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July 2003 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. NEW SUMMER READING CHALLENGE MULTIMEDIA WEBSITEFor four years public libraries in the United Kingdom have run a summer reading challenge for 4 to 12 year olds, the country's biggest reading promotion for children. This summer, for the first time, children taking part in the reading challenge will be able to combine print and Internet-based reading experiences by logging onto a pilot website which uses the latest technology to introduce them to authors. The theme for this year's reading challenge is the Reading Maze. Hidden within the website maze are eight popular children's writers: Malorie Blackman, Michael Rosen, Debi Gliori, Steve Skidmore and Steve Barlow, Korky Paul, and Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart. Each author is profiled in a multimedia format and children can explore by navigating all around, zooming in and out and discovering hotspots that trigger movie clips of the authors and illustrators talking about their work, or offering ideas and tips to young users. In this way, each visit is different, and children may discover a new detail about the author every time. Since the first Summer Reading Challenge was launched in 1999, over 4 million British children have taken part. This year 87 per cent of UK public libraries are participating, involving 650,000 children and generating around 30,000 new child library memberships. To visit the Reading Maze: 2. FURTHER INFORMATION ON IRAQI LIBRARIESA preliminary assessment of the post-war condition of Iraq's libraries paints a fairly grim picture, but gives cause for some hope as well. According to a group of academics who recently returned from eight days in Baghdad, Iraq's national library building has been rendered unusable by two successive fires. However, library employees estimate that "between 30 to 60 percent" of the once formidable collection is safe in various locations, for now. A short preliminary report on the condition of the National Library was distributed over various mailing lists on June 30, 2003. The group hopes to prepare a more complete report by the end of July. Professor Keith Watenpaugh of LeMoyne College, a historian who specializes in the Middle East, organized the trip out of concern for Iraq's cultural and historical resources and artifacts and the future of scholarship there. "From the perspective of a historian, it is going to be very difficult to write a contemporary history of Iraq at a time when a new contemporary history is very important," Watenpaugh said. The mission was not sponsored by any one body, but it received support from the Middle East Librarians Association as well as some funding from institutions including LeMoyne College and the University of Toronto. To read the full text of the preliminary report: For more information: 3. TEXTBOOK DRIVE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF KABULOn July 7, the Edmonton Journal published a story about an Alberta man collecting used university texts in an attempt to restock the bare library shelves at the University of Kabul in his native Afghanistan. Abdul Yusufi has almost 5,000 discarded textbooks from the University of Alberta piled in his kitchen and stored in boxes at friends' homes. They're all in English, but that doesn't present a problem since most of Afghanistan's higher education is taught in English. Yusufi is hoping the Canadian Forces will fly the books to Afghanistan while dropping off supplies for peacekeeping troops. Edmonton MP David Kilgour has taken up the cause and plans to ask Defence Minster John McCallum to arrange a book drop. To read the full text of the article: 4. HI-TECH JARGON BAFFLINGMost people don't understand the jargon used to describe new technology, according to a recent survey commissioned by computer chip manufacturer AMD. The results showed that people were perplexed by many of the terms routinely used by high-technology firms. Only three percent of respondents got a perfect score on a quiz which included terms such as MP3, megahertz, and Bluetooth. Even when given a choice of three possible answers, only slightly more than half (65 percent) of the respondents could correctly identify the definition of megahertz. The study claims that people are delaying purchases of new technology products at least in part because they are seen as too complex. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents said they "wish to have things work and not spend time setting up." AMD's Global Consumer Advisory Board commissioned the study, which surveyed more than 1500 people in the US, UK, China, and Japan. For more information on the survey: 5. LIBRARIES VS BOOKSTORESA study of the impact book superstores have had on the image of public libraries in the United Kingdom appears in this month's issue of Update, the monthly journal of the UK's Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. The "Change in Store?" project attempted to evaluate how UK libraries and bookstores are currently used and perceived, and to discover whether areas of apparent overlap in their roles are real or desired by their users. Research was carried out in central libraries and book superstores in five UK cities during the summer of 2001. The libraries involved were all located within walking distance of a book superstore with features such as reading space, cafes, events, classes and exhibitions. Unsurprisingly perhaps, respondents from each location tended to rate their own choice of gathering place higher. Bookstore users rated the bookstore as warmer, more comfortable, more welcoming, and more stimulating than the library. Respondents from libraries regarded them as more welcoming, more helpful, and safer places than bookstores. However, library respondents still viewed the bookstore environment more positively than bookstore respondents viewed the library environment. The library tends to be seen and used as a place for study and information retrieval, while the bookstore is seen as a place for recreation and browsing. Other project results suggest the library and bookstore may in effect be providing space for two