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January 2002 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. CALL FOR "BEST PRACTICES" NOMINATIONSLibraryNet will soon be preparing its sixth annual "Best Practices" Report on Innovative Internet use in Canadian public libraries. The report is written to provide trail-blazing libraries with recognition for their efforts, and to inspire other Canadian libraries to create their own Internet applications. LibraryNet is particularly interested in projects which address the "digital divide" issue, promote public libraries as a vehicle for e-learning or government services online, or support the SchoolNet Youth initiative by hiring and training youth. If you know of a library (yours or another) using the Internet in fresh ways to deliver information to assist patrons and/or staff, email LibraryNet at ln-rb@schoolnet.ca with details of the project and its URL. Look for this year's Best Practices report at LibraryNet's booth at the CLA Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 19 to 22. Past editions are available on the LibraryNet website. For more
information: 2. PICTOU-ANTIGONISH LAUNCHES VIRTUAL LIBRARYOn January 17, the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library (PARL) held the official launch of its Virtual Public Library. PARL patrons are among the first Nova Scotians to gain access to virtual public library services. Now they can apply for a library card, search for materials, make online requests or renew materials, and access more than 1,300 full-text magazines and other reference resources online. The Pictou-Antigonish Virtual Public Library also offers an online reference desk; patrons can email research questions to library staff who will assist them with their search. A growing collection of local history and culture resources includes new websites on the lobster industry and the place names of Pictou and Antigonish Counties. Over the next few months, other regional libraries across the province are scheduled to begin offering online catalogue services through a partnership with the Nova Scotia Provincial Library. The Virtual Public Library has benefited from the financial assistance of LibraryNet, Human Resources Development Canada, the Nova Scotia Technology and Science Secretariat, and many others. To visit
the Virtual Library: 3. THE LONDON PUBLIC LIBRARY TO HOUSE MEDIA LITERACY CENTREOn January 22, the London Public Library (LPL) announced a donation of $200,000 from CHUM Television toward the establishment of North America's first library-based Media Literacy Centre. The CHUM Television Media Literacy Centre will be fully wired to ensure users have full access to the best media literacy tools, and can benefit from programs delivered both online and onsite. First-rate print, electronic and audiovisual materials will be available to students, teachers, librarians, parents, consumers and anyone else interested in developing an informed and critical understanding of the nature of screen-based media, the techniques used in creating media products, and the media's role in society. "We believe this is the first time a centre of this type is being offered in a public library setting. Other Media Literacy centres are 'virtual' sites, offered exclusively on the Internet," said Library CEO Darrel Skidmore. "One of the most important and exciting benefits of the CHUM Television Media Literacy Centre is that there will be a help service, including technology assistance, provided by library staff." Technology to allow CHUM Television's local station to broadcast live from the Centre will also be incorporated into the leading edge design. London Public Library is currently rebuilding three of its sixteen branches and constructing a new Central Library, scheduled to open in August 2002. The Media Literacy Centre will be housed in the new Central Library. For more
information: 4. NEW CANADIAN RESEARCH ON DIGITAL LIBRARY USERSA new Canadian paper on digital library use has just been published. "Studying digital library users over time: a follow-up survey of Early Canadiana Online," by Joan Cherry and Wendy Duff of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information Studies, appears in the January 2002 issue of Information Research, an international electronic journal. This paper reports on the second survey of users of Early Canadiana Online (ECO), a digital collection of Early Canadiana materials hosted by the National Library of Canada. The main purpose of the study was to investigate whether the user group or the nature of use had changed since the first survey, conducted one year earlier. Findings showed that the user group and the nature of use remained remarkably similar to the first survey, and that many of the requests for changes and suggestions for enhancements were the same as in the first survey. Respondents who used ECO for teaching and research differed from other respondents in a number of ways. The article concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for digital libraries in general and the value of studying digital library users over time. To read the
full text of the article: To visit
Early Canadiana Online: 5. THE INTERNET GUIDE NO LONGER AVAILABLEFor several years, LibraryNet has made The Internet Guide (TIG), a web-based Internet orientation course from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information Studies, available for free to all Canadian public library staff, public library trustees and school librarians. As of January 31, 2002, the Faculty of Information Studies will no longer be maintaining TIG, and so it will no longer be available on the LibraryNet website. In place of TIG, LibraryNet now offers links to a few recommended (free) Internet training tutorials. User feedback on these would be most appreciated; please feel free to give us your opinion of the best tutorial or suggest a new one to link to. To view the
