000 kbps). The upgrade can come through either improvement of existing wires or through deployment of new, alternative technologies. The UK has significantly fallen behind other developed countries. The UK is the world's fourth largest economy yet it is 20th in broadband penetration. At the end of December 2001, less than 1% of all telephone lines in the UK were of broadband capacity. The London Daily Mail (March 29, 2002) reports that the first phase of the Internet revolution is over in the UK: sessions are shorter by 10%, usefulness ratings have dropped by 20 points to 39%, and, for the first time, the number of expiring website names outnumbers those being registered or renewed. But personal messaging is still growing by 20% per year. The TV is still king with the Internet a poor fifth behind cinema, magazine, newspapers and books. Use of high-speed cable connections re essential to invigorate Internet access. Across the world there have been three primary solutions deployed to provide the broadband upgrade:
A number of alternative technologies such as Broadband Satellite and Wireless Local Loop also exist but they are immature in their development and have had limited market impact. The Broadband ChallengeIt is widely conceded that the private sector will not move on broadband installation without a business case. The current 300,000 households with broadband access are significantly short of the minimum 16 million installations threshold required for profitability. The telecommunications industry is debt laden due to a fierce cellular licensing investment. They do not have cash reserves available for broadband investment nor do they have any remaining debt capacity. Broadband TaskforceAn aggregation of public sector demand would create the critical mass and incentive for broadband. There is a need for 'killer' applications. Produce the supply to create the critical mass and incentive for broadband capacity. The benefit of upgrading the capacity of basic utilities is not always foreseen - new businesses will create as yet unimagined applications for the information pipe. The benefits may include improving education, accelerating productivity and an economic competitive advantage. To this end, OFTEL (federal regulatory agency) proposed that BritishTel be required to provide libraries with a 2mbASDL at the same cost as a similar program for schools, or £ 3000/year ($660 CAD). This is consistent with the original People's Network proposal:
Cluster DevelopmentRichard Barrington (Office of the E-Envoy) points to the theory of 'cluster development' as identified by Stanford University. In areas of research and innovation, there can be a technology gap that stimulates the creation of aggregate demand for broadband services. While clusters can occur naturally, government can act as a catalyst to encourage clusters of University, Research and Development, Business and Government. Many rural areas can't get high-speed access because it hasn't been profitable for private companies to lay fiber optic cables to hook up homes and businesses. An initial government investment could make it feasible for a private company to extend access later. Social ExclusionCommunications and information are the lifeblood of sustainable communities. Infrastructure barriers constrain the 'connectiveness' of a community, and any given neighbourhood. A culture of participation, collaboration, information sharing and diversity are hallmarks of social inclusion. A report by the Adam Smith Institute (London, 2002) 'Finding the Way Forward' contends that the macro regulatory framework of the government has unintentionally created a policy of social exclusion. The UK's relative position will continue to decline, broadband will remain relatively expensive, and large segments of society will be unable to benefit from broadband services. The paper argues that the general propositions explaining the failure of broadband development are false: 1. Unbundled Local Loop (ULL) - framed by the EU, it is the process of obliging British Telecom (BT) to lease their copper wires into the home or office so that other companies may add equipment and sell a broadband connection to consumers
2. BT has failed to invest in broadband - the regulatory framework discourages BT from investing in broadband.
3. No Demand - perhaps consumers are well served by existing lines and see no value from broadband.
For broadband to be deployed more rapidly and at lower consumer prices, the Adam Smith report recommends the following:
Wireless BroadbandThe use of wireless connectivity in libraries offers the opportunity to provide the same standard of services to users regardless of location. Wireless networking may offer libraries previously seen as too remote or expensive to network the opportunity for the same high quality networked services as a central library. Although operating costs can be comparable to traditional wired networks, wireless transmission and reception equipment is generally much more expensive than the cost of comparable wired components. (Wireless Networks, October 2001). Wireless connectivity involves connecting laptops, mobile libraries (and even appliances) to computer networks without physical wire connections. Wireless connectivity means that individuals can potentially access the Internet, CD-ROM networks, and office networks from anywhere and at any time. A wireless network is like any other computer network. It connects computers to computer networks but without need for physical wire connections. A wireless network can network access to computers, databases, the Internet and OPACs, both within and between buildings. There are three main types of wireless networks:1. Wide Area Networks (WANs) - a WAN spans a relatively large geographic area allowing multi-site organizations to connect to the same network. A wireless WAN connects geographically disparate sites using satellite or radio transmitters. Roof antennas are installed on buildings that allow the site to connect to a central network. Wireless WANs have a range of up to 30 km. They can be much cheaper than a traditional network and easier to install at a cost of 50% less than a traditional wired network, at broadband capacity. 2. Local Area Networks (LANs) - allow computers at one geographical location to share information and devices such as printers without the need for physical connections between the computers and the network, at broadband capacity. Such technology has potential applications for mobile libraries and where, for architectural reasons, physical networks cannot be installed. Derbyshire Library Service has developed wireless WAN connectivity in three mobile libraries. The mobiles offer access to the OPAC, customer records, the Internet and networked CD-ROMs. The mobile unit is parked outside buildings equipped with a network connection (ISDN). The mobile then links to the ISDN via an on-board aerial and an antenna on the building. Operating costs are low: £85 per quarter for ISDN line rental, plus call charges; £120 for connection charges; £1020 annual maintenance charge from the supplier. Initial purchase and installation costs are £100,000. 3. Personal Area Networks (PANs) - allow electronic devices within a few meters to communicate. The leading technology force is 'Bluetooth'. An emerging rival technology W.F. (Wireless Fidelity) offers a data rate in excess of the standard LAN. This means someone using a Bluetooth enable laptop will be able to walk into a Bluetooth enable library and immediately pick up access to its computer network. Wireless connectivity may be the cheapest way to network library buildings, especially rural libraries. Wireless networking also provides the opportunity to offer access to library services in alternative locations - municipal halls, schools, hospitals, workplaces or housebound users. Mobile TechnologyMobile phones can give users access to networks because of their wide area coverage. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a set of standards for providing interactive services to wireless communication devices (i.e. cell phone, PalmPilot, PDA). Both Shropshire and Hampshire Libraries have developed WAP pages that contain basic library information such as opening times. Mobile messaging (or SMS) could be introduced for sending information to users. Collecting user's mobile phone numbers upon registration would allow library staff to send text messages regarding holds, reminders of overdue items, or upcoming events. Infrastructure in Urban Regions. London librariesThe largest public library system in the UK is in London. Until recently the 33 boroughs have acted independently. The London Libraries Development Agency (LLDA) is developing policy and program support for the libraries in the Region. The following is a synopsis of the framework for the development. There
is no doubt that the impact ICT is having and will continue to have on
libraries of all kinds in London is huge. There are parallels to the Alberta Public Library Electronic Network (APLEN) and the efforts to draw together public libraries. In this case, provincial lottery dollars were made available to large resource sharing centres to migrate to a common integrated library system so that the creation of a virtual catalogue would be easier. Funding was also made available to small public libraries to merge their automated operations with one of the larger resource centres in effect creating just 13 Z39.50 searchable catalogues for all 250 public libraries in Alberta. |
