Aggregating broadband demand: Surveying the benefits and challenges for public libraries

Public libraries in the United States play an important role in their communities by providing free internet access to all residents. Research exists that discusses public library connectivity by investigating funding, technical aspects, and library mission, and that also promotes membership in regional or state consortia as a means of making broadband internet connections more affordable. The research discussed here builds upon these works by asking the question: Do the benefits of aggregation, or pooling demand, justify the investment of state library resources in establishing and maintaining a library cooperative to support internet access? It reports on a survey of Indiana public library directors on questions related to connectivity, E-rate funding, and participation in the Public Library Internet Consortium, a statewide cooperative established by the Indiana State Library. The survey was conducted by Dr. Mary Alice Ball, who was affiliated with Indiana University School of Library and Information Science, Indianapolis while conducting the relevant research. Dr. Ball chairs the Telecommunications Subcommittee of the American Library Association's Office for Information Technology Policy.     

U.S. Public Library Outlet Internet Connectivity: Progress Issues and Strategies

The 1998 Public Library Outlet Internet Connectivity study (Bertot & McClure, 1998) sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) collected public library outlet Internet connectivity data by outlet metropolitan status, poverty, and region strata. Based on a national survey, the results show that there are disparities in public library outlet Internet connectivity, public access provision, and speed of public access Internet services. Such disparities have implications for future connectivity policy development such as the e-rate, state library-based connectivity programs, and library-initiated connectivity initiatives that this article identifies and explores. Community Access Points (CAPS), in addition to public libraries, may be necessary to reach national goals related to universal service and equality of access to the Internet.     

Delivering health information statewide via the Internet in a collaborative environment: impact on individual member institutions.

The Arizona Health Information Network (AZHIN) is a statewide member-driven organization committed to improving access to information for health sciences students and practitioners. Members include several hospitals and hospital systems, an academic health sciences center, and other diverse health care organizations. AZHIN offers its members unlimited Web access to ten well-known health sciences databases. This paper explores the impact that AZHIN has had on its member institutions. A survey asked members to reflect on AZHIN and its possible effects on the visibility of the librarian within the institution, relative dollars spent on AZHIN and range of resources available, Internet connectivity within their institution, access to AZHIN and other Internet resources, teaching, and benefits of collaboration. Results indicated that AZHIN members have access to a wider range of resources than they would otherwise. There are financial savings for some. Internet connectivity and AZHIN membership can provide the librarian with a broadened role and increased visibility. The availability of MEDLINE and other AZHIN resources encouraged some institutions to install Internet connectivity more quickly. Teaching library users has increased. Overall, AZHIN members recognized many benefits of their collaboration.     

The New Information Poor: How Limited Access to Digital Scholarly Resources Impacts Higher Education

The “new” information poor are the individuals and communities who have computer and Internet connectivity, but cannot access scholarly information due to prohibitive costs. Pratt Institute's School of Information and Library Science (SILS) represents such a community and is the subject of this case study. Three measures were analyzed: SILS' four “core” classes were surveyed to determine how many required readings were available via the library; a survey was sent to 31 SILS instructors; and we conducted in-depth interviews with two SILS instructors. While “information poor,” the data suggest our respondents are resourceful in finding ways to cope with their disadvantage.     

Nonprint Formats: A Survey of the Work and Its Challenges for the Cataloger in ARL Academic Libraries

ABSTRACT

Today's emphasis on developing nonprint-format collections in academic libraries mirrors advances in information technology. More new than old, these formats impact not only library planning, policy, and budgets, but also the training and the work of those who select, catalog, process, house, access, and circulate them. Results of this 33-item survey of nonprint catalogers in ARL academic libraries describe their demographic and professional background, their position, staffing for nonprint cataloging and processing, formats collected and bibliographic access provided, training and competency in and responsibilities for cataloging, work organizational and technical challenges, and career aspects.     

