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May 2001 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. "SMART CAPITAL" AND SMART PROJECT INVENTORY LAUNCHEDOn May 8, Minister of Industry Brian Tobin announced the launch of the Ontario Smart Community Demonstration Project, SmartCapital, and 160 Community Access Sites, part of the Ottawa SmartSites' Network. The project will include a SmartCapital Portal, to be comprised of four separate platforms covering government, community services, education and business. The Government Services platform will provide all citizens with one-stop access to government information, transactions and e-democracy services in both English and French. The Community Services platform will focus on strengthening the community. The Education platform will promote partnerships through EduNet, and will provide a single, bilingual point of access to a range of services specific to students. The Business Services platform will focus on economic development, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises in the community. The SmartSites will link all residents to a suite of electronic services that includes basic training, e- government, e-commerce and e-democracy. New users will learn how to use computers, navigate the Internet and use e-mail. Connected citizens can search job sites, find housing, and link to Ottawa's many online services. Over one hundred and fifty SmartSite locations (including all 33 branches of the Ottawa Public Library) will provide Internet-ready computers, conveniently located throughout Ottawa. For more
information: The SmartCapital and SmartSites launch coincided with Canada's first annual Information Technology (IT) Week, May 4 to May 13, 2001. As part of this national celebration of Canadian skills and achievements in information and communications technology, a new Inventory of Smart Solutions was launched. Community leaders are invited to explore the Inventory to see how some Canadian communities are using ICT to benefit their citizens. If you have a smart service in your community that you feel belongs in the Inventory, contact the Smart Communities Program. To view the
Inventory: 2. FUNDING FOR NEW MEDIA AND CULTURE ANNOUNCEDOn May 2, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Heritage Minister Sheila Copps announced an investment in the growth and development of Canadian culture of more than $500 million over three years. This investment is intended to target all aspects of the creative process - encouraging excellence among artists, promoting arts and heritage among the population as a whole, and providing Canadian cultural industries with the means to prosper in the 21st century. One of its objectives is to increase the production of Canadian content for the Internet and promote the development of the new media industry. To that end, the federal government will invest $108 million in digitizing key cultural content and promoting the creation and use of new media and multimedia Canadian content. The funding will enhance access to Canadian cultural products and historical information, particularly for youth, and will give special attention to enhancing the use of French on the internet and reflecting Aboriginal cultures and languages. Fifty six million dollars will go towards assisting cultural industries, particularly the publishing and music sectors, to prosper in the new digital economy and to project a strong and original Canadian voice. For more
information: 3. NEWFOUNDLAND CAP SITES TEST TRIAL BY VIDEOThe Information Highway Applications Branch of Industry Canada (IHAB) is looking at different means of helping Community Access Program (CAP) sites provide for their sustainability. The Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs is interested in evaluating video conferencing as a way to reduce the cost of judicial travel. The convergence of these objectives inspired a recent pilot project to test and evaluate various technologies for video conferencing judicial activities through CAP sites in Newfoundland. The Provincial Information and Library Resources Board (PILRB) of Newfoundland serves as the technical arm of CAP in the province. PILRB provided the video conferencing equipment and training to court staff. It will also make recommendations for the acceptable use of video conferencing by the justice system, document the findings of the pilot program, and distribute this information to CAP sites across the country to enable them to make appropriate decisions with respect to their sustainability. There were two separate components to this pilot study. The first involved the Newfoundland Federal Judiciary using the Unified Family Court in St. John's and the CAP site in the Bay Roberts Public Library. The second pilot involved both the Federal and Provincial Judiciary using the Court facilities in Corner Brook and the CAP site in the Port aux Basques Public Library. Each of the pilot programs used different technologies in order to compare different hardware, software, bandwidth and communications technologies. In cooperation with the Open Learning Information Network (OLIN) and the Remote Community Service Telecentre project (RCST), a third judicial trial using high bandwidth is being held between Goose Bay and Nain. Based upon the successes to date, PILRB hopes to be able to extend the pilot in the new fiscal year. The first actual cases heard using the technology were presided over by the then-Chief Justice of the Newfoundland Federal Judiciary, the Honourable Alex Hickman. The new Chief Justice, J. Derek Green, has used the technology for 11 cases. At the end of the court proceedings, live discussions between the judge and members of the Bar were undertaken. In all cases, this project was seen as worthwhile and members of the Bar are anxious to continue its use. For more
