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April 2003 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. ALBERTALAUNCHPAD: AN ONLINE RESOURCE FOR TEACHERSThis provincial project shows how librarians and teachers, working together at the grassroots level, can create an extremely valuable online resource for educators and students. The creation of the AlbertaLaunchPad was the idea of Lori Helston, a library technician at Ralph McCall School in Airdrie. She was seeing students spend too much time searching fruitlessly on the web, and teachers building great sites for their students, with no central repository to collect them in. What began as a single webpage with a long list of websites on the Rocky View School Division's website has evolved into a directory of thousands of websites related to teaching and learning. Users can search for sites related to any grade or group (parents, teachers, etc.), as well as by keyword or by subject, and by topics within a subject. This ability to search based on the Alberta curriculum is what sets the LaunchPad apart from the rest of the web. As well, any visitor can submit a website to be considered for inclusion in the LaunchPad. The LaunchPad is part of the SchoolNet Network of Innovative Schools. To visit
the AlbertaLaunchPad: 2. CANADIAN GENEALOGY CENTRE LAUNCHEDOn March 29, the Library and Archives of Canada announced the official launch of the Canadian Genealogy Centre website. This unique virtual centre is intended to become the primary online site for access to genealogical resources in Canada. It will offer genealogical content, services, advice, and tools, and provide Canadian genealogical researchers with the opportunity to collaborate online. The CGC is developing databases on various aspects of the population of Canada and will host other databases created by its partners. Currently, the only database available at the CGC website is of Immigrants at the Grosse-Île Quarantine Station 1832-1937, although the 1915-1932 Naturalization List should be coming soon. The CGC also maintains an excellent directory of other Canadian databases, catalogues, and websites of genealogical material. The directory can be searched by keyword, or browsed alphabetically or by subject. Visit the
CGC at: 3. E-GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERSA new article in the Spring 2003 issue of Community Technology Review reports on "smart approaches to e-government for community technology," and covers American efforts in e-government to date. "E-Government: Strategies for Community Technology" sees the move toward putting public information and government services online as an important opportunity for community technology centres. However, as well as the potential benefits, the article discusses the disadvantages of e-government: many in low-income communities are unaware of government services online, or how to use them; and the relocation of information and services onto the Internet could further marginalize those without Internet access or skills. The authors argue that government should be encouraged to develop its content in ways that are needed and wanted in underserved communities, and link to an interesting analysis of what online content is of most interest to low-income communities. Community Technology Review is published by the Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet), an American organization of more than a thousand independent community technology centers that offer free or low-cost access to computers and computer-related technology. To read
the full text of the article: 4. IMPACT OF GATES FOUNDATION COMPUTERS ON PUBLIC LIBRARIESAt the beginning of March 2003, the Public Access Computing Project (PACP) at the University of Washington released more results from its "Legacy of Gates U.S. Library Program" study. After the first year of the Gates Library Program installations in the U.S., PACP began an ongoing study assessing the Program?s impacts on libraries and communities. The latest release of updated findings indicates the depth of the impact of this extensive gift to public libraries. The report concludes that the Gates Library Program has been extremely effective in increasing computer access for all citizens, especially those who otherwise would have no access to these resources. Computer users in libraries are disproportionately made up of people who lack meaningful access, including low-income citizens and those in small and/or rural communities. In libraries with newly-installed Gates public access computers, patron numbers grew by nearly 25 percent in 2000 and 2002, with many of them new to libraries. As indicated in earlier research results, librarians continue to feel increased stress - more patrons are asking more questions and needing more help. Three-fourths of patrons say they "ask a librarian" when they need assistance with the computers, but budgets and staffs have not grown proportionally. At the same time, the availability and success of public access computing programs have enhanced the reputations of libraries in many communities. The public seems to believe strongly that public access in libraries, and libraries themselves, are important community resources. The report also talks about the broader consequences of the Gates program, including the changing ecology of public libraries and sustainability challenges ahead. To read
