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July 2002 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. CALL FOR PARTICIPATION - PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND CANADA'S INNOVATION STRATEGYIn February 2002, Canada's Ministers of Industry and Human Resources Development released Canada's Innovation Strategy in two papers: Achieving Excellence: Investing in People, Knowledge and Opportunity and Knowledge Matters: Skills and Learning for Canadians. The Minister of Industry has committed to extensive consultations to encourage Canadians to participate in making Canada one of the most innovative countries in the world. There is an opportunity for libraries to review and comment on the Innovation Strategy. Libraries can organize their own discussions at the community level, or submit ideas directly to the Government of Canada using the Do It Yourself Kit. The kit contains background information, a discussion guide and reporting templates that can be used to provide input into the development of the national action plan. The section of particular interest to the library community is Challenge 4 (Strengthening Communities Across Canada). To read the
Innovation Strategy papers: To download
the Do it Yourself Kits: 2. UK LIBRARYNET REPORT RELEASEDPublic libraries in the United Kingdom are facing problems and issues very similar to those of Canadian public libraries in developing services in the new technology-based and electronic information environment. This new report on the UK library scene outlines some of the issues, policies, and government and non-governmental program support designed to enable UK libraries to be key players in the information economy. It analyzes similarities and differences between Canada and the UK on issues such as the "digital divide," infrastructure (including broadband access), lifelong learning, and content development. The report was prepared for the LibraryNet Board by the team of Steve Salmons (CEO, Windsor Public Library), Josephine Bryant (CEO, Toronto Public Library), Jim Looney (British Columbia Library Services), Elizabeth Armstrong (Director of Public Libraries, Nova Scotia) and Sharon Siga (Director, Strathcona County Library, Alberta). To read the
full text of the report: 3. LIBRARIES BUILD HEALTH PORTALS ON THE WEB"Reliable health information for Nova Scotians" is the motto and the goal of the Nova Scotia Health Network (NSHN), which was officially launched on June 18. The NSHN is a web-based consumer health information service that provides links to quality information, health organizations in Nova Scotia, articles from a variety of health and wellness magazines, drug information, a link to the Canadian Health Network, and an Ask a Librarian feature. Information produced in Nova Scotia will soon be available through the NSHN as well. With funding from a LibraryNet grant to the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, two students were hired to digitize hundreds of patient care pamphlets produced by the QEII Health Sciences Centre which will soon be linked to the NSHN web site. NSHN, which grew out of the Western Health Information Partnership, is the result of the cooperative efforts of a wide variety of partners, including public libraries, health sciences libraries, the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, the provincial government, and a number of departments of Dalhousie University. The government of Canada's Canadian Rural Partnership provided some of the funding for the project. To view the
NSHN: On June 4, the Windsor Public Library (WPL) launched the Windsor Essex County Health Gateway, a new website that will provide residents of Windsor with one-stop access to health services. The aim of the Gateway is to provide everyone in Windsor with one easy-access point to regional health agencies and services. It will also serve as a prototype for all the various gateways of the Windsor Essex Smart Communities WEconnect project. The Gateway partners include many local health institutions and organizations. To visit
the Gateway: 4. STATSCAN DATA ON CANADIANS DROPPING OFF-LINEAlmost a quarter of a million Canadian households (just over 232,000) that once used the Internet regularly said that they no longer did so, according to Statistics Canada's 2000 Household Internet Use Survey. The most common reason given was that they had "no need" for the Internet, a factor cited by 30 per cent of dropout households. 17 per cent said they had dropped out because it was too expensive and 14 per cent had quit the Internet because they lost access to a computer. Internet dropouts and infrequent users (who have not used the net in the past month, but have used it at some time in the past year) are more likely to be employed and more likely to be women, compared with people who use the Internet regularly (defined as five or more hours on-line a week). They are also less likely to live in households with incomes over $60,000 a year or to have a post secondary education. The statistics for Canada are comparable to those in the United States. In 2000, 11 per cent of U.S. dropouts said they had quit the Internet because their connection had proved too costly, and 21 per cent said they no longer had a personal computer. While only a small percentage of Canadian dropouts said they found the Internet too difficult or complex, U.S. research has identified complexity and frustration as some of the principal barriers to access. The degree of familiarity with new technologies seems to play a function in people's decision to use the Internet. Infrequent users and dropouts tend to report lower use of technology in general than regular users. Only 20 per cent of infrequent users described their computer skills as very good or excellent, compared with 57 per cent of regular Internet users. For more
