WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) of the American Library Association (ALA) releases “Fiber to the Library: How Public Libraries Can Benefit fom Using Fiber Optics for their Broadband Internet Connections” which articulates the benefits of fiber optic technology for public libraries and strategies to obtain such fiber connectivity. An important goal of this policy brief is to help applicants include “fiber to the library” in their federal broadband stimulus funding proposals under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Authors John Windhausen, ALA Consultant, and Marijke Visser, ALA Policy Analyst, address some of the basic issues involved in obtaining a fiber connection. They find that the cost of installing a fiber connection is often more reasonable than is sometimes assumed, and the benefits of laying fiber include creating jobs and providing “future-proof” connectivity that could accommodate libraries’ telecommunications needs for decades.
“The ALA encourages every library to explore a fiber-based solution to their broadband needs – especially now because of the opportunity afforded by the federal broadband stimulus funding,” said Carrie Lowe, Director of OITP’s Program on Networks.
“Broadband access to the Internet is enormously important to fulfilling the mission and role of libraries in the 21st century to serve the American public,” said Mary Alice Ball, Vice-chair of OITP’s Telecommunications Subcommittee. “People of all ages and backgrounds increasingly depend upon the local library’s public access computers and Internet access and support to search for jobs, take classes, complete homework assignments, obtain medical information, and receive government information and services.” Indeed, “public libraries, as community anchor institutions, are the pre-eminent public computing centers,” explained Dr. Ball.
“Unfortunately, the ability of local libraries to meet these community needs is in jeopardy because of the lack of adequate broadband capability,” said Bob Bocher, Chair of OITP’s Telecommunications Subcommittee. “And while there are a variety of broadband solutions, fiber optic technology is the best long-term investment that most libraries can make to help meet their bandwidth needs for decades into the future.”
More people than ever are using mobile devices for a wide variety of purposes including communication, internet access, text messaging, and entertainment. It is important that libraries provide services on these devices as use increases.
The first ever Handheld Librarian Online on July 30, 2009 is the place to learn about these and other topics related to using wireless and handheld devices in your library. The program — sponsored by Alliance Library System, LearningTimes and Infoquest — will include a variety of ways to collaborate, network and learn from a great group of experts in the field. In addition to live interactive webcasts, we will have a collection of available resources, discussions boards, and access to the recording of all live events for one year after the conference.
SCRLC is delighted to announce that an one hour “Social Bookmarking” class will be presented on Thursday, July 23 in SCRLC’s virtual training room. This online class will provide you with the information you need to get started in Delicious, a well-known, free tool for creating easy access to resources you have identified for your students and colleagues. You will learn to tag, manage, and share web pages. Priority will be given to school library staff, but these sessions are open to all regional library workers; no approval or authorization is needed to attend.
Summer Camp 2009 for Teacher Librarians is a series of workshops offered in July and August at TST BOCES in Ithaca, NY. The fees are very low thanks to funding and support provided by TST BOCES, BT BOCES, DCMO BOCES, GST BOCES, and ONC BOCES. The complete list of available sessions is on the SCRLC website at http://www.lakenet.org/scrlc/calendar.html Several BOCES have offered to pay the registration fee completely on behalf of their member library staff, so check with your BOCES office for details. If interested in Professional Development Credit, check with your School Building Administrator. Hope to see you there!
SCRLC is delighted to announce that a hands-on, half-day NOVELNY workshop will be presented on Thursday, July 23, at the TST BOCES, Ithaca, NY. NOVELNYis an online library of literally hundreds of magazines, newspapers, maps, charts, research and reference books that are available to every New Yorker, free of charge. The challenge is not how to search, but how to navigate these ever expanding value added resources. Where will you find useful, relevant information to support your users? Priority will be given to school library staff, but these sessions are open to all regional library workers; no approval or authorization is required to attend. Full information and registration details appear at the bottom of this message.
Coming to Ithaca for the session? You, your family, or friends may want to hike waterfall, swim in the lake, try an ethnic food restaurant, or take in a concert or play. To see what’s happening in Ithaca, please go to http://www.visitithaca.com and http://www.ithacaevents.com
Summer Camp 2009 for Teacher Librarians is a series of workshops offered in July and August at TST BOCES in Ithaca, NY. The fees are very low thanks to funding and support provided by TST BOCES, BT BOCES, DCMO BOCES, GST BOCES, and ONC BOCES. The complete list of available sessions is on the SCRLC website at http://www.lakenet.org/scrlc/calendar.html Several BOCES have offered to pay the registration fee completely on behalf of their member library staff, so check with your BOCES office for details. If interested in Professional Development Credit, check with your School Building Administrator.
It looks to be a resource that compliments a documentary called Puss in Books: Adventures of the Library Cat. Find an extensive list of libraries with a pet cat
The State Library is partnering with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to host a Broadband Summit on June 3 and 4 at the Sagamore Conference Center in Bolton Landing as part of the State Library’s participation in the Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Broadband Grant Program. The purpose of the summit is to develop a sustainability plan that will enable New York State libraries to better serve library patrons with improved broadband connectivity. The Summit will bring together public libraries, local and statewide influencers and state agencies with the objective of making the general public and state lawmakers aware of the need for adequate broadband in New York’s public libraries. To achieve this, the Summit will:
Provide an opportunity for libraries and influencers to collaborate around the need for improved connectivity and approaches towards sustainability;
Help local libraries explore strategies to fund and sustain improved connectivity and to understand their role in the statewide strategic plan;
Initiate strategic plans to build the statewide infrastructure for improved broadband; and
Develop tools to communicate the importance of improved connectivity to NY State constituents, including policy makers.
Please contact Linda Todd, Library Development Specialist and
Opportunity Online grant project director, by calling 518 486-4858 or by
email at: mtodd@mail.nysed.gov .
2009-2012 Statewide Learning Technology Grant (LTG) Applications Is Now Available
The purpose of this grant program is to provide progressive integration of instructional technology in classrooms and library media centers, and to provide sustained professional development to increase the skills of teachers in the use of instructional technology, in order to help students attain higher levels of performance in the New York State Learning Standards.
Public school districts and BOCES, or consortiums thereof are eligible to apply. Applicants must give nonpublic schools of all denominations within their boundaries the opportunity to participate. Applicants must also include at least one SURR or SINI school building in the application to be considered for funding. Completed application must be postmarked by August 21, 2009.
A very cool new way of dealing with e-mail. I am already hooked on gMail, but this could definitely the future of e-mail and other modes of electronic communication! Take a look, though the video is 1 hour and 20 minutes long.
We encourage you to bookmark the web addresses above for quick reference. As always, we will continue to send out e-mail notification of new CI&IT E-Blast with a direct link to the site. Please share this URL with networks as appropriate.
Anne Schiano
Assistant Director
Office of Curriculum, Instruction & Instructional Technology
NYS Education Department, EB 320
Albany, N.Y. 12234
(518) 474-5922
(518) 473-4884 (fax)
aschiano@mail.nysed.gov www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/
