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February 2002 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) WINDSOR PUBLIC LIBRARY CREATES A GIS GUIDE TO WINDSOROn February 5, the Windsor Public Library (WPL) and its partners launched iCity, an innovative new online learning tool. ICity: Historic Sites of Windsor is a website that uses sophisticated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to track over time the changing history, geography, architecture, and urban planning principles that created the historic Walkerville district of Windsor. The site combines layers of photos, audio and video clips, and GIS maps to illustrate the process of urban growth. In the future, purchasers of property will be able to research the history of any piece of land, beginning with the present day information available through the City of Windsor GIS. "iCity will grow to be an essential tool for anyone interested in land use in Windsor, including students of urban planning, architecture, history and Geographic Information Systems," said WPL Board Member Pat McMahon. Walkerville was chosen as the subject of the website because its evolution had been well documented on paper, beginning with its founding by 19th Century liquor entrepreneur Hiram Walker. ICity is a partnership of the Windsor Public Library, the University of Windsor and the City of Windsor. The Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation also contributed funding to the iCity project. To visit
iCity: For more
information: 2) HIGH-SPEED INTERNET TO ALL CORNERS OF ALBERTA BY 2004The Alberta SuperNet is a pioneering initiative to connect all libraries, universities, school boards, hospitals, provincial government buildings and regional health authorities throughout the province to a broadband network. When completed, the SuperNet will bring high-speed Internet access to at least 422 communities in the province (from the current 30). Ray Patterson, associate professor at the University of Alberta's School of Business, claims that the SuperNet "will revolutionize Alberta." He sees the project as equivalent to wiring rural North America for electricity. The SuperNet will consist of two seamless areas, a base area network and an extended area network. Prime contractor Bell Intrigna has committed $102 million toward completion of the base area network, with Calgary's Axia SuperNet Ltd. subcontracted for the rest. The province's financial commitment to the $295-million project is $193 million for infrastructure costs. Private partners will fund the rest and are obligated to provide the broadband service at the same rates charged in major urban centres. The SuperNet is also intended to encourage Internet service providers to connect at competitive rates. The agreement binds Bell Intrigna to providing broadband service at the same competitive rate if a market exists in a particular area, but no one is currently supplying it. For more
information: See also
the November 2000 issue of LibraryNet Monthly: 3) SASKATCHEWAN RELEASES REPORT ON LIBRARY SERVICES FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLEThe Saskatchewan government's Advisory Committee on Library Services for Aboriginal People released its report on ways to improve access to library services for First Nations and Métis people, "Information is for Everyone," on February 13. The committee was formed to address concerns about under-service of First Nations and Métis people. Only a small percentage of First Nations' communities in southern Saskatchewan choose to join the public library system, creating barriers to providing library service for residents of non-participating communities. Secondly, even when a First Nation participates in the library system, public libraries do not attract First Nations and Métis people in numbers proportional to the population. The report recommends a two-part strategy for improving access to library services for Aboriginal peoples. First, universal access to public library services needs to be established for all Saskatchewan residents, including those who reside on First Nations reserve land. The provincial grant pool for regional libraries should be increased to reflect the expanding populations this would create. In addition, First Nations, with financial support from the federal government, should be encouraged to negotiate agreements with public library systems for additional on-reserve public library services. The second half of this strategy is intended to achieve equitable access: library usage by Aboriginal people proportionate to their population. This requires the creation of a welcoming atmosphere and culturally appropriate services, programming and collections in public libraries. Special project funding should be provided as required. The report makes forty-six recommendations in all to both provincial and federal governments, the public library system, First Nations and Métis governments, and other organizations. The full
text of the report is available at: For more