information: 5. HOW ARE CANADIAN STUDENTS USING COMPUTERS?A new paper, "Canadian Students' Access to and Use of Information and Communication Technology," investigates the extent to which students have access to computers and the Internet, whether access is related to their sex or socioeconomic status, and for those who have access to computers, how they tend to use them. Students reported that they use computers mainly for accessing information on the Internet, communication, word processing, and games. Less than one-third of students who used computers reported that they used them as an aid to learning. Other findings confirmed the existence of the digital divide for students. Although 88 percent of Canadian students have a computer at home and 81 percent use a computer at home nearly every day, students from low socioeconomic families were less likely to have a computer or Internet access at home. The analysis was based on the responses of nearly 30,000 15-year old Canadian students who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The paper was written by Brad Corbett and J. Douglas Willms, two researchers from the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy. It was presented at the 2002 Pan-Canadian Education Research Agenda Symposium. For the full
text of the report in PDF format: 6. AMERICAN LIBRARIES AND TECHNOLOGY USEThe American Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) released its 2002 report on the "Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation's Museums and Libraries" on June 11. The report is a study of the use of technology and digitization activities broken down into public libraries, academic libraries, State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAA), and museums. The data is also categorized by such measures as budget size, size of populations served, and current extent of technology use and digitization. Ninety-nine percent of public libraries that responded indicated that they currently have access to the Internet. Even among small libraries (serving populations under 10,000), Internet access was higher than 85 percent. However, these smaller libraries lag behind in the use of online catalogues and websites. Twenty-five percent of public libraries reported undertaking digitization projects in the past 12 months (8 percent of small libraries). Among the four survey groups, public libraries were the least involved in digitization activities. Funding was the most-cited hindrance to digitization activities, though other institutional priorities, lack of expertise and staff time were also noted as obstacles. The IMLS is an independent U.S. federal agency that supports American museums and libraries. The full
report is available at: 7. CLA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCEDSeveral awards were presented at the CLA Annual Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia from June 18 to 22. The Windsor Public Library received the CLA/Information Today Award for Innovative Technology for its "iCity - Historic Sites of Walkerville" project. ICity is a website that uses sophisticated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to track over time the changing history, geography, and architecture of the historic Walkerville district of Windsor. Trudy Amirault, Director of the Western Counties Regional Library in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, was the winner of the CAPL/Brodart Outstanding Public Library Service Award for her career as a librarian, library administrator and community leader. Mrs. Amirault has dedicated her professional life to the development and delivery of public library service, especially to residents of rural and remote areas of the province. The Canadian National Site Licensing Project (CNSLP) won the CACUL Innovation Achievement Award for academic libraries which have contributed to the advancement of academic librarianship and library development. The CNSLP is a consortium of 64 university libraries which offers an innovative model for licensing electronic versions of scholarly publication and research databases. For more
information: 8. UNESCO LAUNCHES NEW LIBRARIES PORTALThe UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has created a Libraries Portal to enhance access to information related to library resources available on the World Wide Web as well as to issues affecting librarianship. The site provides links to the websites of libraries and information centres, library associations, and on-line resources around the world. It also provides news about upcoming conferences and training opportunities. Users can add or modify links; librarians are invited to participate by providing information on activities, news and content which they wish to share with others. The portal can also be searched by keyword. To view the
portal: 9. HOW HIGH-SPEED CONNECTIONS AFFECT USERS AT HOMEOn June 23, the Pew Internet & American Life Project released "The Broadband Difference," a report focusing on the nature of broadband use in American homes. Roughly 24 million Americans (21% of U.S. Internet users) have high-speed connections at home. The survey of broadband Internet users shows that the always-on, high-speed connection transforms their online experience. Broadband users spend more time online, do more things, and do them more often than dial-up Internet users. Some U.S. corporations have suggested that a lack of compelling online content, particularly in entertainment, has slowed consumer uptake of broadband. The Pew research shows that most early broadband adopters have found lots to do with their fast connections, especially when it comes to creating online content and performing information searches. The three major ways in which broadband users are distinguished from their dial-up counterparts is their use of the Internet to become creators and managers of online content, satisfy a wide range of queries for information, and engage in multiple Internet activities on a daily basis. The full