the full report: 5. EU CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF PUBLIC LIBRARIESAt a conference on March 13, ministers and policy makers from 36 European countries agreed on basic priorities to support public libraries in developing the information society. The delegates agreed that local and national funding is required to meet the needs of citizens and help implement the eEurope 2005 Action Plan. As Europe's most popular public Internet access points, libraries have a key role to play in economic and social development. They provide both access and training to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Libraries should also aim to support ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identities through the creation of a "community memory" of digital resources available to all. The manifesto of conclusions from the event is intended to build on the existing strengths of local libraries and library networks while reinforcing collaboration with museums, archives and cultural sites. For more
information: 6. LIBRARY BEST OF THE WEB AWARDSThe 2003 netConnect/WEB FEET Best of the Web Awards, sponsored by WEB FEET, Library Journal, and School Library Journal, will acknowledge excellence in school and public library websites. School library awards will be in two categories: K-8 and high school libraries. The public library awards are also in two categories: websites that provide health information, and websites designed to meet the needs of small businesses. Both small and large libraries in each category will be recognized, for a total of eight netConnect/WEB FEET Best of the Web Awards. Submissions will be accepted via email only. Send a statement of no more than 500 words, detailing the goals and achievements of the nominated website, together with all relevant URLs, to Brian Kenney at bkenney@reedbusiness.com. The awards will be presented at the upcoming ALA/CLA Annual Conference in June in Toronto. Each award is accompanied by a grant of US$1000 from WEB FEET. The deadline for entries is May 1, 2003, and winners will be announced by May 15. For more
information (in PDF format): 7. WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY: MAKE IP YOUR BUSINESSThe Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is promoting the third World Intellectual Property (IP) Day on April 26. World IP Day is an ideal opportunity to demystify IP and understand its impact on the daily lives of artists, innovators, teachers and researchers - or librarians. This year's theme, "Make Intellectual Property Your Business", is particularly relevant as it complements CIPO's efforts to increase the awareness, knowledge and effective use of IP by Canadians. CIPO is holding an essay contest based on this theme, and the Canadian public is invited to share their experiences with integrating IP and how they benefit from it. It's an effort to emphasize the advantages of IP, to inspire others, and to stimulate creativity and invention. For more
information: 8. INTERNET PUBLIC LIBRARY FACES FUNDING CRUNCHThe Internet Public Library (IPL) began as a University of Michigan (UM) School of Information project in 1995 and now reaches people all over the world. However, according to a recent article from Library Journal, its private and foundation funding has run out, and it may not be able to survive on its base budget of around $150,000 for much longer. The IPL's annotated directory of nearly 40,000 websites and thousands of e-texts gets 12 million hits a month, one-fourth of which are from outside the U.S. Of the 1000 email reference questions it receives per month, about 80 percent are answered by UM students and several hundred volunteers. The article quotes Maurita Holland, assistant to the dean and director of academic outreach at UM, as saying, "The question of how to fund public goods on the Internet is a very difficult one." IPL can't tax its users, as a local public library would, nor advertise, so it must rely on public funding and corporate sponsorships. Noting that it has helped to train more than 1000 virtual reference librarians, Holland suggests that the IPL should make the case that it is not unlike a chemistry lab, "which universities have traditionally expected to fund as part of the courses they offer." The IPL hopes that sufficient resources for continued funding will be in place by the fall semester. To read
the full text of the article: To visit
the IPL: 9. INTERNET CENSORSHIP EXPLORER RAISES ETHICAL QUESTIONSAn article in Wired News questions the technology behind the University of Toronto's Internet Censorship Explorer, which helps users identify state censorship of particular websites. While the project provides useful information about the kinds of websites blocked by foreign governments, critics argue that the methods used to collect the data amount to hacking. The Internet Censorship Explorer allows anyone to test the limits of certain national and organizational Internet-blocking schemes. Users simply enter a URL and a country into the search fields on the Censorship Explorer's website. The software scans the ports of available servers in that country, looking for any open ones. Then, using the foreign computer as a proxy server, the ICE attempts to visit the target URL from behind that country's firewall. If a "page blocked" message is displayed, the URL is not available from that particular country. Project director Ronald Diebert maintains that the technology is used only to gather empirical research on content filtering. Port scanning is generally considered an ethically murky area; however, the article quotes Diebert as saying that "port scanning alone is not a crime." The use of proxy servers is somewhat more controversial, however, especially since the ICE assumes "if a port is left open, it is intended to be used as a proxy and is configured as such." Most computer security professionals, though, do not accept that assumption. The article quotes a computer forensics expert as saying, "This to me is no different than hacking... Using someone else's resources without their knowledge is abhorrent." To read
the full text of the article: To view
