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August 2002 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. RURAL BROADBAND PLAN MOVED FORWARDOn August 7, Industry Minister Allan Rock reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to establishing the infrastructure of a broadband network in rural Canada by 2005. A plan to assist communities where the private sector will not provide broadband service will be unveiled in a few weeks. The program will cover rural Canada, the far north, and First Nations communities. "We are advancing our funding timetable for bringing broadband to rural and remote communities by two years because we recognize it is a vital tool for realizing new opportunities for social and economic development," said the Minister. In the 2001 budget, the federal government allocated $105 million to fund the development of broadband, beginning in 2004. As part of the rural package announced by the Prime Minister on June 20, that schedule will be moved up to this year. For more
information: 2. CLA BRIEFS GOVERNMENT ON INNOVATION STRATEGYOn July 29, CLA President Wendy Newman submitted a copy of the association's brief on the Canadian government's Innovation Strategy to the Minister of Human Resources Development and the Minister of Industry. The brief's findings and comments are organized around the four challenges identified by the government: Knowledge Performance, Skills, The Innovation Environment, and Strengthening Communities. CLA members and the library community are urged to use the points in this brief in discussions and planning sessions at the local and regional levels. CLA intends to use the brief in its continued advocacy on issues of public policy related to the planning, delivery and evaluation of library and information services in Canada. CLA has also set as one of its goals invitations to regional Innovation Strategy summits, and to the national summit in November. CLA urges both personal and institutional members to request an invitation to the nearest summit. If you have difficulty in securing an invitation, contact Nadia Lombardi, Senior Officer, Innovation Secretariat, Industry Canada at lombardi.nadia@ic.gc.ca. To read the
full text of the brief: To make comments
on or ask questions about the CLA brief: The list
of regional summits is at: For more
information: 3. OTTAWA'S SM@RTLIBRARYSmartCapital, Ontario's Smart Community Demonstration Project, involves partners from government, education, and the private sector who are working on 12 major initiatives with the objective of making Ottawa the world's most connected city. Within the smart community services stream of SmartCapital, Sm@rtLibrary is building a one-stop portal for the citizens of Ottawa to access the resources and services of the region's libraries. Phase 1 will create a bilingual portal supporting cross-catalogue Z39.50 searches of the participating libraries' databases. In the future, the gateway could be used to provide access to the databases and services of the National Capital Region Library Consortium as well; that would add the resources of an additional 50 to 100 member libraries. Phase 2 of the project will address these long-term questions. During the first 18 months of the project, portal software has been selected, and both of the universities and the public library have implemented new, state-of-the-art integrated library systems. It is anticipated that the portal will be launched early in 2003. Library partners in Phase 1 are: the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI), Carleton University Library, the National Library of Canada, Ottawa Public Library, and the University of Ottawa Library Network. For more
information: 4. PRINCE RUPERT PUBLIC LIBRARY'S NEW HOMEGROWN WEBSERVERThe Prince Rupert Library (PRL) has been using Linux and GNU open-source software since January 2000 in its efforts to provide reliable, secure, uniform, and integrated information services. The majority of Linux/GNU applications run behind the scenes (i.e. on the server side), rather than on the user's desktop. This provides users with a familiar look, so that demand for help with a new system has been minimized. The PRL now uses the Linux OS with various GNU tools, including the ipchains firewall and DHCP, for access to the Internet and its 17 public Internet workstations. One advantage of using open-source programs is that they can be customized to fit local needs; for example, the firewall rules and protocols are set according to the policy decisions of the Prince Rupert Library Board. Open-source tools are also used within the library's internal computer network. A program called Samba controls which individuals and groups have permission to access which files. It also allows staff members to access files, programs, and printers from anywhere in the library, reducing 'lost file' incidents considerably. The latest development took place this summer with the library's launch of a new website. For the first time, the library's site resides on an in-house server running a variety of Linux/GNU software such as Apache, PHP and MySQL. The PRL's next goal is to find an effective, user-friendly, and secure OPAC that can function on the Linux/GNU platform. An investigation to find the best solution is ongoing. To view the
new PRL website: 5. NEW GATES FOUNDATION TOOLKIT FOR LIBRARIESA tool kit intended to help libraries sustain public Internet access programs beyond the initial grant cycle has been released by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Staying Connected: A Toolkit To Build Support In The Community For Your Technology Programs" was designed to help American public libraries engage local communities in their technology programs and enlist their help in sustaining them. Topics covered include developing key contact lists, building volunteer networks, planning events, conducting media relations, raising funds, developing effective partnerships, reaching non-traditional library users, advocating for the library, and meeting the library's technology needs. Resource lists are included. Much of the material in the tool kit will help libraries to develop strategies for any successful library advocacy program. The Foundation recently sent a print copy of the kit to CLA for review to determine which parts are of greatest interest in Canada. To view the