report is available online in PDF format at: 10. BROADBAND DEVELOPMENTS ABROADThe "eEurope 2005" report on how to foster information technology recommends that the European Union use regional aid or other financial incentives to boost high-speed broadband Internet access. The report, released in May, was endorsed by EU leaders at the recent summit in Seville, Spain. Although competition is driving Internet connection costs in the EU down, broadband remains expensive. Less than 2 per cent of households have a high-speed Internet connection, compared to 13 per cent in the United States. The report stresses that any aid should be targeted to remote and underdeveloped areas where the creation of a broadband network would not be commercially viable. "Member states in co-operation with the Commission should support, where necessary, deployment [of broadband] in less favoured areas and where possible may use structural funds and/or financial incentives." (Structural funds, roughly one third of the nearly 100-billion-euro EU budget, are given to aid economic development in poorer and peripheral regions of the 15-nation union.) The document sets a target of broadband connection for all public administrations and schools by 2005. For the full
text of the report: The UK government, however, will not subsidize the rollout of broadband services to rural communities according to the United Kingdom's e-commerce minister Stephen Timms. Unlike France and Sweden, which have earmarked varying amounts of government funds to underwrite broadband expansion, the UK has committed funds only to spark private-sector solutions. The minister said that recent and substantial price cuts in British Telecom's broadband prices show that market forces will be enough to drive broadband rollout. For more
information: On June 13, U.S. President Bush delivered a speech at a conference for technology executives stressing that the country should move more quickly toward deploying high-speed Internet access. "This country must be aggressive on the expansion of broadband," Bush said. "It is time for us to move with an agenda." In recent weeks, Democrats have increased pressure on the government to develop a strategy that would promote capital investment in broadband infrastructure and stimulate demand through loans and grants. Legislation has been introduced in the Senate that would give the White House six months to find ways to stimulate both the supply and demand of high-speed Internet access. For more
information: 11. CHEAP, WIRELESS BROADBAND SOLUTION?Two California software engineers have developed an innovative software wireless technology that could solve the problem of high-speed access in cities without the infrastructure to support cable or DSL. Their product uses the wireless data standard known as Wi-Fi or 802.11b to build a system that can transmit Internet data up to 20 miles at high speeds. Many urban regions could be connected to the Internet at high speeds without the high cost of traversing the "last mile" between the Internet and the home, via a repeater antenna attached to the outside of a house. The small company, known as Etherlinx, has been operating a for-pay trial in Oakland for one year. Etherlinx is already beginning to attract attention from both government officials and corporate executives, and several other companies, including Nokia and Iospan Wireless, are beginning to explore wireless alternatives that do not require line-of-sight. For more
information: 12. GLOBAL WEB USAGE CONTINUES TO GROWInternet usage is increasing worldwide, with more people logging on for greater lengths of time, according to a report released last month by Nielsen/NetRatings. The number of people with Internet access at home grew 16 percent from April 2001 to April 2002, reaching 422.4 million home users in the 21 countries surveyed. The number of people actively using the Web from home climbed 18 percent to 241.4 million in the same period. During the same twelve months, the time spent online per month rose nearly 13 percent and the number of sessions per month increased nearly 9 percent. Nearly a quarter of the Internet population now surfs through a high-speed connection at home. The results are from Nielsen//NetRatings' Global Internet Index, which provides a measurement of usage patterns in 23 countries comprising more than 84 percent of the worldwide Internet audience. For more
details in PDF format: 13. NINE CANADIAN FINALISTS IN THE STOCKHOLM CHALLENGENine Canadian projects have made it into the final round of the Stockholm Challenge web awards. The complete list of finalists includes 515 projects from nearly 80 countries worldwide. Awards are given in six categories: e-Government, Culture, Health, Education, e-Business, and Environment. Canada's best showing was in the Education category, with four nominations including SchoolNet's Network of Innovative Schools. The Government of Canada website is also a finalist in the e-Government category. The Stockholm Challenge is a unique international awards program for pioneering IT projects. It rewards projects that through inspirational approaches benefit people, society and the environment in their local context. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Stockholm City Hall on October 10, 2002. For more
