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August 2001 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. "BEST PRACTICES" 2001 RELEASEDFor the fifth year, LibraryNet presents its annual Best Practices list, recognizing Canadian public libraries for leadership in making innovative use of the Internet. Best Practices 2001 features 19 public libraries from across Canada that have used the Internet to deliver programs and services, stimulate local economic growth, create local content, and teach information technology skills. For the complete
document see: 2. SCHOOLNET EVALUATIONThe results of KPMG Consulting's evaluation of the goals and accomplishments of the SchoolNet program are now up on the SchoolNet website. The report concludes that SchoolNet has met many of its goals and has played a strong role in establishing connectivity between Canadian schools and libraries. One of the recommendations is to put more resources into LibraryNet, which the report refers to as "the poor relation" of SchoolNet. The report concludes that there has been "considerably less effort put into determining the programmatic and resource needs of libraries, librarians, and library users, and in finding ways to address these needs." For the complete
document (in PDF format): 3. CANADIAN INTERNET USAGE STILL GROWINGNew results from Statistics Canada's Household Internet Use Survey, released on July 26, show that Internet use by Canadian households made its biggest jump ever last year. 51 per cent of all Canadian households measured had at least one member who was a regular Internet user from one location or another in 2000. This was an advance from 42 per cent in 1999, the last time the survey was taken. As well, three of every five households reported having at least one member who had used the Internet at least once in their lifetime (a 22-per-cent-increase from 1999). Usage in public libraries continued to grow as well; 6.5 percent of Internet users regularly accessed it from a public library, up from 4.5 percent in 1999. Families with children and younger households were the most likely to use the public library for access. The study, Statistics Canada's fourth on this subject, measured Internet use by households from home, work, school, public libraries and various other locations. For more
information: 4. ABORIGINAL BEST PRACTICESWendy Sinclair, head of the Albert Branch of the Regina Public Library, presented a paper on services to Aboriginal communities at the BC Library Association Conference in May 2000. "One Canadian Inner City Library: Answering the Needs of the Community" discusses the history of the branch's efforts to reach out to the local community, a large proportion of which is of Aboriginal ancestry. The Albert Library has worked to promote the public library and encourage First Nation peoples to make use of it since 1979, when a community advisory committee was formed. The presentation discusses the branch collection, programming, and other initiatives the library has undertaken to serve the community. It also contains the recommendations of the Albert Library's community advisory committee and staff on what libraries can and should do to ensure that their Aboriginal community members are well served. To read the
full text of the presentation: For more
information: 5. NOVA SCOTIA BROADBAND FORUM SUMMARY REPORTOn June 26, representatives of a broad cross-section of organizations in Nova Scotia met to help develop a Nova Scotia response to the Federal Government's recently released Broadband Task Force Report. The session was jointly sponsored by the Atlantic Canada Organization for Research Networks (ACORN) and the Nova Scotia Information Economy Initiative. Key items discussed included: opportunities for preparations to take place at a local, regional and municipal level in anticipation of increased broadband access; a need to engage people in producing content; a need to circulate the information contained in the Broadband Task Force Report to a broader audience. Although the federal government report highlights Nova Scotia as being more "wired," based on the percentage of its communities with broadband connectivity, this isn't reflective of the reality within all communities, nor does it diminish the need to connect all Nova Scotians. In other words, "access is not the same as being well served". A presentation
made at the meeting can be accessed at: For more
information: 6. CHANGES IN NEWFOUNDLANDThe Provincial Information and Library Resources Board (PILRB) of Newfoundland and Labrador recently relocated its headquarters from St. John's to Stephenville, a smaller community on the west coast of the province. A number of staff changes occurred concurrent with the move. Shawn Tetford is the new Executive Director as of June 18, 2001, and Charles Cameron was hired as the Director of Regional Operations. For more
information: 7. NEW INTERNET PARTNERSHIP AND PROJECTS AT THE TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARYOn July 25 in a special ceremony at the Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library (TPL), the first children graduated from the kids@computers scholarship project, an initiative by Toronto Social Services to provide home computers and printers for children in families receiving social assistance in Toronto. Toronto Public Library is playing a partnership role in kids@computers by providing the teachers and facilities for orientation sessions. Before receiving their computers, each scholarship winner must complete courses on basic computer skills, Web awareness (which also includes training for parents) and using the Internet to help with homework. This demonstration project will provide home computer systems to an estimated 250 families, and will give more than 500 children aged 8 to 14 access to a home computer and a chance to compete in today's digital world. All residents of Toronto continue to benefit from the TPL's improved Internet services. Eight recent initiatives were designed to improve upon the already extensive Internet services available throughout the Library. Funding for these improvements came from Industry Canada, through a $1.68 million grant from the Urban CAP program.