information: 4. WEB-4-ALL ENSURES INTERNET ACCESSIBILITYThe Web-4-All (W4A) package was developed for Industry Canada to ensure seniors, new Canadians, and people with disabilities or literacy challenges have computer access to services and information on the Internet. It accomplishes this by creating a customizable computer interface based on universal design principles. Each user can select, save, and deploy their own interface preferences using smart card technology that automatically configures a suite of assistive software and hardware. W4A makes public internet access locations accessible to those requiring "non-standard" computer technology. It also offers a significant cost savings to an internet access location, since the proposed bulk purchasing of third-party licenses and hardware, and turn-key installation, training, and support procedures, should significantly reduce the costs associated with providing assistive technologies. W4A consists of a number of assistive technologies. The software components include Opera, a plain-text browser; HomePage Reader, speech synthesis for the blind; eReader, multi-sensory input for learning disabilities, low literacy, and FSL/ESL; and Visual Dynamic Keyboard, alternative keyboard inputs for manual dexterity impairments. W4A also ships with an external card reader and track ball, which replaces the mouse. Installation, support, and training documentation in alternate formats (Braille, large print, audio tape, and plain e-text) is included as well. The package runs on a Pentium II or better computer with a CD-ROM drive, sound card and speakers, at least 64 MB of memory, and Windows 98 or higher. Trials of the Alpha version of the technology were undertaken in 2000. The Beta version is soon to be tested in various communities across Canada in partnership with non-governmental organizations, other levels of government, and financial institutions and telecommunications companies. For more
information: 5. SEVEN GRASSROOTS PROJECTS WIN INTERNATIONAL AWARDSThe winners of this year's Cable and Wireless Childnet Awards were announced last month. Three SchoolNet GrassRoots projects won awards in 3 of the 4 categories. They were:
In addition, four GrassRoots projects from St. Elizabeth School in Ottawa received special commendations. The Childnet Awards highlight children, and those working with them, who are developing innovative communication projects or activities using the Internet. The United Kingdom-run competition honours outstanding web sites and activities that give children the opportunity to create, connect and discover. To qualify for an award, children must develop innovative projects designed for use by students under the age of 18 that involve information and communications technology. This year's Childnet Awards attracted a record 200 entries from 47 countries. The SchoolNet GrassRoots Program promotes academic and computer skills in Canadian youth by integrating information and communications technologies into learning. For more
information: 6. CANADIANS TOP INTERNET USERSAccording to results from the Ipsos-Reid "Face of the Web" study, it's a tie for first in the list of most- wired countries in the world. Canada and Sweden are the biggest users of the web, with the United States very close behind. Seventy three percent of Canadians and Swedes used the Internet in 2000. The United States was next with 72 percent. In general, European countries gained ground on both Canada and the US, which have been leaders in Internet penetration since the birth of the web. Canada lagged slightly when the study looked at respondents who had used the Internet in the past 30 days. Sweden came in at 65 percent. Canada sat at 60, followed by the US at 59 percent. In 1999, the US ranked first in both categories, but its growth in frequent users has reached a plateau. Gus Schattenberg of Ipsos-Reid says that the study shows the U.S. is reaching the natural limits of its Internet population; those Americans who aren't online are likely to live in isolated areas or be too poor to pay for access. By contrast, Canada's population is relatively concentrated and income distribution is more equal. The same is true for Europe, where widespread wireless use provides a further boost to Internet use. Schattenberg also predicts that both Canada and Europe could see Internet penetration stabilize at levels significantly above that of the US and that, therefore, American domination of cyberspace will soon wane. For more
information: 7. MANITOBA ANNOUNCES IT STRATEGYOn May 1, Manitoba Industry, Trade and Mines Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk announced the provincial government's "E-Friendly Manitoba" strategy for information and communications technologies (ICT). The province has identified four goals: educating and training Manitobans in the use of information and communications technologies; bringing Manitoba communities online; attracting businesses and helping made-in-Manitoba businesses to grow; and improving public access to government services. In order to fulfill these goals, several current and future initiatives are planned. The province is investing $31 million for a downtown IT campus for Red River College, and $3.5 million towards the construction of a new computer lab at the University of Manitoba. The provincial Community Connections program will create 440 more public Internet access sites across Manitoba and bring high-speed access to every Manitoba community with a library, hospital, school, or government office by the year 2002. The provincial government has introduced Canada's most comprehensive e-commerce legislation and opened a new e-business service centre. As well, public access to provincial government services has been improved through initiatives such as an online student loan application site. To help keep the strategy on track, the government will prepare an annual report card on the state of ICT development within the provincial government. The report card will identify successes, report on gaps and suggest future actions as well as providing information to the public on the province's progress. For more
information: 8. INUKSHUK E-LEARNING FUND LAUNCHEDThe deadline for applications to Inukshuk Internet's e-learning Fund is approaching. Proposals for the funding of innovative projects which will result in the development of high quality and feature rich learning content must be submitted before June 15, 2001. The Fund is designed to assist learning communities in successfully making the transition to technologies of the future so that more learners can have regular access to multimedia-rich networked learning opportunities. The primary goals of the Fund are to: support the development of multimedia-rich learning content for learners of all ages; help learning communities build the capacity to develop and deliver multimedia-rich learning content in a networked environment; and fund innovative and creative projects which meet the needs of the region's learners and which have a positive, sustainable impact on the learning community. Inukshuk's objective is to become Canada's premier provider of wireless broadband Internet services in its licensed service areas (all of Canada except Manitoba and Saskatchewan). Inukshuk expects to offer Internet, data, voice and multimedia products and services. For more