toolkit: 6. INTERNET INCREASES LIBRARY USAGEAn article entitled "The Web Didn't Kill Libraries, It's The New Draw" appeared in the July 25 edition of the Christian Science Monitor. The article points out that the Internet is fueling an increase in library use which, in turn, has led to a library construction and renovation boom in the United States. US$686 million was spent on library construction in the year 2001; according to ALA data, a 15 percent increase from a decade ago. In raw numbers, 80 new libraries were built and 132 existing ones were renovated. Also last year, voters in 23 states passed referendums supporting libraries, including the approval of multi-million bond issues in Virginia and Houston. ALA President Maurice Freedman is quoted as saying, "People have been saying and writing that libraries aren't going to be around much longer, that books are irrelevant, but the renovation of buildings and adding new buildings is an affirmation." To read the
full text of the story: 7. STATISTICS FOR LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION PROVIDERSThe U.S. National Information Standards Organization (NISO) has released a new Z39.7 Library Statistics Draft Standard for Trial Use. This new standard, available as an online database, for the first time addresses an area critical to the modern library: measurement of electronic resources, or e-metrics. The data dictionary incorporates de facto library metrics as well as definitions and methods of measurement adopted by international standards groups and U.S. library associations. The trial use period is 12 months (from July 2002 to July 2003). Librarians and others engaged in library data collection activities are encouraged to review and comment on the standard during this time. Revisions to the draft standard will be released quarterly, depending upon the level of comment, and will be made available on the NISO website. NISO develops and promotes technical standards for use in information delivery services, providing voluntary standards for libraries, publishers and related information technology organizations. All NISO standards are developed by consensus under the guidance of experts and practitioners in the field. To view the
draft standard: For more
information or to comment on the standard: 8. ALL U.K. LIBRARIES ONLINE BY THE END OF 2002The ambitious U.K. project, the People's Network, should succeed in linking all of the United Kingdom's more than 4000 public libraries to the Internet by the end of this year. 2874 libraries, or roughly seventy percent, are connected as of the present date. Over 100 million pounds in total will be spent installing 30,000 workstations across the UK, most connected to the Internet by 2MB lines. As Chris Batt, acting chief executive for Resource, the United Kingdom's council of museums, archives and libraries, says, "Libraries have always been informal learning centers. It's just an extension of (that)." So far, response to the available terminals has been overwhelming. A small, informal survey last year recorded a million hours of online use. A more detailed survey will be undertaken after the formal launch of the network in December. For more
information: 9. RURAL AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY USING SATELLITE TECHNOLOGYAn Australian library is now using satellite technology to provide services and Internet access to its patrons in remote areas of Victoria and New South Wales. The Upper Murray Regional Library (UMRL) already provides two mobile libraries. However, because the region they serve is rugged and mountainous, wireless communications were limited. Until recently, only the most basic library services could be provided. The UMRL approached Xantic, a commercial satellite solution provider, which developed a satellite-delivered mobile Global Area Network (GAN) service. The package provides for full ISDN service at 64kbps, a mobile packet data service (MPDS), and a mobile voice service. Costs are minimized because users are charged for the packages of data transmitted, rather than for the time the user is connected or online. The GAN service means the two mobile libraries can send large amounts of data, email and even participate in video conferences. All this is done with a PC and a laptop-sized satellite terminal. Now patrons using the mobile libraries have access to the Internet, while library staff can access the catalogue system to search for titles and availability. An 18-month trial of the technology was funded by a grant from the Australian federal government's "Networking the Nation" program. For more
information: 10. BROADBAND ACCESS AND DEMAND RISING IN U.S.A survey by American market research firm Solomon-Wolff Associates claims that broadband will account for half of all Internet access in the U.S. by early 2004. Currently, three out of ten of all Internet connections in the U.S. are through either cable or DSL. Three years ago, only six per cent of Internet access was via a broadband connection. Another consumer survey by Covad Communications found a high level of interest in broadband. Fifty-six percent of home dial-up users said that they were not satisfied with their present dial-up service, but have not yet made the upgrade to broadband. 36 percent of dial-up users gave cost as the factor preventing them from going to a high-speed connection. One in five cited lack of access to the service as the main obstacle. For more
information: 11. OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE IN THE NEWSLinux, an operating system for personal computers, is one of the most widely-known open source software (OSS) programs. OSS is software which allows users free access to the programming behind the precompiled binary - the source code. This means that the user can add new features, install the software on a new platform, or fix bugs themselves, rather than waiting for the software company to do so. OSS has begun to make some inroads into the library community; see, for example, the article on the Prince Rupert Public Library in this issue of LibraryNet Monthly. Several library journals have also explored the OSS phenomenon recently. Information Technology and Libraries March 2002 was a special issue featuring open source software. Articles on the history of OSS and the possibilities for its use in libraries are available in fulltext online. To read the