information: 4) CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES TO CREATE ONLINE TEXT ARCHIVEThe federal government has given $2.6 million to six Canadian university libraries to create the Text Analysis Portal for Research, which will be one of the world's largest online databases of old texts and archives. The libraries will combine their electronic databases, which include legal documents, stories in aboriginal languages, rare poetry, oral history statements and Old English texts. Laboratories equipped with scanners and computers to analyse texts will be set up at each of the six participating institutions - the University of Victoria, University of Alberta, McMaster University, Université de Montréal, University of Toronto and University of New Brunswick. Much of the material will be available to the public. "It won't just be restricted to Canadian material, because researchers in Canada are multi-disciplinary and multi-national in their interests. It will put Canada on the world stage," said Susan Fisher, electronic-services librarian at the University of New Brunswick. The grant is the largest single grant ever awarded to a humanities project in Canada. The schools will contribute another $4.2-million to finance the project. For more
information: 5) INTERNET'S IMPACT ON CANADIAN FAMILIESAn RBC Financial Group/Ipsos-Reid study released in January suggests that Canadian families are making major lifestyle changes in response to the wave of new communications technologies entering their homes. The survey was designed to achieve an understanding of how families and small business owners are balancing the new demands and opportunities of home and work life in the context of technological change. The study claimed that Canadian families often surf the Internet together. 39 per cent of parents said that they sometimes go online with their kids, while 12 per cent said they "always" do. In addition, 56 per cent of parents admit that they have learned at least some of what they know about the Internet from their children. Over half of parents (57 per cent) have guidelines about when and how the computer is to be used and 48 per cent say they place time limits or curfews on their kids' Internet usage. Canadian families seem to prefer surfing the Internet to channel surfing. Half of respondents (51 per cent) said that if stuck on a deserted island for a month they would prefer to have a computer with Internet access rather than a television or telephone. The survey is based on a sample of 750 online parents with children under 18 living at home. For the complete
survey results (in PDF format): 6) MORE THAN HALF OF THE US NOW ONLINE - BUT IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BRIDGED?The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released "A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use Of The Internet" on February 5. This report provides comprehensive information on Americans' connectivity to the Internet, broadband services, and computers, based on the September 2001 U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. The report concludes that "not only are many more Americans using the Internet and computers at home, they are also using them at work, school, and other locations for an expanding variety of purposes." According to the report, the rate of growth of Internet use in the U.S. is currently two million new Internet users per month, and more than half of the nation is now online. Children and teenagers use computers and the Internet more than any other age group. Ninety percent of children between the ages of 5 and 17 (or 48 million) now use computers, and computers at schools substantially narrow the gap in computer usage rates for children from high and low income families. Internet use is increasing for people regardless of income, education, age, race, ethnicity, or gender. Between December 1998 and September 2001, Internet use by individuals in the lowest-income households (those earning less than $15,000 per year) increased at a 25 percent annual growth rate. The highest growth rate among different types of households was for single mothers with children (29 percent). NTIA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, speaks on domestic and international telecommunications and information technology issues. To read the
full text of the report: Meanwhile, the Benton Foundation has put out a press release strongly criticizing the conclusions of "A Nation Online," and claiming that "the Bush administration, in a stark about-face, has given up on the decade-long national fight to bridge the digital divide." In its recent 2002 budget, the White House cancelled over $100 million in public funding, previously available for community technology grants and IT training programs. The Foundation sees the release of "A Nation Online" as an attempt to justify these cuts by claiming that the digital divide is no longer a major concern. The Foundation says that its analysis of the data from "A Nation Online" reveals that gaps in technology access among citizens of different educational, income, racial and geographic backgrounds are not abating. According to "A Nation Online" only one in four of America's poorest households were online in 2001 compared with eight in ten homes earning over $75,000 per year, and this gap expanded dramatically between 1997 and 2001. The Benton Foundation is a nonpartisan organization which works to realize the social benefits made possible by the public interest use of communications. Read the