communities, divided by income and/or age. Respondents with a household income of up to £12,000 (approximately $27,000 Cdn) viewed the library environment more positively than those with higher household incomes. Younger respondents (17-29) had a more positive image of bookstores than did older respondents (60+), and a noticeably negative view of libraries. The report findings are based on focus group interviews held with library and bookstore reading groups, and on questionnaires completed by users in each of the libraries and bookstores involved in the study. To read the full text of the article: 6. WHERE DOES SPAM COME FROM?In the summer of 2002, the Center for Democracy and Technology embarked on a project to attempt to determine the source of "spam," or unsolicited commercial email. The Center set up hundreds of different test email addresses, used each one for a single purpose, and then waited six months to see what kind of mail those addresses were receiving. In March 2003 they published "Why Am I Getting All This Spam?", a report on the results of the study. Analysis indicated that email addresses posted on publically-accessible websites or in Usenet newsgroups attract the most spam. However, contrary to common wisdom, domain name registration does not seem to be a major source of spam, and it is possible to "reclaim" an address from spam attacks. The complete results of the study, together with some evidence-based tips for avoiding spam, are available on the Center's website. To read the full report: 7. E-GOVERNMENT ROUNDUPOn June 16, the federal government released its second annual report on the Government On-Line (GOL) initiative. The report summarises the changes that have taken place and the progress made over the year 2002, and provide examples of what Canadians can expect to see in 2003 and beyond. The GOL initiative is aimed at making commonly used government services available online, developing websites offering single points of access to related services, and establishing policies and infrastructure to protect Internet users' privacy and security. One of the new services highlighted is the pilot "Consultation Portal" which helps Canadians learn about public consultations. Launched in February 2003, the portal groups information on consultation activities across federal departments and agencies and also provides direct links to online consultations. To read the full text of the report: An E-Gov 2003 conference held June 9 to 12 in Washington DC showed interest in web services, and in a few cases, real progress. The conference provided a showcase for American e-government initiatives as well as a vendors' exhibition. However, most E-Gov 2003 presentations and sessions talked more about plans and potential for web services than actual implementation. For the most part, U.S. government agencies still seem to be sorting out how e-government will fit into the overall picture. For more information on the conference: A new study of Latin American and Asian countries shows that India has the lead in e-government initiatives, especially the development and use of Internet kiosks. The report by Digital Partners, entitled "ICT Kiosks: A Comparative Study," attempts to identify best practices among various kiosk business models in India, Latin America, and Africa. One reason for India's success is the wide availability of technically skilled workers; the report found that support and maintenance of equipment is one of the biggest sustainability issues, particularly for kiosks located in rural areas. For more information: 8. TECHNOLOGY MAKING US IMPATIENTA recent study from the Penn State School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) found that Internet users are both "picky and impatient" when it comes to using search engines. The typical surfer visits only the first three results from a search query, and one in five of them spend a minute or less on the linked web document. After three minutes have elapsed, 40 percent of searchers have moved on; there was no way of knowing which percentage of these found what they wanted and which percentage simply gave up. Half of all users entered only one query with 54 percent viewing just one page of results in each session (a session was a query or series of queries submitted by a user during one interaction with a Web search engine). Only 19 percent went on to the second page of search results, and fewer than 10 percent of users bothered with the third page. The study analyzed more than 450,000 queries submitted to the AlltheWeb.com search engine within a 24-hour period, reviewing users' actions in chronological order plus reviewing the length of search sessions, number of pages visited and relevance of results. For more information: A growing number of physicians, research psychiatrists, and sociologists are assessing how technology affects our attention span, creativity and focus. Harvard professor Edward Hallowell and psychiatrist John Ratey have coined their own term, "pseudo-attention deficit disorder," for those who have developed shorter attention spans due to technology and the pace of modern life. Ratey and Hallowell believe that "American society tends to create ADD-like symptoms in us all" because "some of the hallmarks of American culture ... are also typical of ADD," though there is no concrete research as of yet to back up their theory. According to the research of David Meyer, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, multitasking can actually hinder productivity. Experimental subjects lose time when they switch from one task to another, and these "time costs" increase with the complexity of the tasks. People who switch back and forth between two tasks (i.e. simultaneously exchanging email and writing a report) may spend 50% more time on those tasks than if they completed one before starting the other. For more information: 9. CANADA'S SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN CRISISCanada's students risk falling behind unless school libraries get more resources, according to a new study called "The Crisis in Canada's School Libraries" written by Dr. Ken Haycock for The Association of Canadian Publishers. Haycock's report assembles