new tutorial suggestions: 6. US LIBRARIES UPGRADING TECHNOLOGYOn January 10, the Wall Street Journal's online edition featured a story by Kelly K. Spors about a "new emphasis on upgrading technology" in American public libraries. The story highlighted the US$40 million expansion of the Cerritos Public Library in Los Angeles, which will include a floor-to-ceiling saltwater aquarium, a life-size replica of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and other theme- park-like touches. The technology advances of the new library are just as impressive, however: two hundred new computer workstations, 1200 laptop ports, wireless headsets and handheld computers for librarians, multimedia rooms, and a circulation system that uses radio frequency to track books instead of bar codes or magnetic strips. The radio circulation system automatically checks in books as they fall through the drop-off bin; eventually, this wireless technology may allow patrons to borrow books by simply walking out the door with them. The article quotes Joan Frye Williams, owner of a California library technology consulting firm, as saying "[t]here was a long dry spell for libraries, when things weren't changing much. But now, there's been a lot of new growth in communities, and people are turning back to libraries again, and you're seeing a lot of fast changes." It goes on to mention American libraries adding high-speed connections, loaning e-books, and teaching multimedia classes. Some public libraries have installed conveyor belts to make checking in books more efficient. Other libraries are adding wireless connections so people can log on to the Internet using laptops anywhere in the facility. At some libraries with long waits to use computers, patrons are given vibrating pagers so they can browse while they wait. To read the
full text of the article: For more
information: 7. COMMITTEE TO ESTABLISH TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR ONLINE REFERENCE SERVICESOn January 10, the U.S. National Information Standards Organization (NISO) announced that a new standards committee is being organized to develop standards that will enable interoperable, networked reference services. Whether delivered via real-time chat or asynchronous e-mail, digital reference service allows library patrons to submit questions and receive answers via electronic means. There is a growing interest in evolving localized network reference services into more fully interconnected, collaborative reference services. The new standards committee will explore standards development in two general areas. One is a question processing transaction protocol for interchange of messages between digital reference domains, which will support processing and routing of questions and responses and packaging of other information to be exchanged. The other is a metadata element set to identify and describe key components of both question and answer data and institutional and personal data. The Networked Reference Services Committee will be chaired by Sally H. McCallum of the Library of Congress. McCallum intends to form the committee into two teams to deal with question processing transaction protocol and networked reference metadata element sets. NISO develops and promotes voluntary technical standards for use in information delivery services. All NISO standards are developed by consensus under the guidance of experts and practitioners in the field to meet the needs of both the information user and the producer. For more
information: 8. LIBRARIES KEY INFORMATION SOURCE AFTER 9/11A new survey from Libraries for the Future (LFF) confirms that after the events of September 11, American libraries were key providers of information about Islam, Afghanistan, and terrorism-related topics. The survey polled U.S. state librarians and directors of libraries serving a population of more than 200,000. Half of those polled reported that library usage and requests for information had increased, and that "many people visited the library for the first time." According to the survey, the key September 11-related reasons that patrons came to libraries were: to use email; to learn about the events themselves; and to learn about the history leading up to the events. Interestingly, the Internet has been the most popular source of news, say 55% of respondents. An overwhelming number of libraries (95%) are acquiring new materials to satisfy the demand for information. Many unusual reference questions were posed to librarians post-September 11, including: What is Osama bin Laden's address? How do you hang a flag? and Who becomes President if all 17 people in line for the presidency are eliminated? Founded in 1992, Libraries for the Future is a national advocacy organization that works to achieve equal access to the information and knowledge essential for a democratic society. For more
information: See also: 9. WHY IS THE US SLOW TO EMBRACE BROADBAND?On January 8, the Washington Post published a column by law professor Lawrence Lessig on conditions holding back widespread adaptation of broadband Internet access in the United States. The article highlighted the fact that Canadians are twice as likely as Americans to have broadband access, due in part to the federal government's significant role in pushing broadband access. In a recent speech, U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell identified lack of online content as a possible explanation for the slow adoption of broadband technologies in the United States. Major copyright holders have been hesitant to make their content available over the Internet and their reluctance, in turn, has slowed consumers' interest in broadband technologies. Lessig suggests that the solution to this problem is one that the U.S. Congress has used in the past. Legislation is needed to see that "old technologies don't veto the new" by giving copyright owners a right to compensation, but ensuring that innovators also have a right to access content. To view the
