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May 2000 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
URBAN CAP FUNDING ANNOUNCEDThe Community Access Program will establish a national network of up to 10,000 public access sites by March 31, 2001, to provide Canadians in both urban and rural Canada with affordable public access to the Information Highway. Launched in 1994, CAP has already established over 4,300 sites in rural and remote communities. On December 15, 1999, Minister Manley announced the extension of CAP to urban centres with populations over 50,000 and invited communities and community organizations to submit proposals for sites based in community facilities such as community centres, seniors centres, or foodbanks. These proposals will be submitted to an adjudication committee for review. On April 28, 2000, the result of the first Community Access Program (CAP) urban competition was announced, granting $3.2 million worth of funding to establish 194 public Internet access sites in 26 urban centres across Canada. Among the organizations receiving funding was the Pickering Public Library, which will establish a public access site at the Orchard Villa Residence, a local seniors residence. With the implementation of the CAP site, residents will now be able to access the library's online catalogue and request books. A touch-screen interface will be used, along with oversized keyboards and large monitors to improve accessibility, and there are plans to offer Internet training. "We are very excited by this project and believe it to be the first of its kind," said Cathy Thomson, Director of Public Services at the Pickering Public Library. "It will benefit our patrons and allow us to develop a strong partnership with Orchard Villa and the rest of the community". Communities are strongly encouraged to submit their funding proposals as soon as possible. There are three remaining application deadlines: May 31,2000, October 31, 2000 and January 31, 2001. For more
information: HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS PROMISEDOn May 10, at the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence gala, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien reiterated his government's Speech from the Throne commitment to provide access to high-speed Internet service for classrooms throughout Canada, building on the success of SchoolNet. Access to high-speed, broadband Internet access is key in helping Canadian students develop the skills needed to compete in the knowledge-based economy and help Canada remain a world leader in connectivity. SchoolNet looks forward to working with its provincial, territorial and private sector partners to accomplish this goal. The annual Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence recognize the efforts of outstanding teachers in all disciplines who provide students with the tools to become good citizens, to develop and grow as individuals, and to contribute to Canada's growth, prosperity and well-being. For more
information: QUEBEC LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDEOn May 1, Quebec Minister of Industry and Commerce Guy Julien announced a $120-million plan to increase the number of low-income families with access to the Internet. The new program will pay up to 75 per cent of Internet access costs over a two-year period for families on social assistance (those with an income of $54,000 or less). The government hopes that one-third of the 600,000 families which qualify for the program will sign up over the next 12 months. Those families who take part in the plan could end up paying about $8 a month to surf the Net instead of typical monthly access costs of about $27. The program will also provide up to $250 a year for two years for computer rental, or up to $500 towards the purchase of a computer. In terms of overall Internet access, Quebec falls behind the rest of Canada. A 1998 Statistics Canada report showed that only 15.6 per cent of Quebec homes had access to the Web, compared to a Canadian average of 22.6 per cent. For more
information: SMART COMMUNITIES PILOT PROJECTS ANNOUNCEDOn May 11, after a nation-wide competition, twelve Smart Communities Demonstration Sites were announced - one in each province, one in the North, and one in an aboriginal community. These communities intend to develop projects that will make them world leaders in the integration of information and communication technologies into community life, in areas such as health care, education, training and business. Each of the selected Smart Communities will be provided with up to $5 million in matching funding from Industry Canada over three years. The Coquitlam Public Library is a partner in the SMART CHOICES Community Network chosen to represent British Columbia. SMART CHOICES represents the communities of Port Moody, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, as well as School District 43, Douglas College and Simon Fraser University. It ties together several projects, including a community portal with one-window access to community services and information, and e-Z Community Services, which will provide residents with 24-hour service to obtain information, register and make payments to three municipalities, the provincial government, the federal government, community associations, educational institutions and the private sector. As the region makes the transition from a suburban district to a major urban centre, the SMART CHOICES project will enable it to embrace the socioeconomic realities of the new millennium. The twelve Smart Communities were chosen from an original pool of 129 communities that submitted letters of intent, and a second round of 46 communities which submitted comprehensive business plans detailing the proposed projects. For more
