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June 1999 LibraryNet Monthly "BEST PRACTICES" 99 RELEASEDFor the third year, LibraryNet presents "Best Practices" 1999, a list recognizing Canadian public libraries for leadership in making innovative use of the Internet. The list of best practices for 1999 features 23 public libraries from across Canada, both rural and urban, Anglophone and Francophone. Among the libraries recognized this year are the Windsor Public Library in Ontario, for its innovative P.O.W.E.R. Surfers (Patients Online for Well-being, Education & Research), a directory of cancer information web sites developed in partnership with the Windsor Regional Cancer Society and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital; the Pahkisimon Nuye?áh Library System in Saskatchewan for making its 1998 annual report available online in Cree and Dene audio format as well as English text in order to better serve its clientele in Northern Saskatchewan; as well as the Bibliothèque municipale Éva-Senécal in Québec for creating a well-annotated selection of links to French-language material on Quebec and Canadian history, organized by era, from pre-European arrival to the Quiet Revolution. For the complete
document see: SMART COMMUNITIES APPLICATION GUIDE RELEASEDOn June 5, 1999, a national call for letters of intent to become one of 12 demonstration projects for the federal government's Smart Communities Program was announced by Industry Minister John Manley at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual conference in Halifax. John MacDonald, past President of Bell Canada, has been appointed as Chair of the Smart Communities National Selection Committee. In Smart Communities, information and communication technologies are used in innovative ways to benefit citizens economically and socially, for example, to achieve better health care delivery, better education and training and stronger business growth. In his speech announcing the call for applications, Industry Minister John Manley cited the Western Health Information Project, an online consumer health service developed by a partnership of Nova Scotia health care providers and libraries, as an example of what Smart Communities could accomplish. The selected communities, which must match up to $5 million in federal funds, will become experts in the integration of information and communication technologies into communities, organizations and families. By sharing their experiences, they will help ensure that all Canadian communities have access to the resources they need to develop and implement their own Smart Community strategy Interested parties should submit letters of intent before August 3, 1999, outlining their strategy for becoming a Smart Community. Details on the competition, such as selection criteria and guidelines for preparing a letter of intent, can be found in the Smart Communities program guide. The 12 selected communities will be recommended by an arm's length national committee comprised of members who have a thorough understanding of the benefits that information and communication technologies can offer communities. For more
information: SPECTRUM AUCTION FOR NEW BROADBAND SERVICESIndustry Minister John Manley announced on May 28 that a new set of licences for spectra in the 24 and 38 GHz frequency bands will be open to all bidders, in the first spectrum auction ever held in Canada. "The telecommunications industry is moving at a rapid pace," Mr. Manley said. "Providing easy access to leading-edge wireless broadband telecommunications is a crucial step in our connectedness agenda." Winning bidders of the new licences will be able to use the frequency to give Canadian businesses and homes in urban areas speedy access to the Internet and other communications services over a wireless link. Because the spectra up for auction do not have long distance capabilities - optimum range in these spectra is only about 5 km - the implications for rural areas are few. Instead, this auction signals the development of a viable alternative to fibre and other wired telecommunications services in urban areas. Urban and suburban libraries will eventually see lower prices, a greater range of services and higher telecommunications speeds. For more
information: CRTC DECIDES AGAINST REGULATION, FAVOURS EDUCATIONOn May 17, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that it will not attempt to regulate new media services on the Internet. After conducting an in-depth review beginning last July, the CRTC concluded that new media on the Internet are vibrant, highly competitive, and successful without regulation. The CRTC also held that generally applicable Canadian laws, industry self-regulation, content filtering software, and increased media awareness are appropriate tools to deal with offensive and illegal content on the Internet. The Commission cited the Media Awareness Network (MNet), a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging critical thinking about the media, as a key education source for new media users. MNet plans to launch an Internet education and public awareness campaign in partnership with Ontario Library