full text of the article: 10. AMERICAN LIBRARIES IDENTIFY FILTERING ISSUES IN BUDGET REPORTOn January 15, Library Journal published its 2002 Budget Report, an annual survey of American public libraries' spending and policy priorities during the past year. Internet-related expenses still represent a very small portion of a library's total budget, but that proportion has nearly doubled - from 2.2 percent to 4.2 percent - since 1998. Access remains the major Internet-related cost, especially for those libraries serving smaller populations, followed by staffing, new hardware, and upgrades/maintenance. The E-rate (a U.S. federal government discount for library Internet access) remained a significant source of funding, as two-thirds of libraries said they had applied for it. 43 percent of libraries polled said that they electronically filtered Internet access in 2001, up from 31 percent the previous year. 96 percent of those that use filtering software install it only on children's terminals, while about half use the software on all of their terminals. Much of that increase may be a direct response to the U.S. Child Internet Protection Act, signed early in 2001, which requires libraries to install filtering software on their computers or risk losing E-rate funding. However, the ALA and American Civil Liberties Union have filed suit seeking to overturn CIPA. For more
results of the Library Journal study: http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/ 11. IFLA SEEKS INPUT ON ARCHIVING OF DIGITAL INFORMATION STATEMENTThe International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the International Publishers' Association (IPA) have established a joint steering group to work together on matters of common interest. The group of eight members is co-chaired by Ingrid Parent, member of IFLA's Executive Board and Herman P. Spruijt, member of IPA's Executive Committee. A "Joint Statement on the Archiving and Preserving of Digital Information" is currently being prepared, and IFLA is soliciting professional opinions on the draft text. For more
information: To read the
draft statement: Send your
comments on the statement to: 12. SHOULD THERE BE CHANGES TO THE LIBRARY BOOK RATE?The Department of Canadian Heritage is sponsoring a new study to examine the usage and goals of the Library Book Rate (LBR). The LBR is a preferential postal rate for specific types of parcels sent from public, academic or special libraries to other libraries or individuals. The LBR is an appendix to a 1939 Memorandum of Agreement between Canada Post and Canadian Heritage, which expires in March 2002. Canadian Heritage is looking for input from Canadian libraries to help determine what position it should take on the LBR when it considers negotiating an extension this year. The Department of Canadian Heritage has contracted with two consulting firms to gather statistical and qualitative information about the LBR, and the experiences of the libraries that use it. In order to gather this information the firms will be conducting a survey of a representative sample of Canadian libraries, personal interviews with selected librarians, and focus groups to measure use and effectiveness of the LBR. It is important that librarians and libraries contribute their opinions as well as statistical and other quantitative information on the LBR. This is your opportunity to see your suggestions and comments reflected in the report to Canadian Heritage. If you would like to participate in the LBR survey (consisting of a short mail-in report and LBR usage log), send the name of a contact person and the mailing address for your library to one of the email addresses below. The survey will be conducted over a two-week period in February 2002. The survey takers are particularly interested in hearing from public, academic and special libraries and especially invite participation from libraries serving northern, rural, and Aboriginal communities. You can also submit a written opinion to one of the email addresses below. For more
information or to express interest in participating: 12. CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENTSSecond Canadian
National E-learning Workshop The Second Canadian National E-learning Workshop is an excellent opportunity to observe leading-edge examples of e-learning; meet researchers, practitioners, and potential collaborators; and learn what's around the corner in affordable broadband networks. This workshop will be of interest to educators, developers, and strategic planners involved in the development of technology-enabled education and training. For more
information or to register: Internet
Librarian International 2002 The fourth annual Internet Librarian International (ILI) showcases leading edge ideas and tools as well as exciting new technologies focussed on information professionals. ILI is the only international conference for information professionals who are using, developing, and embracing Internet, Intranet, and Web-based strategies in their roles as information navigators, Webmasters and Web managers, content evaluators, and product developers. The conference includes an extensive exhibition and access to the London Book Fair. For more
information or to register: Strategis for Starting a Business Wednesday, February 6 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Strategis for E-Business Wednesday, February 20 11:00 am to noon Strategis for Researchers Wednesday, March 27 11:00 am to noon Strategis is Industry Canada's website for businesses and consumers, providing access to timely information, business management tools and a host of other resources. BusinessGateway.ca is the federal government's portal site for business information. Explore what both sites have to offer through one of the free, hands-on sessions All sessions will be held at Library Square in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more
information or to register for a session: 14. USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCESLibrary
Lovers' Month LibrarySmart:
Librarian Resources Information
Highways Application Branch (IHAB) - Maps A
Librarian at Every Table: Librarians and Community Initiatives BANaRAMa(sm) DLib
Forum FindTutorials If
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