the Internet Censorship Explorer: 10. TWO NEW INTERNET USE STUDIES"Tracking the Dual Digital Divide" is the latest in a series of studies by EKOS Research Associates that provide updates on general Internet access levels in Canada. "Tracking the Dual Digital Divide" provides a summary of overall access levels and gives an overview of the changes in access and digital divide levels over the past three years. It also provides a detailed analysis of the groups of Canadians that are least likely to be connected to the Internet. Overall, this installment found that there has been slight growth in Internet access for all groups, but the digital divide has not narrowed. The division of home access based on income has continued to widen between upper and lower income households, from 39 percentage points in 1997 to a 48 point gap in 2001. While cost continues to be the main barrier for lower income households, overall lack of interest has gained in importance as a reason for not being online. As well, "have" and "have not" provinces continue to reflect large differences in levels of access to the Internet. Statistics for this report come from the ongoing EKOS series "Rethinking the Information Highway." To read
the full report (in PDF format): For more
information on EKOS' Rethinking the Digital Divide study: Meanwhile, "Connected to the Future," a new report from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting examines the trends and implications of American children's Internet use. The comprehensive study looked at access from home, school, and other locations such as libraries. Almost two-thirds of American children between the ages of two and 17 logged onto the Internet during 2002. And regardless of age, income, or ethnicity, children greatly increased their use of the Internet over the past two years. The largest gain was a 200% increase among African-American children. However, even considering these growth trends, children from under-served populations still lag significantly behind more advantaged children both in home and school access. The report also warns of a broadband digital divide, in which the preponderance of high-speed Internet customers are from upper-income families. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private, non-profit corporation created by the U.S. Congress in 1967, which develops educational public radio, television, and online services for Americans. To read
the full text of the report (in PDF format): 11. AWARD-WINNING LIBRARY NETWORK IN COLUMBIAA new report profiles Biblored, an innovative library network in Bogotá, Colombia. In 2002, Biblored received the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Access to Learning Award in recognition of its success in providing free and innovative access to information for the people of Bogotá, particularly those in low-income areas. Biblored (an acronym for Capital Network of Public Libraries) is a network of 19 libraries that serve some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Bogotá. The network's success in making information and information technology accessible to city residents, and in developing services and programs geared toward users' needs, earned it the award, which included a US$1 million grant to expand services. Over the last four years, Biblored has built three large, modern public libraries in renovated city parks in Bogotá. The project also upgraded 16 local and neighbourhood libraries that now attract an average of 10,000 visitors each day. The network offers 328 computers for public use and approximately 185,000 volumes in circulation. This case study outlines how Biblored was created, funded, designed, and implemented in just four years. It demonstrates the power and popularity of public libraries in a developing society. Based on extensive interviews of the network's users and planners, it shows how the educational and cultural opportunities offered by public libraries can change people's lives in profound ways. The report was published by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), an independent, non-pro?t organization that administers the annual Access to Learning Award for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To read
the report (in PDF format): 12. BRITISH LIBRARIES IN THE NEWSTwo provocative pieces on modern libraries recently appeared in British publications. "Is this the library of the future?" by Megan Lane for BBC Online claims that "the word library is set to fade from our vocabulary - but not because we've fallen out of love with books." The article profiles a new "Idea Store" in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, which offers adult education classes, library services, events, and a café under one roof. The Tower Hamlets Council plans to open six more idea stores within the next five years, including a flagship building due to open in 2004. And, according to a survey commissioned for a British library conference (the Library + information Show), after schools and hospitals, libraries are considered the most important community institution in Great Britain. The vast majority of survey respondents (92%) were aware that the local library offered access to the Internet. However, two in five were not aware that they could research your family history at the local library, or read a foreign newspaper. The survey also asked what services people would like their local library to offer; a café was the choice of 84% of respondents. To read