full text of the press release at: 7) NEW LIBRARY KIOSKS WITH VIRTUAL REFERENCE CAPABILITYTwo American firms, Public Information Kiosk (PIK) and LSSI, have joined forces to offer live, real-time virtual reference services through library computer kiosks. LSSI's Virtual Reference Services are now available as an optional feature on PIK's e-Branch Library kiosks. The e-Branch Library Kiosk is a library "ATM," designed to deliver library services and information in an unattended environment. Libraries install the kiosks in shopping malls, grocery stores, government office buildings, senior citizen complexes, recreation centers, and other high traffic locations where they provide self-service options 24 hours a day. Patrons touch a button on the screen to connect with a librarian any time of the day or night. The librarian opens up a shared browser on the kiosk which she or he can use to send webpages to the patron and "escort" the patron through searches on the library catalogue, databases, or other information resources. The librarian and patron may communicate via text-based chat, or by talking over the phone built into the kiosk. Once the interaction is completed, the patron is emailed or faxed a complete transcript of the session for future reference. One of the great benefits of library kiosks is that they help to bridge the digital divide by making many of the library's electronic services available to those without a computer or an Internet connection. With the new kiosks, any member of the community can access live library reference services (as well as the catalogue, databases, and other electronic services) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Reference services are provided by librarians at LSSI's 24/7 Web Reference Center in Maryland. Alternatively, public libraries may opt to purchase LSSI's software and staff the reference service entirely on their own, or share staffing with LSSI's Web Reference Center. For more
information: 8) DISABLED USE OF INTERNET STILL LOW; NEW ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS MAY HELPNew assisted-use devices that make it easier to use computers have yet to convince more disabled people to try the Internet, according to a recent survey released by the (U.S.) National Organization on Disability found. People with disabilities have increased their use of the Internet over the past two years; however, their use falls significantly behind that of people without disabilities. Just 38 percent of disabled American adults said they used the Internet, compared to 56 percent of non-disabled adults. From December 1998 to June of 2001, the rate of home Internet use increased by more than 400% among persons with disabilities (from 7% to 38%), compared to about 200% among persons without disabilities (from 26% to 56%). If Internet use by persons with disabilities continues at the same growth rate, it should match the Internet use of the non-disabled in a few years. People with visual or hearing impairments were mostly likely to use the Internet at home; 43 percent reported doing so, followed by people with learning or cognitive difficulties at 39 percent. Only 35 percent of people with mobility and movement difficulties said they used the Internet. Cost might be a factor in keeping disabled internet use low, says Stephen Kaye, a researcher at the University of California at San Francisco who studies how the disabled use technology. "Not that many people with disabilities have jobs. A lot of them get by on benefit programs that don't make them wealthy enough to afford a computer." The poll surveyed 2,024 people, and has a margin of error of 3 percent. Those considered disabled had either long-lasting cases of vision or hearing impairment; a condition that limited basic physical activities; or a physical, mental or emotional condition that made it hard to learn, remember or concentrate. The actual number of disabled people in the poll was not available. For more
information: However, a new set of U.S. federal government standards may help to make sites more user-friendly for the disabled. The new Section 508 guidelines create government-wide accessibility standards for all federal agencies; vendors must comply with the standards as well. The rules may also include public or university libraries that receive state funding. (At the moment, there are conflicting interpretations of whether Section 508 applies to the states.) Some of the requirements under Section 508 include: providing a text equivalent for every nontext element and equivalent alternatives for any multimedia presentation; ensuring that all information conveyed with colour is also intelligible without colour (for example from context or markup); and organizing documents so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet. Unequal access to information for the disabled is a civil rights violation under the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires that federal agencies make adjustments for those with visual, audio, mobility, and cognitive impairments. For more
information or for the full text of the guidelines: 9) UCLA INTERNET REPORT 2001 - "SURVEYING THE DIGITAL FUTURE"Last November, the UCLA Center for Communication Policy released year two of its annual Internet Report, "Surveying the Digital Future." In 2000, the first report of the UCLA Internet Project created a base profile of behaviour and attitudes about Internet use and non-use. The second year of the project compared findings from 2000 to 2001, looking at five major areas: who is online and who is not, media use and trust, consumer behaviour, communication patterns, and social and psychological effects. The report also focuses on Internet users versus non-users, and new users (less than one year of experience) compared to very experienced users (five or more years of experience). The 2001 report demonstrates that going online