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Chapter Three: Lifelong LearningConvergence" is a popular term in the field of ICT used to describe advances that occur when two or more disparate technologies come together. In the UK today, another convergence has resulted in significant advances to public education objectives and in the provision of public access to information. This 'social convergence' involves the merging of the service philosophy of public libraries with education/training policies of the national government - a rare example of national government policy and public library objectives being one and the same! As the global economy evolves in what has been termed the "Information Age", western democracies share common strategies for advancing national economic interests. These strategies involve the building of state-of-the-art ICT infrastructures to support business and government, network resources, corporate and government information banks and programs to support ongoing training of the workforce. Barely a year into their first mandate, UK's Labour government released a green paper, The Learning Age, which focused the goal of reforming the economy and staying globally competitive on a comprehensive learning strategy involving all citizens. The policy compared the capital investment in physical plants and machinery that occurred in the Industrial Revolution to the need for investment in people, in their intellect and creativity, to meet the new demands of the Information Age. The product of the new economy is innovation. The green paper proposed a number of new initiatives as well as significant re-organization of the education sector. In the consultation that followed, considerable support for the overall program was accorded. Most important, however, were the additions suggested by the stakeholder groups. Many of these were procedural and stressed the importance of building on existing successful structures, and of the national government working in partnership with interested and experienced institutions/organisations at all levels to achieve common goals. The first of the reports from the library community had its origins at the Spring 1997 meeting of a working group on libraries set up by the Library and Information Commission. This group recognized that libraries were well placed to meet the needs of citizens in the Information Age, but could do so only with a radical transformation of library structure and service stance. Further, they believed that the library profession needed "re-equipping" and "re-skilling" if staff were to fulfill their role as intermediary, guide, interpreter and referral point and to extend beyond to effectively "smooth the path to the information future" for UK citizens. The result was a visionary blueprint for action entitled, New Library: The People's Network. The report called for a complete reorganization of the learning community and placed libraries squarely in the middle of that process. The plan called for:
The effective convergence of these two reports - The Learning Age and New Library - resulted in a path of shared policy between the library community and the new government in the area of public information and public access. Since then, numerous other reports have been generated to further refine roles and responsibilities, define standards of service, and evaluate program effectiveness. Central to all is the concept of "lifelong learning". Lifelong Learning, one of the buzz words of this new "Learning Era" is at the core of public library values; in truth the public library movement has its origin in the Victorian desire for education and self-improvement. "Lifelong" has true meaning in the range of public library services - from "Books for Babies", through children's programs, to homework clubs, to literacy programs, to support for informal adult learning. This was the message that the public library community communicated to the Blair government. It is important to understand the distinction made by the UK library and education communities between use of the terms 'education' and 'learning'. 'Education' is used primarily in the context of formal, didactic, curriculum-based, teacher-led instruction processes. 'Learning' is not seen as being at the receiving end of the transmission of knowledge and information, but is an inter-active process requiring the participation of the learner. Learning takes place in a variety of ways and at all stages of human development. The role of public libraries in supporting lifelong learning was described in New Library in terms of content to be delivered and supporting library services. Content to be delivered, included:
Public library services that supported lifelong learning were seen to include:
The public library's ability to meet the vision of the "new library" is dependent upon a number of other factors - access to broadband transmission, adequate library system infrastructure, training of library staff, acquisition of networked resources, digitising national and specialist collections, to mention a few. Success in meeting the objectives for lifelong learning is affected by realization of goals in all of these other areas however. Without effective broadband access throughout the country, the goals of a UK-wide library network are compromised and the disparity between urban and rural areas is accentuated. Inadequate library system infrastructure limits the library's ability to deliver content on a round-the-clock basis and outside the walls of the library. Insufficient public access terminals restrict the library's ability to meet the needs of socially excluded persons or to meet the needs of formal and informal learners. The government's program addresses many of these issues in separate policy objectives and programs. I. Key Players in the Learning Agenda:Department for Culture, Media and SportResponsibility for public libraries in the UK is a national responsibility. The Public Libraries and Museums Act (1964) places responsibility for the Act with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (National funding for libraries is not as straight forward with the bulk of funding coming through transfers from elsewhere in government). Britain's public library system comprises almost 5,000 branches and mobile libraries, with a further 15,500 outlets in institutions such as old people's homes and youth centres. The Act requires library authorities (County Councils, Unitary Authorities, London Boroughs and Metropolitan Districts) to "provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons desiring to make use thereof". The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has introduced a mandatory requirement for 'annual library plans' and in 2001, basic standards and an assessment process. Public libraries are also affected by the Local Government Act of 1999, and specifically 'Best Values' requirements ensuring that public institutions secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness". re:source: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries.Established by the Blair government in April 2000, re:source advises museums, archives, libraries on how they can "work together so that their invaluable contribution can be developed and sustained. re:source will be a force for sensitive change, advising Government and the museums, archives and libraries profession on all the key issues which collectively define their future. re:source has produced a number of 'consultation reports' on issues affecting libraries and the ICT or lifelong learning strategies. Notable among these are:
re:source manages The People's Network and participates in projects such as nof-digitise. Office of the e-Envoy.Established in September 1999 under the Cabinet Office, the Office of the e-Envoy is responsible for overseeing the government "e" agenda - especially e-government and e-commerce policies. Key to this is Ukonline - the government's strategy for the UK to become a "world leader" in the knowledge economy. This broad agenda encompasses providing access to the Internet with the agency overseeing UK Online Centres. By the end of 2002, there will be at least 6,000 operating access centres (including public libraries). UK Online is also the equivalent of the Canadian government's 'government online' initiative. New Opportunities Fund.Established in 1998, the New Opportunities Fund was created to target funds on the needs and concerns of local communities, to increase access to Lottery money and to ensure that funds are targeted to socially excluded or disadvantaged groups. Overall, the Fund has distributed £1.5 billion in the fields of education, health and the environment. NOF funds the capital program putting computers in libraries [People's Network] (£100 M); ICT training for librarians (£20 M); Digitisation (£50 M); and CALL (Community Access to Lifelong Learning) (£200 M). London Libraries Development Agency.LLDA is an informal group set up as a 'joint committee' by the 32 library boroughs responsible for providing public library services and the Corporation of London. Membership is regionally based and through subscription (£3,000 per year). Public libraries and institutions of higher learning (HE) form the nucleus of its membership, although museums, archives and arts organizations as well as agencies that work to bring together levels of government are also eligible. The organization currently coordinates library involvement in a variety of projects, including London Connects, Libraries and Learners in London, and ReadRoutes. UKOLN: UK Office for Library and Information Networking. Housed at
the University of Bath, UKOLN describes itself as "a national focus
of expertise in digital information management. It provides policy, research
and awareness services to the UK library, information and cultural heritage
communities." UKOLN provides the technical expertise to many academic
and public library projects underway in Britain, including nof-digitise
and The People's Network. The research group is known internationally
for its work on metadata projects and the Bath Profile, an ISO Internationally
Registered Profile (IRP) of the Z39.50 Information Retrieval Protocol.