information, or to view the Call for proposals document: 9. NEW PROGRAM TO FUND ADULT LEARNING TECHNOLOGIESThe New Practices in Learning Technologies (NPLT) program within the Office of Learning Technologies works with partners to expand innovative learning opportunities through technologies. Among its activities, NPLT provides support for projects that contribute to a better understanding of learning technologies and how to use and adapt them for adult learners at home, at work and in their communities. Projects should attempt to concentrate on testing, assessing, and/or developing new models related to the use of innovative learning technologies in a variety of situations. Proposals must focus on adult learners and meet the specific program themes, objectives and assessment criteria described in the NPLT Guidelines and Funding Application. A maximum of $200,000 in funding is available. The deadline for proposals is June 29, 2001. For more
information: 10. INTERNET CHANGES THE WAY WE CONSUME MEDIAGrowing interest in the Internet is distracting people from traditional media sources such as television, newspapers, and radio, according to the results of two studies released recently. A Scarborough Research study found 23 percent of US Internet users said they now view television less frequently since they began surfing the web. The study also found declines in other traditional forms of media. Twenty percent of those surveyed reported they spend less time reading magazines; newspaper reading was down 15 percent; and radio listening was down 9 percent. However, a majority of survey participants believe either that the Internet hasn't affected their consumption of traditional media, or are unsure if their habits have changed. As Canadians spend more time on the Internet, they also are devoting less time to other activities, according to Cycle 14 of Statistics Canada's General Social Survey. More than one-quarter of users reported that because of their Internet use they watched less television, and 15 percent spent less time reading books, magazines and newspapers. About 10 percent reported that they devoted less time to sleeping, leisure activities and household chores. For more
information: 11. BROADBAND ACCESS SLOW TO CATCH ONContrary to many marketplace projections, two recent studies predict that the adoption of broadband will be slow in both Europe and the United States. A consumer survey conducted by Jupiter MMXI in 7 European countries found that high prices, a lack of education about the value of broadband connections, and lack of competition are among the reasons for the sluggish adoption. Jupiter MMXI predicts that only 14 percent of European households will be using broadband by 2005, although the Nordic region (which has the highest Internet penetration in Europe) will adopt broadband faster. The survey found the main reason consumers said they might install a broadband connection was to keep the telephone line free while surfing the Net. One-third wanted it for faster Internet access and 29 percent to download software more quickly. In the US, a new study from Cahners In-Stat claims that the Internet will remain a dial-up domain for at least the next five years. The Cahners report predicts that by 2005, as many people will continue to have no Internet access in their homes at all as are connected by broadband services. That means that of the 70 percent of US residents expected to be online at home by 2005, only about 25 percent will have broadband access. A few percentage points more may be connected through such services as satellite Internet or fixed wireless. Roughly 40 percent of at-home users will still be connected through 56.6 kilobytes per second modems. Another 30 percent say they expect to have no need or desire for any Internet access at all by 2005. The report points to the current downturn in the US economy as forcing some ISPs to delay their rollout of broadband services. More importantly, however, many users are simply not convinced that they need more bandwidth. For more
information: 12. US INTERNET SUBSIDY UNABLE TO MEET DEMANDThe New York Times published an article on May 15 outlining how school and library requests for discounted Internet connections and wiring are outstripping the resources available for the US federal e- rate program. Yet the e-rate is so politically sensitive that its supporters are not pushing for additional money to meet the growing demand for fear they will upset the program's fragile balance of support. The e-rate program, created by the 1996 Telecommunications Act, provides subsidies to public schools and libraries to help pay for wiring and dial-up connection costs. Funded through a surcharge on monthly phone bills, the program's funds come via telephone companies rather than directly from American taxpayers. Schools and libraries in high-poverty areas can receive up to a 90 percent discount on Internet services. To read the
full text of the article: 13. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND LIBRARIESLibrary Futures Quarterly has published a list of the ten most important emerging technologies that will affect the way public libraries work. The technologies that top their list (not in any order) include teleservice, digital assistants, language and translation software, and next generation online publishing. John Guscott, editor of Library Futures, says, "The popular press has it wrong. These technologies won't speed libraries toward extinction. Instead, libraries will become more helpful and popular as they blend these new technologies with traditional library services." An extract from the report describing selected technologies is available on the Library Futures Quarterly website. The full report, which includes key trends to watch and recommendations on how a library should prepare for the inevitable changes, appeared in the Spring 2001 issue. Library Futures Quarterly is a newsletter dedicated to informing readers how technological, social, political, cultural and economic trends will affect libraries now and in the future. For more