Internet usage at the TPL has skyrocketed in the past six months, thanks in part to the Urban CAP project. Bandwidth requirements have increased fourfold as the library routinely uses nearly 20 Megs of service. Virtual Library visits to the Library's web sites have also increased dramatically over the same period of time; in the first quarter of 2001, nearly 1.5 million people accessed the Toronto Public Library web based services. For more
information: 8. PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THE CANADIAN HEALTH NETWORKThis month's lead story on the Canadian Health Network (CHN) website is entitled "Public Libraries connect Canadians to the web." It was prepared by the Vancouver Public Library, CHN's Western Regional Operating Partner. The article highlights the role of public libraries in providing equitable access to health information on the Internet and in training patrons to find and assess that information. CHN is now providing "Train the Trainer" sessions which help librarians show the public how to make the best use of the Internet for finding health information. Copies of a training kit are available if a visit is not possible. The Canadian Health Network (CHN) is a national, bilingual Internet-based health information service. Through CHN, the Canadian public and health intermediaries alike can find excellent resources from health information providers across Canada. The CHN seeks to establish itself as Canadians' premier source of "health information you can trust." To view the
article: If you are
interested in learning more about CHN's library training: 9. GATES GIVES $4.2 MILLION TO UK LIBRARIES350 public libraries in low-income areas of the United Kingdom will be able to provide more public Internet access, thanks to a US$4.2 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The gift was originally announced in October 1999. On July 20, the list of libraries that will benefit was published by the body responsible for distributing the money - Resource, the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries. This donation consists of cash only, unlike the donations of computer equipment which the foundation made in North America. The money will be used to provide information technology learning centres in libraries serving some of the most deprived areas in the UK, including the London boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich. Most of the allocation is expected to be spent on new Internet access terminals, although printers and cabling are also eligible. The UK government wants all 4,300 of Britain's libraries to be online by next year. For more
information: 10. ONE-THIRD OF ONLINE AMERICANS SURFING AT HIGH SPEEDSNearly one-third (31 percent) of American Internet users have broadband access at home, work or school, according to a new study by Arbitron Inc. and media research firm Coleman. The study, "Broadband Revolution 2: The Media World of Speedies," found that 64 percent of US Internet users who have broadband access are connected through their workplace, while 37 percent have access at home. There is little overlap between those with broadband at work and at home; of consumers with access to broadband at home and/or work, 58 percent have access only at work and 27 percent have broadband access only at home. Only 15 percent have access at both locations. Broadband users also spend as much time online as they do with radio or television. On average, they report using the Internet for two hours and 16 minutes in a typical day. Radio is the most heavily used traditional broadcast medium among broadband users, with an average two hours and 28 minutes daily listening, followed by television viewing with two hours and 11 minutes daily, and pre-recorded music listening with one hour and 25 minutes. For more
information: 11. CALL FOR PROPOSALSOnline Northwest
2002 Online Northwest 2002 is a one-day conference focusing on the use of technology within libraries which attracts librarians from the Pacific Northwest and around the country. Presenters receive free registration to the conference. The coordinating committee is open to presentations on innovative uses of technology within a library setting, particularly programs that incorporate interactivity or workshopping. The committee encourages academic, public, school, and special librarians to submit proposals. All topics relating to technology and libraries are welcome. The main (broad-definition) program tracks are: cutting edge technologies; applications of technologies; technology in user services; workshops; web design and development. The deadline for submitting a proposal is September 15, 2001. An online
submission form is available at: For more
information: 12. CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTSLibraries
without Walls 4 Lifelong learning is becoming a reality throughout the world, requiring that learning opportunities be delivered to all citizens in their locality, at work or at home, and resulting in the restructuring of higher education. Libraries will be called upon to find innovative and imaginative ways to support such learning, and to treat 'distant' learners on an equal footing with those on-campus. The 'Libraries without Walls' conferences, organized by the Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM), address this important theme. For more
information or to register: CAP Conference Industry Canada's annual CAP Connectivity Conference will be held in conjunction with Netspeed 2001 this year. If your library is a Community Access Site, this conference is for you. For more
information: 2001 LITA
National Forum Information technology has transformational qualities. What does this mean for libraries today and tomorrow? How is technology changing the way libraries and librarians do business? What opportunities and challenges are in our future? How can we best serve our users with new information technologies? The 2001 Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) National Forum focuses on these issues during three days of programming that includes preconferences, general sessions, and more than 30 concurrent sessions. (LITA is a division of the American Library Association.) For more information or to register: http://www.lita.org/forum01/index.htm "Building
Canada's Innovation Infrastructure for Advanced Applications" CANARIE's 7th Annual Advanced Networks Workshop will explore how community broadband networks, provincial networking initiatives and next generation optical networks like the proposed CA*net 4, will contribute to the building of Canada's National Innovation Infrastructure. The workshop will also explore the new types of applications and services that such an infrastructure might support. For more
information or to register: 13. USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCESCAPL
"Advocacy Now" Manual CyberAtlas
Stats Toolbox If
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