the full text of the articles: Meanwhile, the U.K. government and the national librarians' organization are not reading from the same page when it comes to the future of public libraries. CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) disagree over how best to implement the vision of the recent DCMS library strategy document "Framework for the Future." Core funding, development planning, and performance measurement are the main areas of difference. Arts Minister Baroness Blackstone spoke at a special CILIP Executive Briefing at the London Book Fair on March 18. She declared that implementing was "not necessarily about new money". Instead, the Minister challenged public libraries to "make the best use of the enormous amount of current money," urging them to work more closely with other local services such as education, and to expand consortium purchasing. CILIP's Chief Executive Bob McKee acknowledged that "the unprecedented government attention" to public libraries was positive. But he was disappointed at the report's failure to mention the need for sustainable funding, or to address the mismatch between DCMS as the Department responsible for public library services in England, and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as the source of funding. Reinforcing the message that public libraries had faced years of under-investment, he added: "There is no substitute for adequate core funding." Dr McKee also called on the government to provide a new funding stream for public libraries to help counter the legacy of chronic under-investment. For more
information: To read
"Framework for the Future": 13. BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE DIGITAL DIVIDEOn April 16, the Pew Internet & American Life Project released a new study. "The Ever-Shifting Internet Population" takes a fresh look at the digital divide by focussing on findings about non-users of the Internet. The online population is much more fluid than is usually supposed; although 42% of Americans say they don?t use the Internet, many of them have either been Internet users in the past, or have a "once-removed" relationship with the Internet through household members. Internet use is a normalized part of American life. Even non-users either knew of public access locations in their communities, or had friends or family who use the Internet. 60% of non-users knew of a public access site in their community (76% of Internet users did), and the most frequently identified location for public access was the library. Seventeen percent of people surveyed were Internet "dropouts" who were online once, but were tripped up by technical problems that have kept them offline, sometimes for a year or more. 25 percent of those who are online now have dropped off in the past for the same reasons. About 27 percent of Americans are completely removed from the online world; they've never tried going online and aren't surrounded by people who do. Other sections of the study cover non-users' opinions of the online world, whether they intend to go online in the future, and other social factors relating to being offline. The study also includes a special analysis of the digital divide affecting disabled Americans. Almost 75 percent of them do not go online, and 28 percent said their disability or impairment made it difficult or impossible to go online. The Pew Internet & American Life Project is a non-profit organization that funds original research exploring the impact of the Internet on children, families, the work place, and civic/political life. To read
the full text of the report: 14. BROADBAND CONTENT FINALLY READY TO BREAK THROUGH?Broadband Internet access may finally be entering the mainstream in the U.S., according to recent figures from American research company eMarketer. In 2000, only 6 million American households had a broadband Internet connection. By the end of this year, eMarketer estimates that more than 23 million American households will have broadband Internet - roughly as many homes as had cable TV in 1980. Worldwide, nearly 86.2 million households have broadband service. Is that enough to make broadband programming financially viable? Only time will tell. But in the past month, several content providers announced new services aimed at consumers with high-speed access in the home or office. Major League Baseball plans to webcast a thousand baseball games this year. Microsoft launched a service that allows users with broadband to send live video to each other at rates as high as 15 frames per second (close to broadcast TV quality). And ABC announced ABC News Live, a 24-hour Internet feed of news video. For more
information: 15. ALA LAUNCHES REDESIGNED WEBSITEThe American Library Association (ALA) launched its new website on April 7, 2003, to coincide with the beginning of National Library Week in the U.S. The redesign was intended to supply "a more modern look and feel and more content to help library professionals in their daily work." The site is now divided into new navigational categories including Awards & Scholarships; Events & Conferences; Issues & Advocacy; Products & Publications; and Professional Tools. However,
the new website immediately came under fire from many technically-knowledgeable
librarians. The criticism centred on issues such as very slow search times,
few redirect pages from old pages (making many bookmarks and links useless),
and extremely long URLs. For example, the URL for the "Banned Books Week"
website has changed from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/ to http://www.ala.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Our_Association/ ALA has responded to the criticism by announcing plans to create more "redirects" (which allow users to enter the old, shorter URLs and still access the information at its new location), and to work on speeding up search times. To visit the new website: http://www.ala.org/ For a sample
of the criticism, and ALA's response, see: http://www.resourceshelf.com/archives/ 16. INFORMATION FORMAT TRENDSA new report on "Five Year Information Format Trends," prepared by the OCLC Library and Information Center, presents both current data and future predictions on information format trends. According to the report, a shift in publication of new scholarly and reference materials from paper-only to a combination of paper, print-on-demand, and electronic versions is evident in the developed world. Annual production rates of electronic-only formats are growing faster than their paper-only counterparts. The 2007 forecasts suggest even stronger shifts, including the growth of print-on-demand. The number of objects (both text and graphic) on current sites is predicted to grow exponentially, and digitization may emerge as the most significant new format trend by 2007. However, the report also concludes that traditional information formats are not going away, and that new websites are not likely to continue to be created at current growth rates. To read