Association, CLA, Industry Canada, and the educational community. "Web Awareness '99: Knowing the Issues" will be held in Ontario this fall, and MNet hopes to make the event national in 2000. Issues to be addressed include online marketing and privacy, online safety and offensive or inappropriate content, verification of online information, and copyright. Some telecommunications issues were also raised during the CRTC hearings. Concerns were raised about the ability of Canadian citizens and consumers to access the Internet at reasonable costs; the CRTC will address some of these concerns when its proceeding on telephone service in high-cost serving areas is released. The Commission will also shortly issue its decision regarding the regulatory approach for high-speed Internet access through cable. For more
information: INDUSTRY CANADA RECEIVES CNIB AWARDOn June 17, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Library for the Blind presented Industry Minister John Manley with the 1999 Dr. Dayton M. Forman Memorial Award. This annual award, given in memory of a long-serving CNIB volunteer leader, recognizes outstanding leadership in the advancement of library and information services for blind and visually impaired Canadians. Industry Canada received the award for championing inclusiveness in its attempts to grow Canada's knowledge-based economy, and for the initiatives of its Assistive Devices Industry Office. Frank Verge, Chair of the CNIB Library Board, presented the award to the Honourable Minister at Toronto's historic George Brown House during the Canadian Library Association Conference. For more
information: CONNECTIVITY INCREASING IN FRANCEA new survey by the French marketing research company Mediangles shows that France is catching up to Web-surfing countries like Australia, Sweden and the United States. The number of French on-line has now passed 10 per cent of the population. The number of new entrants into cyberspace has increased rapidly over the last 18 months, mainly because of the advent of free Internet access. By comparison, about one in four Australians, one in three Americans, and nearly one in two Swedes are on-line. For more
information: POPULARITY OF INTERNET WON'T PEAK FOR YEARSAccording to recent studies from major U.S. marketing research firms, the Internet has not penetrated the majority of American homes. Neilsen Media Research found that one-third of U.S. households have Internet access, and only one-third of those, or 13 percent of all U.S. households, go online more than once a week. This reluctance to use the Internet at home can be attributed to fears that technology is difficult to learn as well as perceptions that the Web is full of scams. Although many adults have yet to become acclimated to technology, as many as 81 percent of teenagers are using the Internet frequently and knowledgeably. The next generation is expected to usher in a steep rise in household Internet acceptance, with 90 percent of U.S. households predicted to have Internet access by 2005 or 2010. For more
information: EARLY CANADIANA ONLINEA new and innovative project in which Canada's printed heritage has been scanned and placed on the Internet as digital images was officially launched during a ceremony at Rideau Hall on Friday, May 28. Early Canadiana Online (ECO) is a full text online collection of more than 3,000 books and pamphlets documenting Canadian history from the first European contact to the late 19th century. The collection focuses on literature, women's history, native studies, travel and exploration, and the history of French Canada. The titles represented include the Jesuit relations, the memoirs of Captain Joseph Brant, and Susanna Moodie's "Roughing it in the Bush." ECO is a joint project of the Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, the National Library of Canada, Université Laval Library, the University of Toronto Library and the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec. To view Early
Canadiana Online: CANADIAN LIBRARIES AT LIBTECH 99The Internet Librarian and Libtech International 99 Conference and Exhibition was held in London, England from March 29 to 31. The conference focused on information professionals and Internet related technologies. Topics covered included Internet services, World Wide Web tools, future issues and trends, as well as strategies for libraries using the Web to create digital collections and provide virtual services. The Oxford County Library, in partnership with the Kitchener Public Library and Avita Technologies of Oakville, made a presentation at the conference, as well as having a stand at the exhibition. (Industry Canada provided materials for distribution at the presentation and exhibition.) The purpose was to promote Canada's achievements in connecting public libraries, and the Network 2000 program, funded by Industry Canada and the Ontario government, in particular. Sam Coghlan (Oxford County Public Library) and Ann Wood (Kitchener Public Library) noted there was excellent attendance at their booth, as people were curious about the Canadian experience. Conference delegates noted that there is much Canada can share with Britain in the areas of public Internet access, connectivity, and especially sustainability. Fastlane, an online access industry magazine, also published an article, entitled "Networking a nation," about Network 2000 and the Canadian government's efforts to connect rural public libraries. For more
