APLEN UPDATE 2005 NetSpeed Conference October 20, 2005 Session A3 Clive Maishment,Chair, APLEN Stand

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APLEN UPDATE2005 NetSpeed ConferenceOctober
20, 2005Session A3Clive Maishment,Chair, APLEN
Standing CommitteeKarla Palichuk, APLEN Program
Manager
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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

• What is APLEN?
• Background and Governance
• What does APLEN do?
• Projects in 2005

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Background and Governance
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APLEN Background and Governance

• 1997 Alberta Public Library Electronic Network
  (APLEN) formed
• Agreement between Alberta Community Development
  and The Alberta Library (TAL)
• Made possible through partnerships with Industry
  Canada, Western Economic Partnership Agreement
  and the public library community
• 2002 Commitment for sustained funding for the
  program
• 2003 Alberta Community Development received the
  Premiers Award of Excellence (Bronze) for the
  APLEN project 1997 - 2001

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APLEN Background and Governance

• A Standing Committee provides the vision and
  direction for the program
• Representation from urban, mid-size, small
  libraries, the regional library systems, library
  trustees, Alberta Community Development and
  Industry Canada
• Input is received formally through regular
  meetings with Node directors consisting of the
  7 regional library systems and 9 largest public
  libraries

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APLEN Background and Governance

• APLEN supports public libraries in their
  provision of library services through electronic
  means by
• Providing opportunities for collaboration,
  cooperation and innovation
• Coordinating the development of an electronic
  network
• Facilitating content development
• Facilitating capacity development
• Promotion of services

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2005 Projects
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Marketing and Advocacy Campaign

• 2004 KPMG contracted to do an environmental
  scan
• PEST analysis Political, Economic, Social,
  Technological trends impacting libraries
• Key findings
• Disintermediation and increasing competition
  people expecting to do more, themselves
• Increasing demands from sources and users
• Public libraries not on the political radar
  screen
• Public libraries are faced with increasing costs
• Rural/Urban divide
• Changing role of the public library be all
  things to all people?

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Marketing and Advocacy Campaign

• KPMG report provided the basis for the creation
  of a three-year advocacy and marketing campaign
  plan
• Developed by Calder Bateman
• New theme The Library Renewed
• Theme was focus tested with library users and non
  users women, men and youth of varying
  socio-economic classes
• Handbook developed to provide assistance to the
  library staff and board on advocacy issues
• Calder Bateman developing a series of posters
• Global Television developing print and tv ads

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• 2004 Province provided 800,000 for the
  purchase of Customer Edge Devices (CED)
• APLENs SuperNet Advisory Committee works with
  the node technical staff to evaluate options
• Each area has made its own hardware decisions,
  still allowing for economies of scale
• Roll out of equipment will happen as each region
  is ready

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• September, 2005 Majority of sites should have
  the physical connections in place
• 2005 Provincial Budget ongoing funding for
  connection costs
• Internet service costs over SuperNet negotiated
  between the Nodes and Internet service providers,
  APLEN coordinating agency

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• Library Services in a SuperNet Environment Team
  suggested the following be tested
• Top priority ensuring ILS works
• Internet access
• Distance training opportunities
• Accessing tools or services that are more than
  enhancements to websites
• Downloadable books, movies, music
• Community center for videoconferencing
  opportunities

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• Network security will become an issue
• Keeping your computers safe from others
• Keeping other computers safe from our users
• Policies need to be developed
• Technical standards need to be followed

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• Questions to you
• What services do you want to offer?
• What will your library look like in 8 more years?

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Community Access Program

• 2005-06 is the final year for the program as we
  know it
• The Letter of Intent for CAP V identifies ALL 283
  previously funded CAP sites
• Received funding for 231 sites
• Funding will be less per site than in previous
  years

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Training

• A Training Committee identifies training issues
  and potential solutions
• Software to create online courses that can be
  mounted on websites
• Technology Core Competencies what skills are
  needed to run a library?

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Training

• Web Awareness Program
• Gates Mobile Training Lab and wireless
• lab
• VisuNet
• Database training
• Other topics technology planning, use of
  electronic resources

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• Questions?