information: 14. AMERICAN PUBLIC LIBRARIES WIN NET FILTERING DELAYOn May 15, an agreement over a challenge to the US federal Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) gave American public libraries until July 2002 to certify that they are using Internet filtering, as required by the new law. Passed last year, CIPA requires public libraries and schools to install software on computers that filters out web sites considered "obscene," "harmful to minors," or "child pornography" in order to be eligible for federal e-rate Internet discounts. Libraries were supposed to be in compliance by July 31, 2001, with certification by October. The agreement with federal prosecutors requires libraries to indicate this year that they are evaluating their options, said Theresa A. Chmara, a lawyer for the ALA.. For more
information: 15. WORK TOWARDS EUROPEAN DIGITAL LIBRARY CONTINUESThe British Library is coordinating a 30-month pilot project which will provide the groundwork on which to build The European Library (TEL). The creation of a continental virtual library will allow users to search for and access digital and other collections from all participants, another step towards European integration. Other members of the TEL consortium include the national libraries of Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Switzerland, as well as the Conference of European National Librarians. The aim of TEL is to pave the way for an eventual pan-European partnership of national libraries, sharing their resources and opening up access to a much wider audience than that currently being reached by European national libraries. It will build on the current digital library developments in the participating libraries and lay the policy and technical groundwork for a European digital library based on distributed digital collections. The TEL is primarily funded by a grant of 1.2 million euros from the European Commission's Information Societies Technology research program. For more
information: 16. USEFUL INTERNET SITES"Our
Experiment in Online, Real-Time Reference" Disability
WebLinks NewsConnect Libraryhq.com Bridging
the Digital Divide The National
Library of Canada launched several new digital resources during the month
of April, including the following: Images
in the News: Canadian Illustrated News 1869-1883 provides a searchable
database of over 4000 images drawn from that magazine, illustrating the
people, places and events that shaped Canada during that period. This
collection is also included in ImagesCanada,
a new collaborative site hosted by the National Library that provides
access to 65 000 images from several Canadian cultural institutions, covering
everything from cowboys to kayaks. Canadian
prime ministers are the focus of First Among Equals: The Prime
Minister in Canadian Life and Politics and its accompanying site
adapted for a Grade 4-6 level audience. This site introduces the private
lives and political careers of all Canadian prime ministers since Confederation,
and is enhanced with online games and resources for teachers. Page
by Page: Creating a Children's Book describes the production
of a children's book from concept, through sketches and draft narratives,
to final proofs. Tim Wynne-Jones' and Eric Beddows' Zoom Upstream is currently
featured, and Ginette Anfousse's École will be added soon. For much
more Canadian digital content, see the National Library's website at: 17. CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTSJoint CSLA/ATLC
Conference The Canadian School Library Association and the Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada are holding a joint conference this year to coincide with the CLA Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Join your colleagues for a fantastic program examining current issues facing teacher-librarians and school libraries. For more
information or to register: BookExpo
Canada BookExpo Canada (formerly the Canadian Booksellers Association Convention & Tradeshow) is Canada's largest book industry convention and tradeshow. This major event showcases books in all formats, sideline merchandise and other non-book products for bookstores, as well as new technology and services for publishers. For more
information or to register: HEDS Conference
2001 The Higher Education Digitisation Service (HEDS) Conference 2001 is aimed at anyone already running a digitization project or digital library as well as anyone planning such an initiative. Topics to be explored include: running a successful multi-partner project; the importance of strategy and planning; digitizing audio and moving images; integrating data and metadata for delivery and preservation; and finding funds to sustain the project. For more
information or to register: IFLA Society
of Libraries for the Blind Pre-Conference Volunteers
are needed to assist in judging the competition on best practice projects
in library services for the blind for the conference. Anyone who plans
to attend and would like to help, please contact: Judges will be required to read the project summaries before the conference, meet in Washington to agree on the winners, and then appear on the session panel to share the best practices. For more
information on the pre-conference: Northern
Exposure to Leadership Institute The Institute's mission is to assist professional librarians to develop, strengthen, and exercise their leadership skills so that they may be better equipped to formulate, articulate, and achieve the future changes required by libraries into the 21st century. Librarians who have received their library degrees within the past seven years, desire to develop their leadership potential, and have a minimum of two years' professional experience are eligible to participate when nominated by an employer, library school, or library association. Those chosen as participants must secure funding to cover the registration fee and transportation costs to Calgary. Meals, accommodation, and learning materials will be provided. The application deadline is July 31, 2001. For more
information: If
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