the full report (in PDF format): 17. WHITE PAPER ON DIGITAL LIBRARIES"Digital Library Technology Trends," published by Sun Microsystems, describes current technology trends in digital libraries, discusses key issues in digital library implementation, and profiles some leading digital library programs. The wide range of topics includes the history and goals of the digital library movement, integration of technologies, digital library development, and the open source digital library. The white paper offers practical direction on how to approach development of a digital library, and insight into what library industry leaders have learned from their experiences. Together with the Digital Library Toolkit (also available on the Sun website), it offers guidance and useful information to any library, educational institution, or museum interested in the possibilities of digital libraries. To read
the full text of the paper (in PDF format): To view
the Digital Libraries Toolkit: 18. U.S. E-RATE PROGRAM FACING CONTROVERSYThe American E-rate program is once again under scrutiny by politicians. A bill was recently introduced in the House of Representatives which would terminate the E-rate program, and hearings to examine alleged fraud and abuse in the program have also been called for. H.R. 1252 would "terminate the e-rate program of the Federal Communications Commission." As of March 24, when it was referred to the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, the bill had nine co-sponsors. In addition, the chair of the House Commerce Committee announced that it will be conducting hearings on the E-rate program, focusing especially on "waste, fraud and abuse." No date has yet been set for any hearings, however. The E-rate provides American libraries and schools with discounts of 20 to 90 percent for Internet access and telecommunications infrastructure. The program is funded by the telecommunications industry through taxes on telephone bills. For more
information: 19. CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTSInfoToday
2003: "Way Beyond Cool: Information for the Real World" The annual InfoToday super-conference is comprised of three core conferences: National Online, KnowledgeNets, and E-Libraries. It offers dozens of stimulating sessions and workshops for information professionals, librarians, researchers, and knowledge management practitioners. For more
information or to register: Finding
Our Digital Voice: Governing in the Information Age For the past two years, the Crossing Boundaries initiative has brought together elected representatives, public servants, academics, and members of the private and third sectors to share their expertise and experience. The National Conference will be an opportunity to consider the future and its consequences for the organization of government, the provision of information, and the democratic process. The agenda is divided into three major themes: information as a public resource; e-democracy: extending public space; and building the tools of democratic renewal. Speakers include the Hon. Paul Martin, MP for Lasalle-Émard, and Ian Wilson, National Archivist of Canada. For more
information or to register: Symposium
2003: "Preservation of Electronic Records: New Knowledge and Decision-making" Sponsored by the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Library and Archives of Canada, and the Canadian Heritage Information Network, this symposium is intended to increase awareness of the issues surrounding digitized records by bringing expert opinions to a large audience, including small and medium-sized archives, libraries, and museums. The focus will be on making decisions and finding practical solutions that can be implemented immediately, and the symposium should appeal to anyone interested in the preservation of electronic records. For more
information or to register: 20. CONTINUING EDUCATIONMLS
Online Courses for Summer 2003 This ALA accredited program is offering the following graduate courses over the Internet for the Summer 2003 semester: Selection, Acquisition and Management of Non-Book Materials; Marketing of Information Services; and Management of Libraries and Information Agencies. The fee for each three credit hour course is $295 US. For more
information: To register:
Distance
Learning Courses on intellectual property and cybercrime will broaden your knowledge of key legal and policy issues and help you learn management strategies for success in today's environment. Some legal content is specifically American. For more
information: Malissa
Ruffner Copyright
in Photographs Recent amendments to the Canadian Copyright Act made significant changes to the rules governing copyright in photographs. The complex new rules affect both the ownership and the duration of copyright in photos. This one-day seminar will be of use to librarians, archivists and museum curators who are responsible for photograph collections, or anyone who uses photographs to illustrate their work in print or online. For more
information or to register: 21. USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCESCynthia
Says Dictionary
of Newfoundland English Online Evaluating
Health Information on the Internet: How Good Are Your Sources? Journal
of Digital Information Management Learning
Resources Bulletin LiveRef "Museums
and the Web" 2003 Papers Project
Aristotle Search
Systems TinyURL If
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