Telematics working group.ppt
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I've just bumped into this presentation. We made it to Rochdale Council's Telematics Working Party a long, long time ago. Basically, it was a pitch for the support and resources to get all the libraries networked and active online. It took us another five years to finish the job (by which networked CD-ROMs were a distant memory!). Although bits of this sound technically-archaic the fundamental principles still hold water.
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Telematics working group.ppt
- 1. Rochdale Library Service Library Services for the 21st Century Presentation to Telematics Working Party 29th November 1999
- 2. Current IT provision in libraries across the Borough • Five libraries on Dynix network • Open learning at five libraries • Homework PCs at two libraries • Facilities for visually–impaired people at three libraries • Internet at one library
- 3. Additional provision by Spring 2000 • Nine libraries added to the library network
- 4. What are we planning? • Completion of Dynix library network • GUI OPACs for children • CD–ROM networking • Staff access to Council Intranet • Public and staff access to the Internet • Use of adaptive technology for people with special needs
- 5. Reasons for networking • Enables greater equality of provision across the Borough — the same materials may be available at all libraries, regardless of size • Cost–effectiveness — single copy + network licence comparable with cost of multiple copies • Security — materials physically held remotely
- 6. Building in social inclusion • Providing access to information – Access to the Internet – Access to electronic public services • Information mediation – Pointing people in the right direction – Quality control
- 7. Building in efficiency • Increasing the speed of communication • Active co–working from remote sites • Easier staff access to information resources • Logging problems and complaints directly • Electronic Document Interchange
- 8. Creating the mixed information economy • Internet – “open access” WWW – subscription services • CD–ROM materials • Local information – digitised material – council information – community information • The Library Catalogue
- 9. Creating content • The Library Service and Cultural Services hold a wealth of local material. – Some of national or international importance – Local studies material is a defining part of the Borough’s cultural identity – Family history material is an increasingly important part of the search for personal identity
- 10. Libraries without walls People don’t have to visit the library building to get a library service. Web–based OPACs would allow remote access to the Library Catalogue – People could find out what’s on the shelves at the library without having to visit – The Library Catalogue could provide direct links to electronic materials, including other web–based resources
- 11. The National Picture • New Library Network – All libraries to be connected to the People’s Network – Assumes an average of 10 workstations per library • National Grid for Learning – All libraries are to be connected by 2002
- 12. The importance of partnership • Other libraries – New Library Network – Sharing resources • Educational agencies – National Grid for Learning – University for Industry • Local community – Community information – Access to council information
- 13. Constraints • The Library Service does not currently have funds to address these needs. – Any development requires successful bids for funding – Another good reason to enter into partnership with other organisations • Staff time and expertise • Suitability of buildings
- 14. Opportunities: ICT development • The Library Service successfully bid for funding in the first round of DCMS/Wolfson Challenge Fund. • The Library Service bids annually for Corporate IT Development funds • New Opportunities Fund – Includes strands for community access to lifelong learning
- 15. Opportunities: Training • The Library Service intends to aim for European Computer Driving Licence standard of competence for all staff • New Opportunities Fund – The Library Service has won £54k over the next four years for staff training
- 16. ICT is another means of doing what libraries have always done, but it enables us to reach more people with a wider range of information more efficiently. In summary...
Editor's Notes
- There are eighteen libraries in the Borough. Five — Heywood; Littleborough; Middleton; Milnrow and the Wheatsheaf — are attached to the Dynix network. This gives them real–time access to the Library Catalogue and circulation functions such as borrower registration; issues & returns; reservations; and fines and charges.Borrowers at these libraries have access to the Library Catalogue and to their library records via character–based OPACs. Open for Learning is available at Darnhill; Heywood; Langley; Middleton; and the Wheatsheaf libraries. This is a free service giving people access to self–tuition materials — books, videos and electronic material available on stand alone PCs in the libraries. Homework PCs are stand alone CD–ROM facilities aimed at school children. They are available at Langley and Middleton. Kurzweil and Brailling facilities for visually–impaired people are available at Heywood; Middleton; and the Wheatsheaf. “Large Print” copies of the Library Catalogue are available at Heywood; Littleborough; Middleton; and Milnrow. Two public internet workstations are available at the Wheatsheaf Library.
- Nine libraries are being added to the Dynix network after successful bids for corporate IT development funding. These are: Alkrington Balderstone Castleton Darnhill Langley Smallbridge Spotland Sudden Wardle
- Our approved ICT strategy emphasises the need to network facilities and the need to make electronic information materials available to the public. Four libraries and the Mobile Library need to be added to the Dynix network. Work is being done on “Kids’ Cat”, a graphical OPAC for children. This will require additional networking for PCs at the libraries currently on–line. The library intends to network many reference materials as well as, where possible, open learning and homework materials. This will bring a number of benefits to the service, not least being savings in materials and staff time. Staff need access to the Internet as an information resource; for communicating with other organisations; and for training materials, as envisaged by the New Opportunities Fund and the New Library Network. Public access to the Internet at libraries is a stated intention of past and present governments. Where possible, the Library Service will build the needs of people with special needs into its specifications for development. Unfortunately, many of the people creating today’s technological developments forget that not everyone has access to top–of–the–range hardware; find it physically easy to use a mouse; and/or have 20:20 vision.