An Assessment of the Relationships between Resource Development Decisions,Library Collection Usage,and User Perceptions

Today's managers of library journal collection budgets experience pressures from shrinking resource allocations and rising costs. Consequently, they seek ways to assess the value of their collections in relation to user needs. This study at Montana State University seeks to understand what resources users (both faculty and graduate students) are citing in their research, the breadth of the information cited that is provided by the Library, how the Library's proactive and reactive efforts might influence user satisfaction with the information resources provided, and how user perceptions align and differ from information realities. It takes a unique approach by comparing LibQual+® survey results and faculty and graduate student citation behaviors.     

The Internet and OCLC:

The Internet has provided OCLC with another delivery mechanism to support its chartered public purpose of ex- access to the world's information and reducing rising information costs. This network of networks has helped OCLC and its member libraries reach electronically a new audience of end users with new products and new technologies designed especially for them. OCLC offers three reference products via the Internet: The First - Search Catalog, the EPIC service, and The Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials. All can be accessed using the Internet from an enduser's home, office, dorm room, laboratory, hotel room-or any other location with a modem nearby-as well as from a library. FirstSearch is a new online information service designed for library patrons, with an end-user interface that allows patrons to move through the online search process in just a few simple steps, without special training or online searching experience. The EPIC service is an online information service with a command interface designed for the advanced searcher. Both of these services offer access to a number of databases, including the OCLC Online Union Catalog, an electronic card catalog of 28 million records used by more than 16,000 libraries.     

Approaches to Studying Public Library Networked Community Information Initiatives: A Review of the Literature and Overview of a Current Study

In a world characterized by the use of rapidly advancing technology, public libraries are championing the rights of the individual to equitable public access to information provided over the Internet. But beyond general connectivity, libraries are also facilitating citizens' access to networked community information (CI) by actively linking users with relevant sites, by hosting pages for other service providers, and by participating in community networking initiatives. For individuals, the availability of networked CI means that they can access it at anytime and from any place, including the home, office, and public library. This article reviews recent trends in the networked CI literature, including public library involvement, and then discusses a major study underway for which multiple methods are being used to collect data from users, librarians, and service providers in three states. Particular attention is given to explaining the use of theory specification to apply Dervin's sense-making framework in an online environment.     

Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection:

This study examined the reference collection weeding and evaluation practices of a selected group of academic, public, and county library systems. Results revealed that only two of the fourteen libraries had written guidelines specifically for reference, and only one of these was a complete document. The most common unwritten criteria for weeding related to age and use of materials, and most libraries conducted systematic evaluation of the reference collection, primarily by means of comparisons to checklists or standard lists of recommended titles. However, most libraries did not regularly conduct formal use studies. The use of CD-ROM reference tools, which was fairly widespread and well accepted, was expected to have an increasingly significant impact on reference collection development in the future. Major findings are summarized, and a list of questions provided for further study and research.     

The Periodicals Perplex

The influence of the increased costs of periodicals on library budgets is well documented. What is not as well understood is the increased need for information in periodicals and its effect on public services. Providing access to the periodicals collection and to the contents of is complicated and labor intensive. Success in using the collection is highly dependent on the skill and understanding of the reference librarian and the determination of the patron to achieve results. A chart, "The Periodicals Perplex," illustrates the perplexing array of information a library user needs to assemble in order to access the contents of periodicals. The chart shows the mazelike relationship of eight levels of information that must be negotiated for success.     

Library Web Pages and Policies Toward “Outsiders”

Abstract

The article reports the results of a visual survey of library Web sites conducted over a seven-month period in 2000. Included in the survey were 100 ARL libraries in public and private universities in the United States. The author sought information about the libraries' policies regarding access to services and resources for unaffiliated users-library users who are not students, faculty, or staff of a library's parent institution. The author focused on four areas: entrance to the building, circulation policies, interlibrary loan service, and the use of proprietary databases. The author also looked for mention of services to unaffiliated users in library mission statements and the costs for use of services or resources. As expected, the variation among library Web sites was great, in terms of the amount of information provided, the level of access to services and resources, and the cost for access. No attempt was made to confirm the information by direct correspondence with staff at the libraries, in part because the intent was to determine only what one could learn from a library's Web site.     

Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) Maintained Research Institutes’ Libraries in India: Towards Digitization and Networking

The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) was established for development of social science research in India. It provides grants to 27 research institutes and six regional centers in India. These institutes have established close links with scholars in the region through activities such as seminars, workshops, training, and consultancy programs. Some of the institutes are closely associated with national and state level planning development agencies and have thereby strengthened the links between research and policy-making. The present study includes 22 institute libraries and three regional libraries in different Indian states. The study analyses their annual acquisition of books; periodicals; CD-ROMs; annual budgets; computerization; hardware and software; Internet; library network; and interlibrary loan and photocopy facilities available in these libraries. Digitization provides a solution to traditional library problems such as conservation, preservation, multimedia documents, and remote access to information, collection, and storage space. ICSSR institute libraries are replacing conventional storage and network systems with digital systems. The progress is a bit slow. Only a few ICSSR institute libraries are subscribing to electronic journals and having electronic documents. ICSSR institute libraries have started computerized operations and are making vigorous attempts to have digitized collections. However, these libraries are required to understand literature growth and use patterns in the social sciences.     

Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) Maintained Research Institutes’ Libraries in India: Towards Digitization and Networking

The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) was established for development of social science research in India. It provides grants to 27 research institutes and six regional centers in India. These institutes have established close links with scholars in the region through activities such as seminars, workshops, training, and consultancy programs. Some of the institutes are closely associated with national and state level planning development agencies and have thereby strengthened the links between research and policy-making. The present study includes 22 institute libraries and three regional libraries in different Indian states. The study analyses their annual acquisition of books; periodicals; CD-ROMs; annual budgets; computerization; hardware and software; Internet; library network; and interlibrary loan and photocopy facilities available in these libraries. Digitization provides a solution to traditional library problems such as conservation, preservation, multimedia documents, and remote access to information, collection, and storage space. ICSSR institute libraries are replacing conventional storage and network systems with digital systems. The progress is a bit slow. Only a few ICSSR institute libraries are subscribing to electronic journals and having electronic documents. ICSSR institute libraries have started computerized operations and are making vigorous attempts to have digitized collections. However, these libraries are required to understand literature growth and use patterns in the social sciences.     

Cost-Effectiveness of Consolidated County Library Systems in Midwestern Cities

This study examines the cost-effectiveness of consolidated county libraries in large metropolitan areas of the Midwest and compares it with the cost-effectiveness of large city libraries which share service to the county with other large public library systems in the area. The hypothesis that consolidated county library systems serve a large metropolitan area more economically than two or more large public libraries within a county is tested. The survey method is used to collect population, budget, and circulation statistics from 19 libraries in Midwestern cities of 100,000 or more. The data are analyzed for cost-effectiveness using a one tailed T-test to compare the means of county versus noncounty. The results of this study demonstrate a significant difference between the Cost per Item Circulated and the Per Capita Circulation from county to non-county libraries. It costs the county libraries less to circulate one item and they also circulate more items for each person in the population they serve. These results have implications for future decisions of libraries considering merger of several libraries into a consolidated system.     

The Internet,Public Libraries,and the Digital Divide

Virtually every public library in the United States provides public access Internet computers as a role central to its mission. This article addresses the issue of why the Internet matters for public libraries, both in terms of impacts on the general public, particularly the digitally disadvantaged (part one of the article) and impacts on libraries themselves (part two of the article). Each part of this report begins with an extensive literature review, followed by a data analysis section. In part one, the author uses the 2000 United States Census dataset to evaluate library efforts to bridge the digital divide, by analyzing differences in the growth of public terminals in library systems serving counties with different levels of household income, households in poverty, non-white households, and non-English-speaking households. The analysis finds no disparity in the number of public computers available in areas with high and low incomes but finds a significant—and widening—disparity in the number of computers available in areas with a higher versus lower percentage of non-white and non-English-speaking households. In part two of the report, the author uses a random effects linear regression model to estimate the effects of Internet access on library usage. This analysis finds that having Internet terminals (versus having no Internet terminals) has a significant positive effect on a library's visits and reference transactions, but not on a library's circulation. An increase in the number of Internet terminals has no significant effect, positive or negative, on visits, reference transactions, or circulation.     