information: ALBERTA PUBLIC LIBRARY HELPS KIDS FROM KOSOVOWhen Tahir Veliqi and Adnon Berisha's families left war-torn Kosovo and arrived in Grande Prairie, Alberta in August 1999, they didn't know if they would see or even hear from their friends and relatives again. Thanks to help from the Grande Prairie Public Library staff and Industry Canada's Community Access Program, however, the teenagers have been able to keep in touch with home. Just days after their arrival in Canada last summer, Veliqi and Berisha came to the library to access its free Internet public access service. The Internet and the library have provided the information they've needed to continue on with their lives. The two have hardly missed a day looking up the headlines on Kosovo, reading their country's history or searching for Albanian-English dictionaries. 16-year-old Veliqi also used the CAP-provided computer to create his own webpage with information on the ethnic Albanian community in Kosovo. "For us the library was home - at least we knew what was happening," explained Veliqi. For more
information: CANADIAN SURVEY ON PARENT'S ATTITUDES TOWARDS NETOn May 2, "Canada's Children in a Wired World: The Parent's View" survey was released at the British Columbia Internet Association conference in Whistler, BC. Parents were asked for their opinions on their child's Internet use; the benefits and risks associated with their child's use of the Internet; and effective measures for addressing Internet safety issues and inappropriate online content. According to parents, their children use the Internet for schoolwork (65 per cent); searching for information (35 per cent); playing games (29 per cent); instant messaging (28 per cent); chat rooms (28 per cent); and e-mail (18 per cent). Overall, Canadian parents are optimistic about the Internet, believing that the benefits of this new medium outweigh the risks associated with it. However, parents worry about their children's privacy being invaded and 21 per cent of those surveyed said their children had accidentally come across sexually explicit material on the Internet. When asked to rate solutions for safe and wise Internet use in public libraries, 72 per cent of parents said it's "very important" that public libraries play an active role in making the Internet safe for children using library computers. 78 percent thought that using blocking software on library computers would be "very effective," while only 43 percent thought instituting Internet Acceptable Use Policies in libraries would be a "very effective" measure. The Media Awareness Network and Environics Research Group were commissioned by Industry Canada, Health Canada and HRDC to design the project and collect and analyze the data. Environics polled 1080 randomly selected Canadian families who owned a home computer and had children between six and 16. This groundbreaking survey was the first of its kind in Canada and the research team is currently developing the second phase of the study which will investigate the views of the children themselves. For more
information: KIDS WILLING TO TELL SECRETS ON THE NETA new study from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center reveals that many children would reveal sensitive family information on the Web, especially if enticed with the offer of a free gift. The survey of 1,001 adults and 304 children 10 to 17 years old with home Internet connections found that children would give out all kinds of sensitive information to Internet chat rooms or commercial sites. For example, 65 per cent of children would name their favourite stores, and 54 per cent would tell where their parents shopped. 39 per cent of youngsters would disclose what they receive for an allowance, what their parents said about politics, and what the family did on weekends. And 72 per cent admitted that they would be likely to give out information without their parents' consent. In addition, older children (13-17) were more likely than younger ones (10-12), and boys more likely than girls, to say it is acceptable to give out sensitive information in exchange for a free gift. The report recommends that parents and children talk in detail about how to approach requests by web sites for personal and family data; parents should not take for granted that traditional cautions such as "Don't talk to strangers" will be sufficient for the Web. It also recommends that community groups, libraries, schools, and government agencies should work together on campaigns aimed at bringing community members together to learn about and discuss information privacy. For more
information: For the full
text of the report in PDF format: KIDS AND THE INTERNET HEARING TRANSCRIPT RELEASEDThe U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) recently published the record of its hearing "Kids and the Internet: The Promise and the Perils," which was held on November 10, 1998. The report includes the full transcript of the hearing itself, as well as a wide variety of supplemental materials submitted by public libraries, library and other organizations, and individuals. Despite the length of time elapsed since the hearing, much of the information in the report is still compelling and relevant. The foreword will be of particular interest to public librarians everywhere. Entitled "Practical Guidelines for Librarians and Library Trustees," it poses questions developed by NCLIS following the hearing to assist librarians and library trustees in their efforts to write acceptable use policies and create guidelines for Internet use for children which respond to local values and concerns. The full 300-page report (ISBN 0-16-050332-9) can be purchased from the U.S. Government Printing Office. It can also be accessed or downloaded in PDF format from the NCLIS web page. NCLIS is a U.S. federal government agency which advises the President and Congress on the library and information needs of the nation and the policies and plans necessary to meet those needs. NCLIS coordinates library and information science activities with federal, state, and local governments and with other public and private organizations. For the full
text of the report (in PDF format only): For more