UKOLN publishes a quarterly publication: Its goals are to:
Canada has no similar research and development organisation to the UKOLN. The research that is done is provided through the National Library and the various Canadian library schools. UKOLN provides a unique example for further study. In Europe DGXX111 also provides similar pan-European research in the areas of Telematics and libraries. Canada's Department of Communications and Ontario government Ministry of Culture did develop Telematics departments in the 1990's. The People's Network.Surely not coincidental that it has the same name as the 1998 report from the Library and Information Commission, The People's Network is the term given to the national network for public access through public libraries. By the end of 2002, the goal is to have 4,000 library sites on the network. At the time of writing, the project was 67% complete. Funding for the people's network comes from the New Opportunities Fund. Managed by re:source, the project allocates resources on the basis of physical size of library. The People's Network comprises 2/3 of UK Online access centres (6,000 by end of 2002). II. Lifelong Learning Initiatives:National Grid for Learning.The NGfL takes its name from position papers on education and business opportunities introduced by the Labour in 1997. The National Grid for Learning is basically the UK gateway for educational resources on the Internet. As local and regional networks develop, the concept of "community grids for learning has been introduced, serving as gateways to web content being developed regionally. learndirect.National program to encourage learning, formal and informal, developed by the Ufi (University for Industry). Linking directly to UK Online centres, learndirect provides a directory of learning programs throughout the UK Learners start with basic computer literacy programs and then go on to specialized job training courses. Beyond the "hundreds" of courses listed in learndirect, learners can search the 'national course database' listing half a million courses. Independent Learning Accounts.Introduced by the Department of Education and Skills, Independent Learning Accounts provided citizens with learning credits - money for completing job training courses. The program was cancelled in November 2001 because of abuse/malpractice. IT for all.Basic computer/Internet training program introduced nationally in 1997. The program ended in September of 2000. Computers don't bite & WebWise.Computers don't bite program was designed by the BBC and provided a basic introduction to computers. WebWise followed, focusing on improved awareness of the Internet. It is estimated that the Computers don't bite program reached around 19,000,000 people. WebWise is expected to surpass that number. Libraries and Learners in London.A project of the London Libraries Development Agency, Libraries and Learner in London opens the wealth of London's academic and special libraries to independent learners who would not otherwise be qualified to use these resources. The collections of the British Library are included in this program. SummaryThe UK is not unique among western nations in its drive to be "first" in the new global information economy. Many of the online initiatives are modelled on approaches taken by other countries. What is different is the integration of ICT infrastructure and public access within the over-riding policy of learning. This is different than the 'field of dreams' mentality taken by some national governments (If we build it they will come), where the focus is on the technology and building of an ICT infrastructure. The UK sees technology and infrastructure as tools to support the learning process. The true value to the national economy are the learning activities of citizens, whether they are formally job related or not. Public libraries in the UK appear to share the same problems as Canadian libraries in providing public access to networked services. UK librarians tell the same stories of insufficient terminals for demand, inadequate physical space, insufficient hours of opening, insufficient bandwidth. It would seem however, that Canada's libraries are still ahead of their UK counterparts in terms of public access issues. Canadians have many more public access workstations available to them than do their British cousins. Canadian libraries seem to be further ahead in dealing with the problems and issues presented by providing public access to the Internet. For example, many Canadian libraries, even smaller ones, are focusing on automated solutions to the issues around booking and enforcing time on terminals. Given the emphasis on online learning, it is surprising that the UK libraries we visited did not incorporate formal computer training labs into their floorplans. Nor was there discussion or evidence of network applications such as videoconferencing. Government and coordinating agencies face the same issues as in Canada. Sustainability is recognized to be on the horizon, but we did not get the impression that concrete plans were being developed to deal with ongoing funding. What was impressive was the way that programs aimed at different sectors "interleaved". A common thread was the need to network resources at the local and community level and funding was contingent on that cooperation taking place. Not only were there incentives for partnering, but penalties existed as well in funding formula or eligibility requirements. There seemed to be very effective partnering taking place locally and nationally in delivery of lifelong learning initiatives. |
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Chapter Four: Skills Development. Library staffThe provision of public access to the Internet is arguably the single most important public service affecting public libraries at this time. The public access Internet service requires new infrastructure, physical space and telecommunications support, skills training for staff and the public. Equipment, hardware and software and an impact on services affecting all age groups using the library in addition to the new users who are brought into library by the Internet access. It requires new approaches to provision of library services to users outside of the physical walls of the library. There are parallels to Industry Canada's rollout of Internet access in public libraries across Canada. Above all it requires brand new policies to support the public access. In North America policies differ between the USA and Canada. In the USA federal legislative environment is linking access to e-rate grants to the demand for filtering of public access computers. In Canadian libraries there is NO federal restrictions at this time but the public access and filtering is a key issue throughout Canada with many challenges to [provision of unfiltered access. More recently post September 11th , public libraries have been scrutinised more closely with the revelation that some terrorists may have used the public access computers in libraries for Internet communications. It is relevant to take a close detailed look at how other jurisdictions are tackling the policy development. In the UK an issue paper on Acceptable Use Policy for public access to the Internet has been developed by Sally Criddle, UKOLN, on behalf of EARL, the Library Association and UKOLN : An issue
paper from the Networked Services Policy Taskgroup The UK values creating a flexible work force adaptable to change. Without basic skills, people cannot adapt to change. Human Resources /TrainingThe Library and Information Commission's report New Library: The People's Network sets out the framework. It describes a public library service which plays an integral part in the intellectual life of the community. As well, it emphasises the importance of public library staff in developing and delivering the new forms of service. One Chapter is devoted to staff training. The Library and Information Commission's report New Library: The People's Network sets out a vision of the future. It describes a public library service which plays an integral part in the intellectual life of the community, and emphasises the importance of public library staff both in bringing about the new forms of service and in delivering them. For some, the essence of a public library is its collection of books and other materials. In reality, though, these assets are of only limited value without staff trained to exploit them. In the future, as digital information services extend the potential range of material far beyond the capacity of any single library building, the staff will be even more important. Library staff will play the central role in shaping the developing use of the public library service. They will need to manage the collections of materials - cataloguing, indexing and retrieving items on demand. They will provide access to the expanding range of digital information available through the New Library Network. They will also need to support people who use the service. They will be the key to the resource. To realise this potential, staff need to be trained. They need to develop new skills and abilities. In particular, they need to become familiar with information and communication technology (ICT) and to feel comfortable both when using it themselves and when helping others to make constructive use of it. They need