evidence based on American research, dating back as much as 40 years, that putting more resources into school libraries and librarians raises academic performance and student test scores. "In study after study - whether the schools are rural or urban, large or small, well-to-do or poor - if you put resources into this area, student achievement will be better," Haycock stresses. His report cites studies that found standardized test scores are 10 to 20 per cent higher in schools with a well-stocked and adequately staffed library. It's not merely having a room labelled the library that encourages independent research and critical thinking. Most Canadian schools still have libraries; but far too often, as the report points out, they are inaccessible to students for most of the day, staffed by untrained volunteers, and filled with outdated books. Budget cuts over the last two decades have decimated Canadian school libraries. For example, in 1998, 80 per cent of Ontario elementary schools had teacher-librarians; today, only 59 percent do, and a mere 10 percent have full-time teacher-librarians. Roch Carrier, the National Librarian of Canada, supports the study's conclusions. "In many places the state of school libraries is just miserable," Mr. Carrier told a recent International Forum on Canadian Children's Literature at the National Library of Canada. "In this rich Canada, I saw libraries in schools where they could not buy books for the last 10 years." To read the full text of the report [in PDF format]: http://www.peopleforeducation.com/librarycoalition/Report03.pdf For more information: 10. WINNER OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO LIBRARIANSHIP AWARD ANNOUNCEDOn June 13, the Canadian Library Association announced the winner of this year's CLA Outstanding Service to Librarianship Award - Brian Campbell, Director of Systems and Technical Services at the Vancouver Public Library. He accepted the award at the Opening General Session of the joint CLA/ALA Conference in Toronto on June 21. Mr. Campbell is a Canadian leader on the issues of information policy and intellectual freedom. His leadership has affected not just local but also national and international views on access and information policy. The Canadian Library Association's Information and Telecommunications Access Principles are based in large measure on his work. The Outstanding Service to Librarianship Award is CLA's highest award, given only to those who have made lasting contributions to the advancement of the library and information services profession. For more information: 11. $1 MILLION FOR LIBRARIES FOR THE FUTURELibraries for the Future has been awarded a three-year, US$1.05 million grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a network of "EqualAccess Libraries" in 10 states by 2005. EqualAccess Libraries is a new initiative designed to transform libraries into information and education centers based on the needs of their communities. EqualAccess libraries will use the Access Skills curriculum, developed by Libraries for the Future, to strengthen librarians in the areas of community outreach, coalition building, public awareness and advocacy. Other elements of the program focus on youth, health education and lifelong learning. Pennsylvania will be the first state to launch the program.
For more information: 12. U.S. PUBLIC LIBRARIES FORCED TO FILTER BY SUPREME COURT DECISIONOn June 23, in a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which mandates that American libraries accepting federal funding to assist patrons with Internet access must use Internet filters. The ruling overturned a May 2002 lower court decision that deemed the law unconstitutional. Several comments by the justices show that they assumed that the notorious unreliability of filtering software was not of great concern, since adults could ask for the filter to be temporarily disabled. However, the library community argues that turning off the software for individual users is rarely easy, and in some cases is impossible. The American Library Association stated that the decision "forces libraries to choose between federal funding for technology improvements and censorship. Millions of library users will lose." The ALA has also said that it plans to seek "full disclosure" from filtering software companies, most of which do not release information on which websites get filtered or how they are selected, and to advocate for more reliable and easily-administered filters. Though some libraries can afford to forego Internet subsidies and not comply with the ruling, a recent study claims that with American schools and public libraries facing the toughest budget crises in years, funds from the E-Rate program are becoming essential to more and more libraries. Digital divide advocates also criticized the decision on the grounds that minorities and low-income families, who are more likely to have Internet access only via public libraries, will find it harder to access information inadvertently blocked by filters. "It is yet another obstacle for low-income Americans to having the same kind of access and the same kind of information resources and awareness that their more well-to-do peers have," said the Benton Foundation's Andy Carvin. It seems inevitable that at some point, the issue will end up in court again, if libraries or patrons find in practice that adult access is unreasonably curtailed. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court decision goes into effect as of July 18. The best collection of news, opinion, and analysis of the CIPA decision can be found in the current issue of Walt Crawford's "Cites & Insights" newsletter [in PDF format]: For more information on the ALA's response: To read the E-Rate study [in PDF format]: 13. DIGITAL COPYRIGHT AND MULTIMEDIAIn the last week of June, the Washington Post Online featured a special series of articles and online discussions on "Copyright in the Digital Age." Features include a short history of copyrights in the Internet age, including the advent of Napster and other online file sharing systems, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and efforts by the recording industry to prosecute copyright violators. Another article reports on the movie industry's fear that it will lose revenue, as the recording industry claims it has due to file sharing, if it can't find a means of using the Internet to sell movies. Transcripts of online chats with Grokster president Wayne Rosso and Motion Picture Association of America president Jack Valenti are also available. To read the full text of the articles: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/technology/techpolicy/copyright/ 14. DIGITAL DIVIDE IN SCHOOLSAccording to a recent Statistics Canada research paper, Canadian schools play a vital role in bridging the digital divide between rural and urban students in terms of access to computers and frequency of their use. However, "The digital divide in Canadian schools: Factors affecting student access to and use of information technology" found that school access appears to have little impact on two other forms of the digital divide: the gap between male and female students, and the gap between students of differing socio-economic levels. The vast majority of both urban and rural youth (around 96% in both categories) reported using a computer during the 12 months prior. High school students who live in rural areas are less likely to have a computer in their home than their counterparts in urban areas. However, 29% of students who lived in rural villages reported that they used a computer at school almost everyday, compared with 19% of students in cities. In addition, 8% of rural youth reported almost daily computer use at libraries, compared with 4% of students in cities. Rural schools faced several disadvantages in comparison to urban schools; they were less likely to have well-trained specialists, or teachers free from additional teaching responsibilities, to instruct the students in computer technology. However, they did report more computers per student. The digital divide between the sexes in accessing computers was practically non-existent. However, boys tend to use computers and the Internet more often than girls and to do a wider range of things. Girls reported feeling less confident on computers than boys and believed that computer skills were less important than other things. About 57% of male students said they use their home computers daily, compared with only 45% of female students. Also, young people whose parents had lower levels of education were much less likely to have access to computers in their homes. They did tend to access school and community computers as much as students whose parents had higher levels of education, suggesting that they were not disadvantaged in schools. However, these students did not make up for the lower levels of use at home by using school or community computers more. For more details: 15. CALL FOR NOMINATIONSAre you a public access super star? The WebJunction awards will recognize exemplary libraries committed to providing public access to technology and information in their communities and building digital opportunities through community engagement. There are four categories of awards: Technology Planning (deadline for submissions: August 15, 2003), Innovative Content and Uses of Technology (deadline October 15, 2003), Building Digital Opportunities through Community Engagement (deadline January 5, 2004), and Sustainability (deadline March 1, 2004). To enter, send an email message to awards@webjunction.org on or before the deadline. You may nominate either your own or other organizations.
For more information: International Conference on Digital Libraries (ICDL) 2004 ICDL 2004 will facilitate interaction and bridge knowledge gaps between developing and developed countries. The conference will help develop a road map for the digitization of archives, manuscripts, and libraries and will also provide directions on available technologies, policies, multilingual issues, etc. The conference organizers are calling for papers on the following topics: conceptual and theoretical aspects of digital libraries; planning, development, architecture, and management; archiving cultural heritage and history through digitization; content organization and knowledge management; system scalability and interoperability; mediation and user interaction; and metadata issues. 500 word abstracts in English should be submitted in MS Word format by September 15, 2003. For more information: 17. CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTSInternet Librarian 2003 Internet Librarian highlights new trends, technologies, and developments for librarians who are putting the Internet to work in many ways. This year's program will focus on "Cool Tools for Internet Content Pros" in all types of libraries. For more information or to register: Virtual Reference Desk Conference The annual VRD Conference has earned a reputation as the premier event for digital reference information and products. The conference offers practical solutions, management practices and tools, and the latest research on reference service management, resource development, current technologies, vendor product demonstrations, and much more. For more information or to register: Canadian Metadata Forum The goal of the forum is to cover a wide spectrum of metadata applications such as the use of geospatial and statistical metadata, metadata for multimedia objects, accessibility issues related to metadata, and more. Presentations are planned on all aspects of metadata including descriptions of standards, discussions of the challenges of interoperability, and examples of practical implementations. For more information or to register: 18. USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCESWord Wizards: The Canadian Online Language Toolkit Our Roots: Canada's Local Histories Online Vatican Museums Online War Diaries of the First World War Civilisations Canadian Directories: Who was Where SmARTkids The Dynamic Earth "How to Hire the Right Consultant for Your Library" Save our Sounds Genealogy Today.com Animaland.org Old Bailey Proceedings Online
Pathfinders & Passageways: The Exploration of Canada If you have information you would like featured in the next issue of LibraryNet
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