- The cost of an Encyclopedia Britannica in book form would cover the cost of the electronic version plus the PC to run it on. People can’t cut the pictures out of the electronic book; nor can they steal individual volumes. Any item that can be networked between libraries immediately increases its value for money. No reference book is in constant use, so even a single–user licence would allow more than one library to use a single copy of an electronic reference.
- The Library Service has always been committed to meeting the needs of the “information poor” in society. Providing physical access to information is not enough — it’s no use if you can’t find what you’re looking for. Quality is an important issue, especially in an unmanaged information environment like the Internet. Customers need to know how reliable the information is before they have to put their trust in it.
- Electronic communications such as email increase the speed of communication — there’s no waiting for the post to arrive and be sorted. They also increase the efficiency of communication — people can give considered responses at their own convenience. Discussions can take place and decisions can be made without people having to synchronise diaries and travel to a meeting place. Decisions can be made when they need to be, not when people’s diaries allow. Staff can have access to common sources of up–to–date information — updates can be delivered in one simple stroke rather than co–ordinated around different sites and departments. The Library Catalogue is an information resource that is useful to many staff in the Council and should be made more widely available. Key suppliers allow direct access to problem logging databases — instead of ’phoning or faxing we could log a problem and, if necessary, send direct chasers. Electronic Document Interchange (EDI) would enable the on–line ordering of stock from library suppliers. This would widen the choice of materials and, importantly, take days off supply times.
- Libraries are likely to be carrying books for a long time to come. In the medium term, there will still be a need for CD–ROMs: Some material will only be available in this format It will take some time before the status of intellectual property rights and copyright over the Internet is established to suppliers’ satisfaction CD–ROM networks provide the opportunity for libraries to provide access to free, managed on–line information resources.
- As well as photographs, the Local Studies libraries in the Esplanade, and at Heywood and Middleton libraries include documents and local newspapers. All of this content, copyright permitting, could be made available in digital format — as graphic files or even as web pages. One strand of the New Opportunities Fund programme is aimed at the creation of digitised content.
- “WebPACs” are web–based OPACs giving remote access to the Library Catalogue. Currently the Library Catalogue includes books; pamphlets; records; cassettes; CDs; CD–ROMs and multimedia packs (e.g. open learning materials; youth worker resources, etc.). The OPACs also currently provide customers with access to their borrower records. Electronic materials can be catalogued the same way as we catalogue books, cassettes and videos. It is possible to build hyperlinks into catalogue entries so that having found the material you want it can be launched on the click of a mouse button. Some academic libraries are now providing electronic access to resources and their support materials via WebPACs. Some public libraries are providing access to local community information via their WebPACs. This has proved useful when working in partnership with local development agencies to encourage inward investment in the area — companies and their employees can get information about schools, health services, etc. prior to relocation.
- “New Library” assumes an average of 10 workstations — “3–4 in smaller libraries, up to 40 in larger libraries”. Working parties are currently investigating different models for delivering the New Library network.
- There is no point in the Library Service’s reinventing the wheel, even if it had the resources to do so. Libraries have a long record of resource sharing. The Regional Loans Service lets libraries in the U.K. and Ireland share book and document resources. Similar models are being investigated for electronic resources. The Library Service does not stock school or college text books but does provide books and material on CD–ROM that is heavily used by children and students for homework and coursework. Similarly, as part of the National Grid for Learning the Library Service should provide access to material that complements that provided by schools, colleges and other educational agencies.
- The Library Service has no capital budget for ICT development. Nor does it have any revenue budgets for consumables, line charges, etc. Funding procurement is a priority management activity. A key concern is sustainability — there is no point in investing in large capital projects if: Consumables cannot be replaced; Hardware will not be replaced at the end of its working life; and/or The hardware and/or software will not be maintained. Front–line staff need the time and opportunity to learn the skills and get the experience necessary to support the public in the use of the new facilities. As well as providing the time for staff to receive training and practice their new skills, the Library Service needs to be able to provide staff to cover service points. Management and support staff need the time and opportunity to learn the skills and get the experience necessary to support other staff in the use of the new facilities. They also need time and space for setting up new systems and for keeping up with developments that may be useful to the Library Service and its customers. Most library buildings were not designed with the use of computers on desks in mind. Some libraries need rewiring. Staff workstations do not fit on traditional counters, which in turn may require some redesign of the library. Some libraries just do not have the space appropriate for the number of public workstations we would want to provide to meet the challenges of “New Library”.
- The next round of the DCMS/Wolfson Challenge Fund will be addressing “traditional” library needs rather than ICT developments. Information about the “CALL” strand of the New Opportunities Fund is limited at the moment. A better picture of how the funding may be allocated and the bidding process should be available in the New Year.