a range of skills that will enable them to exploit the potential of the technology and so deliver the high-quality services that will be required. Yet an indicative training needs analysis carried out for the Training Task Group showed that there is still a considerable gap between the levels of skill required and those currently available. Further, within library authorities (or boards in Northern Ireland) there are significant disparities between the levels of skill possessed by different groups of staff. Our aim is to overcome these disparities so that everyone using public libraries will be able to deal with staff who are knowledgeable, comfortable in their use of technology, and well able to guide users and help them come to terms both with the technology and with the resources it delivers. New Library: The People's Network describes the new roles that public librarians will have to play. Principally, they will need to be able more actively to help library users to learn. Public libraries will need to be an integral part of the future learning society. Public libraries will help people progress through their formal education and training, providing, as they have always done, a source of information and support which complements that provided through the formal system. They will also play an important role in supporting lifelong learning, acting as a means of accessing the increasingly wide range of learning materials available in print and digital form. In particular, they will act as the key to enable people to unlock the digital learning materials that will be made available through the content creation strand of the New Opportunities Fund. More generally, library staff should be able to provide people with access to the world's information resources. Here technology is transforming the situation. Where once we had to rely on inter-library lending of books and other materials, we now have the capacity to access and immediately download material that previously was inaccessible. But, as the amount of material that is available has grown, so too has the importance of skilled gatekeepers who can guide users through the systems so that they find what they require. Books will continue to play an important role in this digital future, however. Inculcating a reading habit early in life and enriching it through guided access to the wide range of printed materials will continue to be a central part of the work of public librarians. The future will also bring a rapid growth in the number of public services that are delivered remotely through digital networks. The government has ambitious plans to develop electronic government services, and local authorities and other public services, such as the National Health Service, are not far behind. Many people will access these services from their homes, but there will continue to be a group of people who are technologically disenfranchised, through lack of resources or lack of familiarity with the technology. These people should be able to turn to the public library - both to gain access to the services and also to find people who will help them overcome the barriers to using them. All these new roles and functions will call for new skills and abilities on the part of public library staff. A study of
training needs of public library staff was undertaken, new roles were
identified, competencies defined and a training plan developed. This report
can be viewed at : This is an excellent model that could be duplicated for Canadian purposes. Recommendations from the report related to training:
Skills drive an economy. The economies that will win in the global market will have a more skilled workforce than their competitors. The UK realized that 8 out of 10 jobs needed information technology literacy from fishermen using GIS units to gas meter readers using handheld computers. However, only 4 out of 10 people in the UK workforce at that time had these skills. It was noted as well that there were as many vacancies as people unemployed which suggested a mismatch of skills. They have 7 million people unemployed and 1 million vacancies. Matching the unemployed to the vacancies is a process of matching skill sets to jobs. Where there is a gap, the government is intervening to provide free IT training for the unemployed. There are four strands to government action:
An example of this is the Tower Hamlets community which has the highest unemployment in the country. The existing library is an unappealing victorian structure, so the learning centre will be located elsewhere next to the supermarket, which is a draw for that community. |
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Chapter 5. ContentCanada has developed a series of funding programs through Heritage Canada and Industry Canada to support digital content development. The Heritage Canada Digital Collections program and Industry Canada Grassroots program for schools are specific examples. The UK government has developed a similar programme NOF-Digitise programme makes it a requirement that all content developed as a result of its funding must be provided free of charge to users of the People's Network and the National Grid for Learning. Through UKOnline access to various digital content materials and e-government information materials is a priority. The goal of NOF Digitise is to build online learning resources for every UK citizen through partnerships with libraries, archives, museums, community and voluntary groups.
Eventually may create a portal: one-point portal to search across many databases e.g. if your interest is in Wales, then search projects on the Thames, cotton and Welsh immigrants. However, broadband is needed once resources are online. Newer areas are linked by fibre. Rural areas are not ready. Research and Development directions:
What is UK online?UK online is a national campaign to help everyone in the UK make the most of the Internet. The campaign has three aims:
Other e- government content.Census material is of major interest to genealogists across the world and not just in UK and it is not surprising that the demand on the 1901 census materials far outweighed expectations. |
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Overwhelmed BT pulls plug on census websiteStuart Millar, technology correspondent Wednesday January 9, 2002, The Guardian. The online version of the 1901 census has been pulled from the internet after BT warned that the system could not cope with the enormous demand for access. BT, the internet service provider responsible for hosting the census website, revealed yesterday that it had advised the public record office to pull the plug when more than 7m people tried to access the service at the same time after its widely trumpeted launch last week. The website, offering access for the first time to the details of more than 32m Edwardians, has been suspended for a week while the public record office and its technical advisers, Qinetiq - formerly part of the government's defence evaluation and research agency - attempt to increase its capacity. The site was designed to handle a daily 1.2m visitors, spaced evenly throughout the day. "We advised them to take down the site because it was not robust enough," a BT spokeswoman said yesterday. "When you have millions of people worldwide trying to get into the same internet space at the same time, that is going to create problems for the rest of the net." The problems have been hugely embarrassing for the public record office, which has been criticised for generating so much publicity to accompany the launch before demand for the site had been gauged. There have also been claims that geneaology and technology experts warned before the launch that the website would struggle to cope with the enormous demand from enthusiasts attempting to trace their family history. Genealogy is now second only to pornography in popularity on the internet. A public record office spokeswoman said: "The site remains unable to meet continuing levels of demand. The PRO has agreed with Qinetiq's technical team to close internet access to the site for one week for enhancements to take place." |
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Policy and program development in terms of Government online extends to e-democracy. Where some Canadian provinces such as Ontario have discussed this direction in context of government online, no province has yet to adopt. Most have concerned with developing portals to deliver services as opposed to e-democracy options. In the UK Liberal Democrats have started to develop this option further. |
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"Liberals learn to love the web"The Liberal Democrats are putting proposed policies online to get feedback from voters before adopting them as the formal party line. The Lib Dems are publishing a draft (green) paper for supporters and members of the public which will be online for two months before a formal consultation takes place this summer. After the two month period, Lib Dem MPs will meet and use the feedback from www.makeITpolicy.org.uk to shape the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) green paper into a final white paper. Visitors to the site can read proposals and then email their views to the site. Richard Allen MP, spokesman for Lib Dem ICT, said: "Putting this paper up on the net has changed the usual formal consultation on green papers before they are drawn up as white papers from three hours at a conference to two months on the internet." Allen continued: "If you're serious about engaging people in politics and you're a serious political party, you've got to use mediums that people can participate in. The internet means being a lot more open and inclusive." If the pilot consultation is successful, the Lib Dems will propose that the party use the internet to consult with the public on all future policy. Labour has a website but no consultation function for its policies, although a spokesman for the party said: "We will consider all new technological developments." |