information: INDUSTRY CANADA SUCCESS STORIES FEATURE PUBLIC LIBRARIESTwo public libraries have recently been featured in Industry Canada's new publication "Connecting To My Future - Ontario Region Success Stories", which profiles real-life examples of how Connecting Canadians is helping Ontario succeed in the knowledge-based economy. As the new executive director of Hawkesbury's public library just when the Eastern Ontario community was ready to leap into the information age, Benoît Ferland joined forces with the local Business Development Centre, which wanted to offer entrepreneurs an Internet course, and approached Industry Canada's Community Access Program (CAP) for funding. Two workstations were set up at the Business Development Centre and another six at the library. Soon Hawkesbury's employment centre, high school and community college joined in, bringing the total to 24 workstations used by an average of 350 people each month. Over a three-year period, nearly 3000 young people and adults have taken introductory Internet courses, given in both English and French. Responding to interest expressed by residents, Hawkesbury organized information sessions in neighbouring communities to help them set up their own CAP sites. A turnkey operation was provided, including training, computer installation and a year of support - all of it self-financed. The numerous initiatives of this dynamic site include creating Web pages for non-profit organizations and digitizing a collection of 500 photos recording the region's history; these were put on a Web site and a CD- ROM distributed to schools and the National Archives. With the training they received at the CAP site, some 10 young people have been able to find jobs in the information technology field, two of them with the site itself. Says Mr. Ferland, "In Hawkesbury, the Internet is a part of daily life thanks to the CAP site." The city of Hamilton, Ontario, has a rich and fascinating history, much of it reflected in the buildings of the downtown core. Today those buildings can tell their stories, with the help of a Web site created by four students who worked in the summer of 1999 at the Hamilton Public Library under contract to the Canada's Digital Collections program of Industry Canada. The site created by the students provides a virtual tour of the heart of Hamilton, plus many historical photos. A history of downtown development focuses on the main landmarks. Another section gives information on specific sites, including present-day photos, history, architecture, current use and ownership. Still another section lists municipal addresses and provides details on early activities at each. Last, the site posts city directories dating back to 1853, listing property addresses, tenants' names and the purpose for which each property was being used. For the four students who researched the information, took the photos, wrote the histories and put together the Web pages, it was a huge undertaking and a very busy summer. "They needed every minute," chuckles Margaret Houghton, Special Collections Archivist at the Hamilton Public Library. "But we've ended up with a marvelous product," she adds. The site has proved particularly useful because in recent years downtown development has been a burning issue in Hamilton. This is the third year that the Hamilton Public Library has participated in the CDC program; the two previous projects provided information on Hamilton parks and Hamilton-Wentworth cultural landmarks. To view the
Industry Canada publication: DIGITAL HISTORY BOOKS STUDYThe University of Pennsylvania Library and the Oxford University Press have developed a collaborative project to study digital book use and its impact on teaching, research, learning, and book sales. Financial support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will allow the project partners to examine the interaction of students and faculty with a body of history works online; the cost and mechanics of digital book production and distribution; and the impact of digital book availability on the demand and market for print materials. To study these issues, the OUP is granting the University of Pennsylvania community unlimited access to the full set of project texts, which will number between 1500 and 2000 books over the next five years. (A public preview site offers the full text of a few sample books.) In the opening phase of the project, the Library will establish baseline indicators of patron expectations and behaviour when accessing and using books online. As the collection size grows, server logs will provide more information about use, and the Library will also conduct surveys and focus group sessions. In the end, the Library and OUP hope to have sufficient data to begin answering some important questions about desktop access to scholarly monographs, such as how the uses of digitized and print monographs relate, whether availability of a digitized version of a book increases or diminishes demand for print copies, how effective the PDF format is for delivery of long texts, and many others. For more
information: CLA INTERNET STUDY AVAILABLE ON LIBRARYNETThe Canadian Library Association's "Management of Internet Service in Public Libraries: Needs Assessment Study" is now available on the LibraryNet web site. Over the past several years, Canadian public libraries have accepted the responsibilities inherent in providing public access to the Internet to their patrons, and have increased their capacity to do so through participation in initiatives such as Industry Canada's Community Access Program. The purpose of this study was to identify the tools and resources of most use in assisting library boards and staff in the provision of public access to the Internet in a safe and welcoming environment consistent with community requirements, as well as the principles of intellectual freedom and universal access that are the foundations of the Canadian public library community and the Canadian Library Association. For the full text of the report (in PDF format only): http://www.schoolnet.ca/e/doing/study-e.pdf AUSTRALIAN INTERNET LEGISLATIONIn March, Geoff Airo-Farulla, a lecturer at the law school at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, gave a presentation on the background of the recent decision by the Australian government to include the Net under the Australian Broadcasting Services Act, which regulates radio, television, film and video. Airo-Farulla concluded that the Act is likely to survive a constitutional challenge essentially unchanged. Unfortunately, however, the success of the legislation will depend largely on factors outside the control of the government, such as technological developments and international consensus on acceptable content. Under the legislation, which went into effect on January 1, 2000, Internet service providers (ISPs) can be required to block banned content or face stiff fines. The Australian Broadcasting Authority accepts complaints about Internet content from the public, rates sites, and calls on ISPs to close X-rated sites. An R rating would mean the site could be accessed only by people over 18, although how this provision will be enforced is still unclear. For more
