Information Scotland

The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland

August 2004 Volume 2 (4)

Public libraries

Celebrating the network

Hazel Lauder rounds up the great achievements of public libraries through the People's Network and other programmes.

A seminar on 21 June 2004 celebrated the work which public libraries have been undertaking to widen participation in ICT through the People's Network, the NOF CALL programme and the Melinda Gates and Scottish Executive Public Libraries Excellence Fund.

The People's Network connected all public libraries to the Internet by providing 4,500 PCs, broadband connectivity and a range of high specification equipment. Over 4,400 library staff completed their ECDL or an equivalent qualification to support the public in their use of ICT.

The rollout of the People's Network was completed in March 2003 and since then all public libraries have offered public access to ICT equipment and training. More than 8.5 million hours of free Internet and ICT access is available from public libraries in Scotland.

In addition to the People's Network a number of public libraries have made successful bids for NOF CALL funding to develop community access to lifelong learning.

In Scotland, funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Scottish Executive Public Library Excellence Fund enabled public libraries to deliver ICT into areas of significant social deprivation. Each project brought ICT into communities where there was limited local access. By operating in public libraries, community centres and other venues the projects allowed ICT to be delivered directly into the hearts of communities.

Over 100 PCs were provided to libraries participating in the Excellence Fund projects and a wide range of equipment including printers, digital cameras and scanners were made available.

A number of projects provided solutions to overcome disability or language barriers to accessing ICT. This has ensured that all citizens' can access ICT for their information, communication and learning needs. The equipment and software introduced provides assistance with a range of physical and sensory impairments.

The equipment includes;

Induction loops for hearing impaired people
Track ball mice and large keyboards to assist people with mobility problems
Text enlargement and screen readers for visually impaired people.

In addition to this, assistance has been provided to citizen's whose first language is not English. In Edinburgh, the library service worked closely with the Chinese community to identify their needs. The result was that tutorial support and materials were provided tailored to the needs of the Chinese small business community.

The Excellence Fund projects have acted as the catalyst for a number of innovations including the development of a community website in East Renfrewshire. In Dundee a significant cultural and historical resource has been created and has been appreciated by young and old alike.

The Excellence Fund project was the starting point for North Lanarkshire's lifelong learning web site, which received 1.8 million hits in its first year. Significantly, North Lanarkshire has just secured European Funding to develop the portal over the next three years. This will develop online learning with an interactive ECDL course and the talking head system to provide learner support on a 24x7 basis.

The services that libraries deliver through the People's Network, the CALL programme and the Excellence Fund projects demonstrate that libraries can inspire people to develop their skills and can provide encouragement to support people as they progress. Over 5000 people have benefited from the Excellence Fund projects alone. A significant number of these people were 'older people', or people with a disability, who had never had the opportunity to use ICT in the past.

Libraries can make a difference in people's lives in a number of ways. The quality of people's lives can be improved by supporting the use of email to keep in touch with family and friends. A Glasgow resident reported that, 'It was good to use the email and learn things I didn't know before, like how Riddrie used to look.'

ICT in public libraries has given people the opportunity to develop new skills to help with employment. A South Lanarkshire resident who was a volunteer worker gained ICT skills which helped them to secure full-time employment.

Library staff have the highly developed communication skills required to build confidence and encourage newcomers to ICT. Library staff work with the youngest and the oldest members of our communities. The oldest person to benefit from the Excellence Fund projects was a 91 year old from North Ayrshire. Libraries provide home work clubs which enable young people to access equipment and support to assist with their school work.

Many people find that libraries provide a relaxed and informal atmosphere which puts them at ease and encourages learning. Often by learning in a group, with members of the community, people find that they are supported by their peers. In North Ayrshire this has developed a step further and members of the community volunteer to help people take the first basic steps using ICT. Sometimes these people have tried 'Computers for the Terrified' courses and given up. IT Buddies have the time and patience to work on a one-to-one basis to encourage these people.

By working with communities to encourage citizens to participate and make use of ICT for information, leisure and lifelong learning public libraries can make a difference to people's lives.

Further information on the Excellence Fund projects can be found at:
www.slainte.org.uk/Peopnetw/Peopnetprojects.htm

Hazel Lauder is Network Officer, SLIC.

Information Scotland Vol. 2 (4) August 2004

Information Scotland is delivered online by the SAPIENS electronic publishing service based at the Centre for Digital Library Research. SLAINTE (Scottish libraries across the Internet) offers further information about librarianship and information management in Scotland.

Last updated: 15 September 2004