is now a mainstream activity in American life that continues to spread among people across all age groups, education levels and incomes. The study also found that enthusiasm for e-commerce is down, broad concerns remain about Internet privacy and security, and television is the primary victim of increasing Internet use. The report found an interesting new gap emerging in patterns of Internet use: the difference between how experienced users and those with little experience online use the Internet. Very experienced Internet users spend a larger proportion of time online sending e-mail, doing professional work, looking for news, or trading stocks. New Internet users spend a greater proportion of their time visiting chat rooms, playing games, and browsing online. The largest differences between new users and very experienced users are participating in chat rooms (accessed much more by new users) and doing professional work (done far more by experienced users). The primary reason why 27.7 percent of Americans are not online is "no computer" or "lack of access to an adequate computer." The number of non-users who are "not interested" is declining. Even for non-users who were once users is the same as the response of those who do not currently use the Internet: "no computer available." The reports are based on surveys of a sample of 2,006 American Internet users and non-users. The UCLA Center for Communication Policy is a forum for the discussion and development of policy alternatives addressing the leading issues in media and communication. For more
information, or to read the full text of the report (in PDF format): 10) NEW STATISTICS ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN CANADAThe latest edition of "Key Statistics on ICT Infrastructure, Use and Content" (October 2001) is now available on the Strategis website. This report brings together statistics on the latest trends in the information and communications technologies (ICT) sector, in Internet access and use, and in new applications and content including electronic commerce, online courses, telehealth and e-government. Charts and tables include: Information Haves and Have-Nots, What are Canadians Doing Online?, Internet Penetration by Province, Business Technology Use in Canada by Size of Firm and by Sector, and Canada's Current and Projected Share of World E-Commerce. To view the
report as a slide show: To read the
report in PDF format: 11) US & NORDIC COUNTRIES STILL TOPS ON THE NET"The Global Information Technology Report 2001-2002: Readiness for the Networked World," a joint publication of the Center for International Development at Harvard University and the World Economic Forum, was released on February 3. The report is a comprehensive and wide-ranging international study of the state of information technology. Themes such as rural ICT development, telecommunications reform, ICTs and education, business practice and trade policy and patterns are examined in depth. The report includes a Networked Readiness Index that ranks 75 countries according to their capacity to take advantage of ICT networks; higher ranked countries have more highly developed ICT networks and greater potential to exploit the capacity of those networks. The United States ranks 1st on the NRI, Iceland ranks 2nd, followed by other mostly Nordic European countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark). Canada is in 12th position, just behind the United Kingdom in 10th place and New Zealand at 11. Seventy-five in-depth Networked Readiness country profiles document the major national and sub-national ICT trends. Countries around the world are grappling with major challenges, including urban-rural splits in ICT usage, getting small and medium businesses online, high Internet access prices, crafting effective telecommunications policy, and shortages of skilled ICT workers. "Our analysis suggests that the ability of a country to be successful in the networked world depends not only on its income level," says the Report's Managing Editor, Geoffrey Kirkman of Harvard University, "but also on key enabling factors such as telecommunications policy, the business climate and the educational system." The full report will be available in print in mid-March from Oxford University Press, The World Economic Forum is an independent organization committed to improving the state of the world. Funded by international corporate contributions, the Forum acts in the spirit of entrepreneurship in the global public interest to further economic growth and social progress. For more
information, or to read sections of the report (in PDF format): 12) $10 MILLION TO RECRUIT U.S. LIBRARIANSLast month, a proposed $10 million initiative to recruit a new generation of librarians for 2003 was announced by the American Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The American First Lady, Laura Bush, a former public school librarian, made the official announcement at a public library in Kansas. The IMLS claims that recruiting a new generation of librarians is vital. Upcoming research (scheduled for publication in the March 2002 issue of American Libraries magazine) will show that based on 1990 U.S. Census data almost 58 percent of professional librarians will reach the age of 65 between 2005 and 2019. In May 2000, Library Journal magazine reported that 40 percent of America's library directors plan to retire in 9 years or less. And, according to the July 2000 U.S. Monthly Labor Review, in 1998 57 percent of professional librarians were aged 45 or older. The funds will be used to invest in a variety of programs, such as scholarships and fellowships for master's programs; support for doctoral students who will train the next generation of librarians; leadership development; distance learning for underserved rural areas; and efforts to recruit librarians to serve increasingly diverse communities with diverse language skills. The IMLS is an independent U.S. federal agency that supports American museums and libraries. For more