information: EUROPE'S GAP IN NET ACCESS DUE TO TELCOM STRUCTUREAccording to a study on Internet pricing and regulatory issues by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), growth in the use of Internet services continues to be very uneven. While many factors influence Internet expansion, the study found a strong correlation between those countries with telecommunication infrastructure competition and high growth rates. Access to the Internet is expanding five times faster in member countries with competitive telecommunication markets compared to those with monopolies. Among European OECD member countries, for example, Scandinavian nations made up only 5 per cent of the population, but 25 per cent of Internet servers. Although the gap in pricing between Internet access charges in Europe and cheaper access charges in the U.S. continues to grow, "cost level is actually less important than the structure of pricing to explain the differences among countries in adoption of the Internet and e-commerce," according to OECD analyst Sam Paltridge. The common European practices of high telephone taxes and metered telephone charges (charging per minute for local calls rather than a flat rate) increase the difficulty of lowering the total cost of Internet access. Once unmetered AOL access was introduced in France, average Internet use increased from around 8 hours per month to 27 hours per month. Paltridge has also attempted to analyze the growth of e-commerce in Europe and America by measuring the proliferation of secure "SSL" servers, commonly used for online financial transactions. In the last several months, he said, the U.S. has added 10 times more SSL servers to the Internet than all the other member states of the OECD combined. Based in Paris, the OECD groups 29 member countries in an organization that provides governments a setting in which to discuss and develop economic and social policy. For more
information: POSITION PAPER ON GOVERNMENT PUBLISHINGA recent "Position Paper on the Role of Canadian Government Publishing and the Depository Services Program" is now available online. The paper examines the role of Canadian Government Publishing (CGP) and the Depository Services Program (DSP) in the context of the evolving Canadian government environment, including ways these programs can reach their full potential and help the government build connections to Canadians. The report provides a brief description of CGP and the DSP, including their rationale and funding arrangements, outlines key government trends and policies that have a bearing on these programs, and suggests a number of ways in which the delivery of the programs should be strengthened. Currently, both programs are at risk. They do not have either sufficient financial support or recognition to enable them to play their full role in the emerging world of electronic government. Without these programs, the dissemination of information will be more expensive and more fragmented - users in all communities across Canada would find it harder to get information and would have fewer ways of doing so. Some of the suggestions for improvement outlined in the report include: strengthening the policy framework within which these agencies operate, making their coverage more comprehensive, and concentrating on the role of co-ordinator of information. For the full
report: WEB NEWSLETTER FOR DIGITIZATION & PRESERVATIONThe Research Libraries Group (RLG), in cooperation with the Cornell University Library, produces a bimonthly web-based newsletter entitled RLG DigiNews. RLG DigiNews focuses on issues of particular interest to managers of digital initiatives with a preservation component or rationale. Items in the current issue include an article on copyright in a digital age, an FAQ on colour OCR technology, and a spotlight on the Internet Archive, a digital preservation web site. RLG is a not-for-profit membership corporation of institutions devoted to improving access to information that supports research and learning. To read RLG
DigiNews: CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTSDigital Cultural
Heritage II: Interoperability of Content This annual seminar is concerned with the interoperability of content in digital cultural heritage, specifically how the contents of museums, libraries and archives can be made available through common standards and interfaces. It will also explore the impact of multimedia on learning, knowledge organization and knowledge management. This year's focus is on developments within the library world, though museums and archives will also be discussed. Librarians and archivists in senior management, or involved in cultural heritage management, will be interested in attending. The conference is limited to fifty participants, with speakers and discussions in the morning and small workshops in the afternoon. All seminars, presentations and debates will be held in English. For more
information: International
Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists: Women in a Knowledge-Based
Society Participants will discuss the development of technology by women and the impact of technology on women's lives, both in emerging economies and industrialized countries. The conference will welcome papers in the following categories: women and technology; women in research and development; harmony in balancing work and personal life; technical papers on all fields of science and engineering; and papers describing programs geared to increasing the participation of women and youth in these fields. For more
information: If
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