information: 14.U.S. FILTERING JUDGMENT TO BE APPEALEDOn May 31, a three-judge panel from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania declared the American Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) unconstitutional with respect to public libraries. The judges held that CIPA is unconstitutional because the mandated use of blocking technology on all computers would result in blocked access to substantial amounts of constitutionally protected speech. It permanently enjoined the government from enforcing those provisions. "We are very pleased with the decision," said Judith F. Krug, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. "If CIPA had remained law, libraries in economically disadvantaged urban and rural areas would have been forced to use their already scarce resources to install expensive and unreliable filtering software, or be stripped of important financial assistance that they need to provide online access to all users." It was expected that the decision would be appealed, and on June 20, the U.S. Justice Department gave the Supreme Court its notice of appeal. The full
text of the opinion is available online at: For more
information: 15. G8 REPORT ON BRIDGING GLOBAL DIGITAL DIVIDE RELEASEDThe G8 Digital Opportunities Task (DOT) Force submitted its report to the G8 leaders on June 26 at the summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. The report outlines how governments, businesses and civil society can work together to advance human development and reduce poverty through the use of information and communications technologies. The DOT Force report follows up on the 2001 Genoa Plan of Action, which called for a concerted plan to narrow the technological gap between developed and developing nations. The DOT Force has developed a series of initiatives aimed at forming the key building blocks of the information society for developing countries - strengthening countries' readiness for e-development, increasing access and connectivity, supporting skills development, as well as fostering local content and applications. Chaired by Industry Canada Deputy Minister V. Peter Harder, the DOT Force brought together representatives from government, business and civil society from G8 countries as well as from developing nations. Following the release of today's report, DOT Force partners will focus on the continued implementation of their initiatives and ensure proper linkages with other international initiatives in the area of ICT for development, such as the United Nations ICT Task Force and the World Economic Forum. The full
test of the report is available online in PDF format at: 16. COMMODITY CHALLENGE AN ONLINE RESOURCE FOR FARMERSA new Internet-based commodities trading game developed by an agricultural economist is giving farmers in Montana the chance to experiment with new ways of selling their grain. The game, called Commodity Challenge, teaches farmers the basics of the cash, futures and options markets. It lets producers practice trading with "play" cattle and grain allotments, as they compete to capture the highest prices without risking real money. The popularity of the initial game, played by more than 400 Montana farmers this spring, led to the development of an updated version for this fall. The new game will use real-time trading conditions and up-to-date prices, as well as an array of resources for following news and marketing trends. Commodity Challenge is a joint project of Montana MarketManager, an educational program of the Montana Grain Growers Association which helps farmers and ranchers manage financial risks, and Kevin McNew, a Montana State University marketing specialist. The goal of the game, said Dr. McNew,is to teach farmers how to manage financial risks. The next six-month-long game begins in September 2002, and will include farmers in Idaho, Minnesota, Texas and Wyoming. The game may be offered across the U.S. as early as next year. The Commodity
Challenge webpage is at: For more
information: 17. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES ONLINEThe ARL Online Lyceum is a collaborative partnership between the Association of Research Libraries' Office of Leadership and Management Services and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Library Affairs. Its purpose is to provide, via web-based learning, affordable and innovative professional development opportunities addressing challenges currently faced by staff in libraries, information technology, and higher education. Licensing
Review and Negotiation Accessible
Web Design: Tips and Techniques To register,
or for information on other courses offered: 18. CALL FOR PAPERSThe Fun of
Reading: International Forum On Canadian Children's Literature The year 2003 marks the 50th anniversary of the National Library of Canada. To celebrate this historic occasion, the National Library will host The Fun of Reading: International Forum on Canadian Children's Literature, a multidisciplinary conference and its companion activities. The purpose of this initiative is to celebrate and promote Canadian children's literature in all its rich cultural, linguistic and regional diversity and strengthen the presence of this literature within Canada and on the international stage. All entries must be received no later than October 15, 2002. For more
information and submission guidelines: 19. USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCESSchool
Library Information Portal (SliP) Map
of Broadband Distribution in Canada Developing
Your Portal: A Toolkit for Communities Evaluating
Web Sites: Criteria and Tools Molding
Effective Internet Policies Web
Accessibility In Mind (WebAIM) Itrain Greenstone
Digital Library Software If
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