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What would be appropriate to get feedback on? What will seem relevant? Chapter 6. The Marketing of public libraries in the UK.At the National LevelThe Marketing of public libraries in the UK is more advanced and more pervasive than in Canada. UK libraries are key elements in the social exclusion agenda and the technology UK Online environment. This is reflected in key government agendas and in a national department responsible for public libraries. There are two national entities coordinating the development of public libraries in the UK: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Libraries, Information, and Archives Division and the newly created Resource. Whereas in Canada federal interest in public libraries forms a key partnership with municipal and provincial governments, it is diffused at the national level amongst Heritage Canada through the National library and various "nation identity building" digital collection development programs, Industry Canada and HRDC. The UK government sees libraries as a key mechanism to enact social policy. The Canadian government could be using libraries better to further its policy goals. "Taken together, many developments have begun to raise the profile of information and library services in the UK and their role in the emerging UK information society." Page 5 Information and libraries in the United Kingdom 2000. Patrick Villa, The British Council, 1999. Just prior to the Labour government coming to power and setting an ambitious social agenda, the UK library community had come together to create a document that clearly stated the role that libraries could play. Key library agencies positioned public libraries in such a way that the UK government saw them as natural mechanism to take abstract government policies and deliver concrete services that support lifelong learning, social inclusion, universal access to online information, and information literacy training. In the UK, government has embraced libraries. In Canada, there is no widespread perception that public libraries, in concert with other types of libraries, form an existing network of community-based service organizations that can help the federal government with lifelong learning, access to government services (including online services), and economic development. Industry Canada has recognized that the public library network across the country is a logical partner to ensure all Canadians have public access to the Internet.However, public access to the Internet is just one element of the UK national branding. Public libraries in the UK are included in key lifelong learning agendas as well as the technology based program development. UK libraries have been more successful at getting the word out what they do and have the potential to do, with the right resources. In order for this to happen in Canada, information about public libraries needs to reach all federal government departments. At the Regional/Provincial LevelIn the UK, there are recommendations to create regional organizations so that resources can be pooled for greater efficiency. The parallel for Canada is the pooling of resources at the provincial level. In provinces that have a provincial library focus, resources can be directed to enable libraries to be effective partners in Canada's agenda of online access to services and universal access to the Internet, etc. In provinces like Alberta that do not have a provincial library, agencies are needed that have the support of the public library community and preferably all types of libraries to move libraries forward. In Alberta, The Alberta Library would be the agency that could do this task. It could assist local libraries that will in turn roll out federal government strategies. The UK has brought government agencies together to ensure that there is more cooperation among libraries, museums and archives. In Canada, the amount of formal cooperation among these agencies varies from province to province. One regional entity already in place in the UK is the London Library Development Agency (LLDA). Within the 33 local authorities at make up London, there are 395 public libraries, 144 libraries as part of 39 higher education institutions, libraries related to further education, as well as special and health libraries. The creation of this agency two years ago forged a single point of contact for organizations that wanted to partner with libraries. LLDA has created many linkages and partnerships among councillors, libraries, learning skills councils, institutions involved with post-16, and national government. The Peoples' Network levelled the playing field for ICT. The national government is pouring massive amounts of money into electronic government initiatives, and libraries are ideally placed to help. This type of coordination does not need massive bureaucracy. There are only two employees of LLDA at the present time and project managers are hired as needed. As well, the staff of member libraries are drawn into projects as needed. LLDA will start a project, then hand it off for implementation. As with The Alberta Library, core funding comes from membership fees. The first item on LLDA's list of goals is advocacy, not lending resources, which is typically the first goal of other regional coalitions. An example of a successful program is a reading map for libraries to use in London's libraries called: Unzip your lips: brilliant books to read out loud. LLDA's newest project is the creation of a London Smart Card to be used on the bus, at the library, and for Council payments. Already, 60 per cent of Londoners have a library card. Libraries will be agents to roll out the smart cards because people trust libraries and they are more comfortable with the idea of registering at a friendly library. Privacy issues still need to be addressed, but libraries are on the political radar screen. They will now be at the table when social services and transportation are being discussed. Another project will be the creation of one inquiry (reference) service for all 33 library authorities. However, because there is not coordination among computer networks, such a service now would require staff to search 33 different catalogues to find information. The creation of a virtual catalogue is a priority. One of the key lessons for libraries to take away from LLDA's success is to sort out internal barriers first. Only then can libraries effectively move outward and form partnerships. For example, internal issues must be sorted out among public, academic and The British Library. Then it is more likely that funding can be obtained from the Learning Skills Council. Each library is such a small unit. Only by working together do libraries present an attractive profile as a partner. Resource's efforts to bring together libraries, museums, and archives will help. A single agency is needed to receive project funding and channel it out to partners, and LLDA fits the bill. Instead of competing bids going in on projects, there is one bid for all. Everyone benefits when high-level contacts are made by LLDA. It is much more likely that libraries will be automatically thought of when another project idea comes forward. At the Local LevelAt the same time that the case is being made to the federal government, a case must be made to public libraries and library boards across Canada. Public libraries are local entities that must meet the needs of the residents they serve. Unless these public libraries are part of a larger coalition of libraries as is the case in some libraries or they have a provincial library system as is the case in other libraries, they may not be thinking about the role they could and should be playing: partnering to provide proactive lifelong learning opportunities, to support economic development, and to develop information technology skills in a systematic way. A convergence is needed of federal government public policy and library awareness. Libraries are rapidly transforming into the delivery mechanisms that the Canadian government requires, but resources and planning are needed. The reality in the UK is that for many public libraries is that a great deal of change will have to take place for them to be able to deliver on these promises, but plans were put in place to roll out resources to the front lines where the day-to-day work will take place, so that the necessary changes could to be made. Advocacy CampaignsDavid Murray, the Director of LLDA, cited The Peoples' Network at the most successful national library initiative. Lobbying began with the report: New Library: The Peoples' Network followed by Building the Library Network. These were well-written and persuasive. There was also an effective use of champions to ensure that the message to the right people and is heard. David reinforced how important it is that libraries always follow through on promises made. Because libraries are not central to people lives the way other services are, the library community must constantly keep working all the time to make the case for libraries. LLDA has published "A Manifesto for London's Libraries" to make the power of libraries better known. It states the aspirations of London libraries for the future. Page 3: "The LLDA aims to:
The Manifesto make claims for offer something for everyone, to support learning, to play a role in furthering economic growth, neighbourhood renewal and community development, and to support active citizenship through offering community information and transmitting community information, and by offering access to the Internet for information and for participation in decisions. The Alberta Public Library Electronic Network (APLEN) has launched two publicity campaigns in Alberta to get the general public to think of libraries are "your total information solution" and to think of online access to libraries helping people be just three clicks away from the information they need. These two campaigns have been somewhat successful in raising the awareness among the general public of the news services offered by libraries. A number of steps have been taken by the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library to position it favourably in the public mind. Eighteen months before the new library opened, it launched a campaign tagged "just imagine." The target audience was 15-35 year olds. Promotions were held in super markets. The library in Norwich has issued a series of very attractive brochures that target aspects of service all tied together with the catch lines: "borrow discover connect" and "just imagine" In conjunction with publicity, the library also changed policies and practises to remove barriers to usage. The library conducted market research to find out why 18-45 year olds did or did not join the library. Some of the changes made as a result of research include:
Focus for the coming year will be on attracting:
Another tactic has been the creation of E-learning community prizes. This contest, sponsored by learndirect and the Library Association, recognizes and rewards learners aged 16 and over who used computer to learn new skills at a library or information centre and used those new skills to benefit their local communities. There is still work to be done in the UK: PartnershipsThe Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library is located at The Forum, a multi-use facility made possible by many partnerships. The goal was to create a hub for learning and information by bringing together learning and further education organizations, and also tourist information. The County and the City of Norwich contributed to the building of the library. As well there was lottery funding provided by the Millennium Commission. Other partners include the university, further education colleges, the Adult Education Service, the Careers Service, and District Councils. Other partners, a little more non-traditional include: Pizza Express, BBC Radio, and the 2nd Air Division USAAF Memorial Library. In some parts of the UK, the BBC has created mobile IT-based learning centres. The BBC broadcasts the location of the centre, perhaps at the supermarket, on radio to attract walk-in traffic. People that try their hand at the mobile lab are told that they can follow up by enrolling at Introduction to IT courses in local library. This type of partnership brings libraries to the learners and learners to the library. Canadian public libraries need to be open to all possible partners in order to stretch resources. Libraries in the UK are often thought of as sources of business information because they can also become Euro Info Centres. They then provide information on the European Union information. Most requests are by phone. In return the libraries receive some funding to do this work. Books and pamphlets provided, and the library staff is trained. As well, Business Link is a fee-based national service that channels money into the library. UK Online has also launched a sustained, high-profile marketing and communications strategy on relevant sources of advice and information for business. In Canada, smaller public libraries are not always identified to be sources of business information by the general public. Perhaps Service Canada access centres could be rolled out across Canada. Public libraries can offer Canadians personal assistance accessing government information and services, but to do this they would need intensive training and broadband Internet access. CautionsGiven the problems encountered when the UK 1901 census web site was launched, it is important to ensure that the technical capacity is in place to support the possible demand before huge publicity campaigns are launched. FundingAs in Canada, libraries are still under funded for traditional services, but there are dollars for projects and initiatives, such as the reading promotion. There must be recognition that funding will be required to ensure that the work on public access to electronic resources that has been started in Canada can be sustained, that these beginnings can be improved on and expanded so the libraries can meet the social, economic, and cultural priorities of the federal government. Conclusion:In the UK, wide ranging claims have been made about the role of public libraries in supporting lifelong learning, community development and social inclusion. Efforts have been made to sell public libraries as hubs of communities. Attempts have been made to push every button of other government departments. The reality is that in the UK public libraries are at last being recognized for what they do as a result of the convergence of time, technology, and political agendas. Some of the lessons that can be learned are:
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Appendices:Appendix 1. British Telecom Paper.BT study on Broadband Britain.It is an economic imperative for any developed nation to ensure that their communications infrastructure is upgraded in a timely and cost-efficient manner to deliver broadband - a high capacity information pipe - into all our homes and offices. Although we are at early stage in deploying broadband, the UK has significantly fallen behind other developed countries and its relative position is deteriorating further. Red herringsThe current UK position is generally explained by the following propositions:
This paper shows that these propositions are all false. The outcome of the current approach will see an acceleration of broadband rollout in the UK over the next two years. However, the UK's relative position will continue to decline, broadband will remain relatively expensive, and large segments of society will be unable to benefit from broadband services. It is government policy with regard to the macro regulatory framework that is at fault. Unintentionally, government policy with regard to broadband is effectively a policy of social exclusion. For the most part, the government is unaware of the links between its policy and the outcomes it produces in the marketplace. This provides hope for change. The regulatory frameworkThis paper sets out to explain the consequences of the current regulatory framework, and comes to the following assessment: More Broadband Britain1) don't blame OFTEL: they do not have the remit, or the enforcement tools to be able to do their job properly; 2) the primary policy of Unbundled Local Loop (ULL) is fundamentally flawed and poorly implemented;
3) the framework discourages BT from investing in broadband :
4) the framework entrenches existing market structures:
BT's approach to broadbandBT has been in a mess for some years. Its previous management unwisely judged international expansion to be the primary source of shareholder gains. It was believed that such investment would create greater shareholder returns than investing in the UK network, where the Regulator limits returns. However UK managers weren't very good at overseas investment and the last two years have seen Financial Restructuring become the main focus. BT needs a clearer strategy, something its new management team is obviously working on. A move towards becoming a service provider for ICE (information, communications and entertainment) appears to be the preferred route. This requires extensive investment in broadband which BT will find difficult to finance as currently structured:
Given this, we believe that the best solution for BT is to break into two separately owned parts (Servco and Netco). The next best alternative is for BT to deploy broadband slowly at a high price in selective areas. We believe that the financial markets currently anticipate the latter, and have consequently marked BT's share price to a recent 10 year low (as at the end of January 2002). Breaking-up BTWe believe that BT should be broken up because it is in the best interests of BT shareholders. Such a break-up should be initiated by the financial markets and not by government intervention. Such a break up would assist broadband deployment but is not in itself sufficient. ConclusionsThe continuation of the current government policy with regard to broadband will lead to relative economic under-performance and is effectively a policy of social exclusion. Neither BT, nor OFTEL nor the financial markets can be reasonably blamed for this situation. EU legislation and UK government policy are primarily at fault: well-meaning, but ill-thought-out. It is not reasonable to expect the EU or UK government to change the existing legislation which has led to this situation, although the process to remedy this should be put in train. The Regulator can be encouraged to implement a less equal-treatment approach in dealing with the incumbent BT, and in particular the following:
Within six months, the DTI should draft and publish, in conjunction with OFTEL, BT and third parties, a new regulatory framework which would create a more "level playing field":
BT's reaction will determine its fate. If BT chooses to fight these changes, a Competition Review may be required - undesirable for all sides, butmanageable. If BT does not restructure and OFTEL is effective in attacking the excessive wholesale pricing, then BT's share price might decline by roughly 10-15%. If BT accepts these changes and announces ownership separation of Netco,we believe that BT's share price will rise by between 30-40% immediately and could double within 3 years. (Forced break-up through a hostile takeover remains a possibility.) Whatever happens with BT, whether broken up or not, the competitive landscape will have changed; broadband will be deployed more rapidly and at lower consumer prices; competition for the consumer will increase; investment will be more focused on areas open to innovation; and the UK economy will grow more rapidly and be more competitive. |
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Appendix 2. Acceptable Use Policy. Internet Access.By Sally
Criddle, UKOLN, on behalf of EARL, the Library Association and UKOLN Why have an Acceptable Use Policy ?The Internet has now established its place in the public library. Library staff, and much of the general public, now appreciate its value as a provider of information and recognise the role that public libraries have in providing public access to the Internet. In addition, the government, in its commitment to widening access to Information Communication Technology (ICT) and ensuring that the benefits of the information age are open to all, recognises the central role that public libraries have to play in ensuring that all members of society have access to ICT and can enjoy the benefits it brings. This recognition is being backed up by national funding programmes and government initiatives such as the People's Network and the NOF-Digitise programme, which are aimed at providing the networking infrastructure and content to place public libraries at the centre of the drive to increase lifelong learning and cultural enrichment opportunities throughout society, and to bring people into the information age, by encouraging them to use ICT. Whilst the benefits and opportunities the Internet has to offer are becoming widely recognised and appreciated, the Internet is not without its problems, particularly in the context of use in the public library. Much is made in the media of the pornography that can be accessed on the Web and critics will cite the potentially offensive and illegal material that can be accessed as reasons why it is unsuitable for use in a public library. To exploit the opportunities offered by the Internet and to minimise the negative aspects, public access to the Internet in the library needs to be effectively managed. Careful consideration must be given to questions such as who should have access to the Internet and under what conditions, what Internet services should be offered and with what restrictions. An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is a crucial tool in helping to manage public access to the Internet. An effectively written policy will clarify the level of service that the public can expect, provide guidance for management of the medium and can communicate to the wider community the place that the Internet occupies within the public library. Guiding principles of policy developmentIdeally the AUP should be written before a public access Internet service is introduced. It should be a positive statement developed from the core values of the library service, rather than a reactive document written in response to problems that have been encountered, and should complement existing library policies. It needs to be practically enforceable, and must be supported with appropriate administrative procedures so that it can be implemented effectively by front-line library staff. All library staff must be familiar with the policy, have an understanding of why particular decisions have been made and be aware of the implications of the policy. Front-line staff should be able to explain the reasoning behind the policy and the implications for users. The policy should be consistent with existing library policies. Examining policies that the library already has in areas such as age limits on users (if any), charges for services, video borrowing criteria etc. may provide guidance in areas of Internet access. The AUP must also be written with reference to the national policy context such as the Library Association's statements in related areas such as freedom of information and censorship and restrictions imposed by funding bodies content produced from the New Opportunities Funding programme must, for example, be free. As well as ensuring that the Internet AUP does not conflict with existing polices, an AUP that is produced with regard to established policies will ensure that the Internet becomes an integral part of the library's existing services, and will demonstrate how it is complementing existing services rather than seeking to replace them. Elements of an Acceptable Use PolicyWhat should an AUP include?A basic AUP should address the following issues:
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: Why does the library provide Internet access?The AUP is an excellent place to set out in a clear and concise statement the role that the Internet has in the library service and the benefits it has to offer the public library. This is a good opportunity to establish the Internet as an integral part of library service provision. PHYSICAL ACCESS: Who will be able to use the library's Internet terminals?Once Internet terminals have been installed in the library managing the physical access to them needs to be considered. For example, will anyone be able to walk in off the street and start browsing the Web? Will access be limited to registered library users? Will passwords and user login names be used to control access? The library could keep records of who is using the terminals (which can be particularly useful information to have if sanctions need to be enforced in the event that the AUP is transgressed). However, this needs to be balanced with the administrative overhead it will impose on staff if they are required to collect names and addresses or issue library memberships before allowing access. And users may be put off using the Internet if logging-on is seen to be time consuming and burdensome. Also, how does this fit in with policy on how other non-lending materials, such as newspapers, are used in the library? Privacy issues need consideration. Users may be uneasy about logging-on to a terminal with an identifiable password as they may think that their subsequent use and the resources they go on to browse are being recorded and could be traced back to them. The level of demand and number of terminals that can be provided will also have a bearing on whether users are required to pre-book sessions or access is limited during busy periods. Access for disabled users can be addressed in an AUP and the library should consider whether it would be appropriate to provide assistive technologies such as speech synthesisers or wheelchair access to terminals. Charging for Internet access provokes much debate and many different solutions. Some libraries charge all users to access the Internet; others provide free access to a limited range of Web sites and services or charge particular users such as local businesses for access; others provide access to all services and content free of charge. Careful thought and consideration of the implications and consequences of free vs. fee access is needed. Whilst there is no definitive legislation in this area (libraries must still rely on the 1964 Public Library and Museums Act for the definition of which public library services must by law be provided free) it should be noted that the NOF-Digitise programme makes it a requirement that all content developed as a result of its funding must be provided free of charge to users of the People's Network and the National Grid for Learning. SERVICES: What Internet services and resources will be provided?The World Wide Web may be the most widely used Internet service, but the AUP should also address other Internet services such as e-mail, newsgroups, chat rooms and telnet. Will access to these services be provided? If e-mail facilities are provided will incoming and outgoing mail be allowed? Can users access free mail services such as HotMail? Will downloading of software and file transfers be allowed? Will users be required to have