articles: As well, the February 2002 issue of Computers In Libraries (CiL) discussed open source and custom in-house software solutions for libraries. A few of the articles are available in fulltext online. LibraryNet's "Best Practices" report received a mention in CiL's Online Treasures column on Internet resources in the same issue. To read the
article: In May, Linux distributors Caldera, SuSE, Turbolinux and Conectiva announced that they will work together to create a standardized distribution of the Linux open source operating system. The four companies will collaborate under the name "UnitedLinux" in hopes of attracting more business clients to the open-source operating system. Nearly every major software and hardware vendor has expressed support for UnitedLinux, including systems and software vendors AMD, Borland Software Corporation, Computer Associates, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, NEC, Progress Software and SAP. For more
information: The June 3, 2002 issue of First Monday includes an article entitled "Open Source Intelligence," about some of the information-sharing projects that have grown out of the open source software movement's collaborative approach. The article defines open source intelligence as "the collaborative gathering and analysis of information." Three case studies - the nettime mailing list, the Wikipedia encyclopedia project and the NoLogo website - show some of the breadth of this emerging phenomenon. To read the
full text of the article: 12. RAISING THE ACCESSIBILITY BARStanford University's Archimedes Project is a group of individuals committed to making information technology available to people with disabilities, the elderly, people with limited literacy, and everyone else who uses computers and information appliances worldwide. This summer, a group of nine international graduate students was selected for an intern program to work with industry on developing innovative products for people with disabilities. The most imaginative technology the Program has developed so far is the "accessor," a single device allowing the user to utilize all computers and information appliances without specialized hardware or software. The Total Access System, as the accessor is named, uses speech recognition, head-and-eye tracking and other "human-centered interfaces" to match individual needs. For more
information: 13. CONFLICTING DIGITAL DIVIDE OPINIONSIt seems that for every survey claiming to show that the digital divide has been bridged, another claims the opposite. A recent report from the U.S. advocacy group Civilrights.org concludes that many Americans are still on the wrong side of the technology divide, and that federal government programs are crucial in bringing the entire nation online. "Bringing a Nation Online: The Importance of Federal Leadership" examines the data released earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Commerce in its report "A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet" which showed substantial gains in access to computers and the Internet for all Americans (See the February 2002 issue of LibraryNet Monthly for details.) The Civilrights.org report emphasizes that despite these gains, a significant divide remains based on income, race/ethnicity, and disability. For example, while Internet use among whites and Asian American/Pacific Islanders hovers around 68%, use rates for blacks (30%) and Hispanics (32%) trail far behind. The report singles out two federal government programs, the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) and the Community Technology Centers (CTC) program, as having the greatest impact on narrowing these access gaps. Civilrights.org's mission is billed as "empowering the civil rights community to lead the fight for equality and social justice in the emerging digital society through the establishment of an online social justice network." To read the
full text of the report: On the other hand, the findings of a recent survey conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University indicate that the digital divide between generations, at least, is shrinking. The poll found that Internet usage varied little between age groups; the only people who do not "regularly" (defined as at least once a week) use the Internet are those aged 65 and older. However, an income-based digital divide does persist; half of all people in households with incomes of US$80,000 or more use the Internet every day, in comparison to less than a quarter of those in households earning less than $25,000 use the Internet. The survey results are based on a telephone survey of 1,008 adult Americans conducted in June 2002 at the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University. For more
details on the survey results: 14. NEW UK DIGITAL DIVIDE PUBLICATIONBecta (the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) has just published a collection of papers from a Digital Divide Seminar that it co-hosted in February 2002. Some of the papers include: "Meeting the ICT Needs of Socially Excluded Customers," "Digital Divide and Problems with Definition," and "The Importance of Digital Information and Tools Design in Enhancing Accessibility." Becta is the U.K. government's lead agency for information and communications technology (ICT) in education. It supports government, schools, and colleges in the use and development of ICT in education to raise standards, widen access, improve skills and encourage effective management. To read the
full text of the reports (in PDF format): 15. CAN NON-PROFITS SURMOUNT THEIR DIGITAL DIVIDE?The current issue of First Monday (August 5, 2002) includes a paper on the digital divide faced by third sector - i.e. non-profit, non-governmental - organizations. "The Potential of the Internet for Non-Profit Organizations" identifies characteristics defining non-profits' involvement in the digital world and analyzes models of technology access that suggest significant potential benefit. The paper examines the resources necessary to make full use of the interactive nature of the Internet, through the case study of an environmental organization operating in Australia. The author concludes that third sector organizations are failing to harness the potential offered by Internet technology and its growing acceptance and use. She recommends that non-profits draw on the experiences of other organizations and consider online volunteer management, discussion forums, information-rich websites, innovative fund-raising, online advocacy and tailored information distribution, to develop an Internet strategy that reflects their needs and resources. To read the