information: 13) INTERNET PAYPHONE IN THE HEART OF MANHATTANOn February 11, TCC Teleplex, an independent pay-telephone supplier, installed the first public pay-access Internet kiosk in New York on a Manhattan street. For a dollar per four minutes of access, passers-by can now surf the Net at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 46th St. TCC Teleplex has approximately 1500 traditional phone booths in New York, but is seeing a steep decline in their use, due to cell phones. Their CEO calls Internet kiosks "a natural diversification." If the kiosk goes over well during a thirty-day trial, the company hopes to install a hundred more like it around the city within a year. For more
information: 14) CONTRIBUTE TO A PUBLIC ACCESS START-UP MANUALThe Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet) is updating its CTC Center Start-Up Manual, first published in 1997, to reflect current community technology centres' experiences and needs. The Manual is widely recognized as a principal guide for establishing CTCs and serves as an organized framework of experience. CTCNet would like to include information from your public access site in the next version of the Manual. They are searching for handouts, documents, projects, and graphics of use to others. You can also submit a report or web site which could be cited as a reference. In conjunction with the revised Manual, an Operations Toolkit is being developed to provide a wider array of templates, best practices, and forms currently used in the field. The manual and the toolkit will be available in print, CD-ROM, and web formats by June 2002. CTCNet is committed to achieving a society in which all people are empowered by technology skills and usage. To this end, CTCNet brings together agencies and programs that provide opportunities for people who lack access to computers and related technologies to learn to use these technologies. For more
information about the revision, or to read the current version of the
Manual: For more
information: 15) CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTSContent Management:
for Information Professionals Information services increasingly recognize the importance of Content Management: to keep any web site up to date, to encourage contributions to an intranet, without losing control of site structure, design and usability, to personalize a site for different users and to manage digitized content or licensed resources. This conference is for those who run web sites and intranets for information services, and those with strategic responsibility for the development of web based services. It is aimed specifically at those working in libraries, museums and archives For more
information or to register: "The
State of Digital Preservation: An International Perspective" The Council on Library and Information Resources is holding this workshop, focussing on international developments in digital preservation and identifying the emerging challenges. There is no charge for the workshop, but attendees are asked to cover their travel and hotel costs. The registration deadline is March 15. For more
information: To register: 16) CALLS FOR PAPERSSymposium
2003 "Preservation of Electronic Records: New Knowledge and Decision-making" Leading archives and libraries are increasingly aware of the challenges of preserving materials stored on magnetic and optical media. The purpose of this symposium is to bring expert and leading edge opinions to a larger audience, including small and medium-sized archives, libraries, and museums. Papers emphasizing new knowledge, case studies, or critical reviews are encouraged for each step of the decision-making process: value criteria, authenticity criteria, factors to be considered in developing a preservation strategy, preservation strategies for information content, and media knowledge. Presentations will be limited to 30 minutes (including time for introduction and questions), and may be in either English or French. Simultaneous translation will be provided. In addition to formal papers, submissions for posters are also welcome. Posters may be presented in the traditional fashion on boards, or electronically in the form of Web pages. The submission deadline is April 30, 2002. For more
information: The Ethics
of Electronic Information in the 21st Century Symposium (EEI21) In its sixth year, EEI21 continues to be a scholarly symposium which treats a wide variety of issues relating to electronic information and information technology. The deadline for proposals is April 5, 2002. For more
information: 17) USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCESLogging
Usability Library
Support Staff.com Tools
for Managing Public Access Terminals Steven
Bell's Keeping Up Web Page The
Shifted Librarian Literacy
On Line BBF
électronique 60
Sites in 60 Minutes greatKids New
Internet Scout Project Reports DIGITAL-COPYRIGHT If
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