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Broadband Empowerment: Strategies for Public Library Enhancement

Discover effective strategies for enhancing public library services through broadband technology, including maximizing community benefits and addressing key access questions. Explore the roles of libraries, community PAT, and policy influence.

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Broadband Empowerment: Strategies for Public Library Enhancement

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  1. Strategies for Public Library PAT and Broadband Enhancement John Carlo Bertot Center for Library & Information Innovation University of Maryland jbertot@umd.edu

  2. The Public Access Context • Workstations • Wi-fi • Databases/e-resources • Peripherals • Training • Support • Staffing • Interrelated, complex • Local, regional, and state roles, services, resources

  3. The Public Access Context • Libraries continue to try and expand public access • When possible, procure additional broadband • Adding wi-fi • But • Space • Buildings • Capacity • Availability (workstation time limits) • Staff • Expertise • Bandwidth not available/affordable • Bandwidth procured different that what is available • LAN • End user experience

  4. Public Library Service Roles • Shifting to a community of service • 5 core Internet-enabled service roles emerging in public libraries • Employment • Education • E-government • Health Information • Emergency Management/Response • Some are clearly extensions of traditional library roles, but are increasingly linked to public access technologies and broadband

  5. Key Public Access Questions • How do we “sell” the library’s Public Access Technology/Broadband needs? • How do libraries get more broadband? • Aggregation • Collaboration • Partnerships • Policy influence • NTIA BTOP • E-rate

  6. Public Libraries…. • ….build communities, don’t just connect them • Anchor institutions • PAT is a community benefit, not just a library responsibility

  7. Community PAT • Service roles increasingly rely on public library for success of others • Schools • K-12, community college, university, professional/vocational • Employers • Government agencies • Health providers • First responders • Need to look across community and demonstrate shared responsibility

  8. Library PAT • Need to look across PAT environment • Not treat workstations, wi-fi, broadband, e-resources separately • Each has a cost, support, staff requirement and the sum is greater than the parts

  9. Aggregation • Procurement • Broadband • Training • Support • All more efficient and effective if conducted through aggregation • Consider aggregated models for broadband, tech support, e-resources, service role support (e-government, for example)

  10. NTIA BTOP/E-rate • NTIA BTOP • NOFA just released • Opportunities for libraries, but…. • Public Computer Center (LAN) • Sustainable broadband (training/education) • Extent to which libraries qualify for broadband build out is an issue • Unserved/underserved defined as consumers (residential) • Cannot succeed without partnerships and collaborations • E-rate • Still a viable model and available to libraries

  11. Policy Wars • Need to be involved in the policy making process • BTOP is an excellent example • Anchor institutions, but not really • Follows the tried and true telco, business, consumer model of telecommunications policy • Libraries are none of the above

  12. Concluding Comments • PAT is a community resource • PAT increasingly support employers, government agencies, educational institutions, health services, and emergency services • Aggregation and community-wide approaches are critical • http://www.liicenter.org/plinternet/PAT_ALAPresentation11July09.pdf

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