full text of the paper: 16. INTERNET USE SNAPSHOTSThe Pew Internet & American Life Project has compiled two useful tables from the data collected in its annual surveys on general Internet use in the U.S. The "Daily Internet Activities" table lists the percentage of 64 million American Internet users who do a specific online activity on any given day. "Internet Activities" details the percentage of users who have ever used the Internet for a particular activity. 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 view the
tables: 17. ONLINE COURSE COVERING COPYRIGHT LAWA nine-week course on Canadian and International Copyright Law begins September 17, 2002. Topics addressed will include: understanding intellectual property; legally using copyright materials; comparison of Canadian and American copyright laws; and digital copyright and electronic rights. This course is based on the textbook Canadian Copyright Law. The author of the book, Lesley Ellen Harris, has prepared the e-lessons for the course. The fee is $99 U.S. To register: For more
information: 18. REQUEST FOR PARTICIPATIONThe Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and the OCLC Members Council Task Force on Library Staff Development have commissioned a worldwide survey on "Training and Education of Library Workers". Outsell, Inc. a research and advisory firm that focuses exclusively on the information industry, has been engaged to conduct the survey. The survey will be used by OCLC and others within the library and information communities to help create a better understanding of training and education needs and opportunities for strategic and cooperative action. For more
information: To participate
in the survey: 19. CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTSThird Global
Congress On Community Networking In The Digital Era: "Empowering Communities:
Innovation, Proposals, Action" This international conference on new information and communication technologies and their social appropriation is built around eight themes, including the future of community networking, Internet rights and the regulation of communication, cultural diversity, women and the Internet, and open source software for community networking. One of the main objectives of the Congress is to develop a common platform representing the positions of community networks for the UN World Summit on the Information Society in 2003. For more
information or to register: 2002 LITA
National Forum The Library & Information Technology Association's National Forum is a highly regarded annual event for those whose work involves new and leading edge technologies in the library and information technology field. The three-day conference includes more than 30 concurrent sessions as well as a technology showcase. Space is limited, so be sure to register early if you are interested in attending. For more
information or to register: Netspeed
2002 This conference, at which librarians, technical staff and trustees can explore new technologies in a highly connected world, is organized by The Alberta Library. For more
information or to register: Rural Matters:
CRRF Rural University The Rural University is a regional community learning event on rural development issues and strategies. Come explore and learn about tourism planning and development, citizen participation in natural resource management, information technology and the knowledge-based economy, planning for major economic change, and value-added development from natural resources. The Rural University combines serious content with field trips and cultural celebration. It brings scientists, academics, technical specialists, and bureaucrats into the community to share their knowledge. For more
information or to register: Internet
Librarian 2002: "Navigating the Turbulent Waters" Internet technologies are the focus of this conference, featuring four keynote sessions, more than a hundred speakers, and in-depth learning events and workshops. The Internet Librarian conference is the only conference designed for information professionals who are using, developing, and embracing Internet and web-based strategies in their roles as information searchers, guides, webmasters, content evaluators and organizers, product developers, and more. For more
information or to register: 20. CALLS FOR PAPERSInternet
Librarian International 2003 Internet Librarian International is a unique conference and exhibition for information professionals who want to update their skills and learn about new strategies, products, and technology for finding, organizing, and managing information resources. 2003 conference themes include: web search strategies and tools, intranets and portals, web design and development, content management tools, e-content issues, and more. Choose a topic related to one of these themes, or another topic, panel, or case study you think will be of interest. The key requirement for speakers is to be knowledgeable about the chosen topic and to focus on practical issues and implementation strategies. The deadline for submissions is September 9, 2002. To submit
a proposal: 2003 Information
Resources Management Association The overall conference theme is "Information Technology and Organizations: Trends, Issues, Challenges and Solutions". Submissions are invited on dozens of topics, from data mining to web-based learning and teaching. The submission deadline is October 4, 2002. For more
information: 21. USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCESSAPL
Extra.Net REFCAN-L ILI-L
(Information Literacy Instruction Listserv) Inuit
Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) Saint
Croix Island Virtual Exhibition Newsforge Finding
Images on the Web "E-Serials
Cataloging: Access to Continuing and Integrating Resources via the Catalog
and the Web" Rocketinfo Webby
Awards Freedominfo.org If
you have information you would like featured in the next issue of LibraryNet
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