information: DATABASE ACCESS FOR ALL SASKATCHEWAN LIBRARY PATRONSA province-wide license agreement will give everyone in Saskatchewan access to Canadian databases through local, school, and post-secondary libraries. A seven-library coalition in co-operation with the Saskatchewan Provincial Library recently signed a contract with IHS/Micromedia for access to five databases, including Canadian Business and Current Affairs and the Index to Canadian Legal Literature. The contract states that access to these resources extends to "any resident of Saskatchewan ... (including) faculty, students, and staff at all elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools and patrons of public, government and special libraries." The libraries included in the contract are the Universities of Regina and Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Gabriel Dumont Institute, Briercrest Bible College, the RCMP Depot Library and the Saskatchewan Legislative Library. This agreement complements last year's initiative, also led by the Provincial Library, which gave Saskatchewan public libraries a province-wide contract for access to the Gale Infotrac service. For more
information: SEE YOURSELF ON LIBRARYNETIn the February issue of LibraryNet Monthly, we called for photographs to use on the re-designed LibraryNet website, which employs several stock pictures of libraries. The Bibliothèque Gatineau answered the call and sent in some excellent black and white photos, which are now prominently featured on our website. If you're interested in having photographs of your library on our web page, send them in. We're especially interested in images of library patrons using computers. Because the images gradually fade out, the main focus of the image should be in the center, with "filler" on the edges of the photo. Any format is acceptable, colour or black and white. To see the
Gatineau photos: Mail your
photos to: NEW NATIONAL CAPITAL LIBRARY DIRECTORYThe National Library of Canada has created a new electronic directory describing the reference and referral information services available in the National Capital Region (NCR) and providing librarians and researchers with practical information about collections, subject strengths and service policies. The information was compiled by means of a questionnaire distributed to NCR libraries and information centres in the summer of 1998. Researchers can access the directory through both an institutional index and a broad subject index, which will assist them in locating useful libraries and information centres. In order to maintain the currency of the directory, libraries and information centres are encouraged to contact the National Library regarding revisions and updates. The Library also encourages unlisted libraries and information centres to submit information about their services. For more
information: COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE PAPERSSome materials from last year's very successful "Libraries as Leaders in Community Economic Development" conference, a pre-conference to the 1998 CLA Annual Meeting in Victoria, have been published by the Canadian Library Association and ASM Consultants. The compilation of discussions, advice and strategies provided by practitioners from across North America will be of interest to those looking to play an important role in improving the economic development of their local communities, and is available from the Canadian Library Association. Order information: Mail, fax
or email to: "THE CANADA WE WANT" PRAISES SCHOOLNETA recently published book discusses the potential of the SchoolNet and LibraryNet models for Canadian culture in the information age. "The Canada We Want : Competing Visions for the New Millennium," by John Godfrey and Rob McLean, calls SchoolNet "[t]he most important event in Canada's cultural history since the Internet" and "the future of Canada's cultural policy." Godfrey and McLean argue that since the Canadian government can no longer influence the consumption of Canadian cultural content, it must instead concentrate on the production of Canadian cultural content. They point to the SchoolNet model as exemplary, citing the Digital Collections initiative and its digitization of the 1951 report of the Massey-Lévesque Commision. They propose a National Project on Educational New Media, with the slogan, "Let the Americans Dominate Entertainment; We'll Be the Leaders in Education." For such a project to succeed, the authors emphasise the importance of developing networks among cultural providers, ensuring that all regions of Canada are connected to the Internet, supporting projects centred on lifelong learning, and the effective organization of Canadian content, information and resources on the Internet. For more
information: If
you have information you would like featured in the next issue of LibraryNet
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