NREN Update, 1993:

This paper focuses on the development of NREN policy and its impact on library network budgets, jobs, and access. It uses Papers by and interviews with five leading Washington NREN and hbrary experts. The interv~ews provided the answers to several key questions. These answers calmed fears that AT&T would become America's library in 25 years. But they raised fears that user fee rates would challenge equal user access. Opinions varied concerning whether or not librarians were influencing policy decisions. But all agreed that librarians need to be active in developing network access and even network tools. Working with the network will not only ensure survival but enhance library service.     

Maximizing Access to Resources: A Distance Learning Librarian Joins Forces with Colleagues at Supporting (Proximal) Libraries

ABSTRACT

Saint Leo University faculty provide instruction at SCE sites located on eight community college campuses and three military bases in the Florida region. This article will examine ways in which the Distance Learning/Reference (DL/Ref) librarian facilitates off-campus student access to both the university library's online and print resources and to library resources at nearby supporting, or “proximal,” libraries for students who are too far from the University Campus to use anything except the Ask-a-Librarian, 1–800 reference, and Interlibrary Loan services. These students must rely on proximal libraries, which include large public library systems, library consortia, community college libraries, and military base libraries, for access to print resources as well as Internet access to the university's online content. Providing library access services for such a large, disparate group requires the additional combined efforts of administrators, other faculty librarians, and supporting libraries.     

The Policy Implications of Internet Connectivity in Public Libraries

The provision of public Internet access and related networked services by public libraries is affected by a number of information policy issues. This article analyzes the policy dimensions of Internet connectivity in public libraries in light of the data and findings from a national survey of public libraries conducted by the authors of this article. After providing a summary of the study methodology and findings, this article examines key policy issues that include the nature of sufficient bandwidth and broadband, the perpetuation of the digital divide of Internet access in libraries, the role of libraries as e-government access points, the complexities of funding Internet access, the impacts and contradictions of filtering, and the chilling effect of homeland security legislation in public libraries. This article concludes with a discussion of how examining these policy issues can lead to a better understanding of public libraries and the Internet access they offer within the context of public policy.     

Migration to an electronic journal collection in a hospital library: implications for reference service

This article provides a perspective on the migration to an electronic-only journal collection in a hospital library and its effect on reference services, information-seeking, and library use patterns. Bellevue Hospital Center in New York, NY is one of the first major teaching hospitals in the United States to begin a fundamental shift to a current, electronic-only journal collection. This article describes the process and develops a model for use by other hospital libraries, with commentary on the impact on reference services to library users. Key findings are that physicians, residents, and nurses have come to expect electronic journal collections and use the Internet in the hospital library to access electronic journals. Similar to many academic health sciences libraries, the reference desk in a hospital library has become more like a technical support desk. Users who contact the library have questions about access to the library's electronic resources or about searching techniques. In the future, medical reference librarians will continue to assist searchers who cannot find what they are looking for and will assist those who repeatedly get results that do not match their information needs.     

Adoption of Internet technology by UK postgraduate centres: a questionnaire survey

A survey of UK postgraduate centres during September 1997 found that almost 60% were connected to the Internet, but librarians were still the largest user group, few had more than one access point and support to users was limited. Significant progress was made during the following 18 months—by April 1999 all but one of the remaining sites had Internet access in either the postgraduate centre or in a separate library. Lack of funds and decisive policy were stated to be the most common reasons for delay in connecting. The Internet was rated highly as source of the latest research information and support for evidence-based medicine and continuing education. Expansion of the role of librarians to include assistance with sophisticated searches seemed a logical move to the majority, yet the survey suggests that a significant investment in time and money will be required to support the use of the Internet in continuing medical education in the broadest sense. It is likely that the traditional boundaries between IT departments, libraries and user groups will need to be redrawn if the technology is to be exploited effectively.