their own disks scanned for viruses before use? Some libraries may not want the Internet being used for games or chat, particularly if such use ties up terminals for long periods of time (although limiting the length of sessions could help with this). Also, chat rooms and bulletin boards are often associated with sexually explicit or offensive material. Whilst it may be tempting to prohibit use of chat rooms for entertainment purposes, it is worth considering that not all games can be dismissed as purely entertainment, some do have educational elements. Similarly, not all chat room discussions can be dismissed as frivolous. Some libraries promote virtual support groups for people with disabilities for example, or actively encourage users to form book reading groups supported by e-mail and chat rooms. With the growth in e-commerce on the Web the AUP may need to address the commercial activities that users get involved in and it may be decided to take steps to ensure that users activities cannot incur costs to the library. FILTERING: Does the library filter Internet access?Are filters installed on the library's public access terminals? There are many reasons for and against the use of filters (as addressed in a previous Issue Paper - An Introduction to Filtering [2]) and the policy should include a statement on the decision that is taken. ACCEPTABLE USE: How are users expected to behave?The quantity and quality of resources available on the Internet has been well reported in the media, with much coverage given to the questionable and illegal materials that are available. Whilst a determined user may still be able to view offensive, illegal or other inappropriate material even if filtering software is installed, an effective AUP can make it clear that such behaviour will not be tolerated and will give staff the authority and confidence to stop it. (again) to consider library policy in other areas. For example, materials of an offensive nature, be they sexual, racist or violent, could be seen as creating an atmosphere of harassment which could breach existing policies on harassment or discrimination. As well as offensive materials, the AUP should draw users attention to the fact that the authenticity and accuracy of many of the resources available over the Internet are questionable. As the law currently stands it is unlikely that a library itself would be responsible if users breach copyright, intellectual property rights or are involved in illegal activities on the Internet in the library. However, the situation needs to be made clear to users, and they should be made aware that they have a personal responsibility to abide by the relevant legislation, just as they do when photocopying copyrighted materials. The AUP should include a statement making it clear that the library is not responsible for Internet content, its authenticity or accuracy. Copyright issues are addressed in a previous Issue Paper - Copyright and the Networked Environment [4]. The library also needs to be aware of issues of freedom of access to information, particularly if filtering Internet access. This is an area where legislation is still being determined, but the Library Association makes it clear in its statement on intellectual freedom and censorship [5] that libraries should be aiming to provide access to all publicly available information, regardless of format, for all their users. CHILDREN'S USEChildren's access to the Internet deserves particular consideration. It is usual for parents/guardians to be asked to provide their consent before their children can use the Internet. A consent form could incorporate the terms and conditions under which access is provided for children. Some libraries choose to install filters on Internet terminals only in the children's library; others make it explicit that parents/guardians are responsible for the material that their children view and that the library has no responsibility for supervising access by children. Providing links to materials for children and sites that have been selected as being particularly suitable for children are good ways of guiding use. The AUP can draw on the library's existing policies on provision of services to children. Aligning children's access to the Internet with existing policy on, for example, the categories of books and videos that they can borrow, will help to demonstrate how the Internet fits in with services already provided by the library. Whatever level of access is provided, it must be clearly defined in the policy. POLICY INTO PRACTICE: How will library staff implement the aup?All library staff should be aware of the AUP and have an understanding of the issues that it addresses and the implications that the policy will have on public use. There should be appropriate administrative procedures in place so that the policy can be implemented effectively. An AUP can also be very useful in dealing with enquiries from, for example, local councillors or journalists about how the Internet is being used in the library. Although this paper focuses on acceptable use by the public, staff use should also be considered. Will access for them be under the same conditions as for the public? The local authority may already have a policy for Internet access by employees or the public policy could form the basis of a council-wide policy. A statement about the level of assistance and guidance that users can expect from library staff could be included in the AUP. If resources for assisting the public are limited, providing support in the form of lists of resources and links to subject guides, such as EARLweb [7], can be very effective. Users must be made aware of the terms and conditions under which the library is providing Internet access. The AUP should be prominently displayed near Internet terminals. One way of highlighting the policy is to display it as a front screen on the Internet terminals: users must click on the screen before they can proceed, to confirm that they have read and will comply with the policy. The policy should be clear on the consequences for users who breach the conditions. This is usually dealt with by Internet use being withdrawn or restricted. Finally, as with any policy, the AUP should be reviewed periodically. The policy needs to be workable on a day-to-day basis and should reflect changes in this area of rapid technological development, where society's familiarity with the Internet is increasing day by day. Policy ChallengesAn interesting exercise, once an AUP has been drafted, is to see how well the policy deals with various hypothetical situations such as:
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Appendix 3. Lifelong Learning.the Green Paper, The Learning Age (Cm 3790) (The Stationery Office, February 1998)ForewordOur vision is a learning society™ in which everyone is able to learn and upgrade their skills throughout life. Since we first set our plans out in the Green Paper, The Learning Age (Cm 3790) (The Stationery Office, February 1998), we have made excellent progress. For example:
We welcome Empowering the Learning Community as an important contribution towards the realisation of our vision. The Learning Age sets out a number of principles including: investing in learning to benefit everyone; lifting barriers to learning; putting people first; and working together. Empowering the Learning Community strongly supports these principles. Greater and more effective collaboration between libraries and education and training providers can help open up access to learning and to remove the barriers which often prevent people from participating. Libraries have a vital role to play in underpinning education in the broadest sense, and that is why we must ensure that both the institutions and the individuals who work in or with them (whether they are librarians, resource managers, teachers, archivists or museum educators):
In this response, we have set out an agenda for early action by Government and its partners within the library and education sectors. We urge all interested parties to work with us in delivering this agenda and, ultimately, the learning society itself. The Library and Information Commission (LIC) was asked to advise the Secretaries of State for Culture, Media and Sport and for Education and Employment 1 on how to improve and stimulate co-operation between the education and public library sectors in order to support lifelong learning. In its report, Empowering the Learning Community (LIC, March 2000) the Commission™s Education and Libraries Task Group argued strongly that closer collaboration between libraries and educational institutions would mean greater and more effective support for learners and potential learners throughout the community. Empowering the Learning Community highlighted a number of important ways in which co-operation between the education and public library sectors could be stimulated and improved to support lifelong learning. The report produced much food for thought and attracted considerable interest, both within Government and more widely. It is clear that discussions on the issues raised within the report are set to continue for some time. The Task Group made four specific recommendations:
Objective and quantifiable performance measures should be set for all these collaborative strategies. |
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