Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-01-21; Library Board of Trustees; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: DATE OF MEETING: January 21,1998 TIME OF MEETING: 3:OO P.M. PLACE OF MEETING: LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES City Council Conference Room CALL TO ORDER: President Thomas Curtin called the meeting to order at 3:OO PM. ROLL CALL: Present: Library Board Trustees Curtin, Harkins, L'Heureux Absent: Library Board Trustees James McCann and Joan Moss Also Present: Cliff Lange, Library Director Geoff Armour, Assistant Library Directof Gene Barber, Friends of the Library APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the December 17, 1997 meeting were unanimously approved. MONTHLY LIBRARY DIVISION HEADS REPORTS: President Curtin remarked that the Open House for the Adult Learning Program was interesting to him and asked for more information about the three hour-long presentations by John Corcoran, author of The Teacher Who Couldn't Read. Director Lange added that he did a very good job on his presentations. The reports were accepted. LIBRARY BOARD COMMENTS: Trustee L'Heureux and President Curtin complimented those who were involved in the planning and organization of the groundbreaking for the new library. President Curtin was pleased with the turnout for the occasion, feeling that it reinforces commitment to the library. NEW LIBRARY UPDATE: Director Lange said that the construction fencing went up the afternoon of the groundbreaking, and the contractor took possession of the site on Monday. They will move into construction trailers by next week. Director Lange mentioned a little difficulty with some of the fencing being Library Board of Trustees January 21, 1998 Page 2 attached to homeowners' fencing at the top of the hill, but the problem has been resolved. Some trenching and grading have been done, and the next thing to be done will be the crib wall. There will be weekly meetings at the site with the City's construction manager. Director Lange feels they are off to a good start. UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES: Director Lange mentioned that this is part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act passed by Congress. There is some controversy over this, but the FCC wants to go ahead with it anyway. It is confusing to comply with, but he and Gordon Peterson from Information Systems attended a workshop which the State Library put on last week in Temecula. It cleared up a lot of questions on how to fill out the forms and what to do. Part of complying with the requirements of the program is that we must have an approved technology plan from the State Library. Director Lange was particularly interested in what to do for the new library, and he was informed that he should file the forms for the new library after July 1, 1998. Director Lange will be meeting with Lee Rautenkranz, who handles telecommunications for the City, to discuss which lines currently in place will qualify for the discount and whether the lines which run to City Hall will qualify or not. He believes they will not, so this building would not presently be eligible. We will eventually recable this library, making it eligible at that time. The discounts will range from 20-90%, and we would probably be at about 20-40%, but that is still to be determined based on the numbers from the school lunch piogram. This will be on top of the 50% discount we already receive through the California Public Utilities Commission. Trustee Harkins asked what is currently budgeted for telecommunications and what savings these discounts represent. Assistant Library Director Geoff Amour responded that since our total telecommunications budget is approximately $1 00,000, this could mean a savings of about $50,000, which is significant. Trustee Harkins then asked who makes the decisions on rewiring and eligibility. Director Lange replied that it would be he and Lee Rautenkranz who would make the recommendation to the Council, if it seems to be worth it to do so. Trustee L'Heureux asked if the offer continues or if there is a cutoff date. Director Lange said it happens every year, but in the startup year there is a 75-day window of opportunity during which paperwork can be filed. We may not do anything about this year; he will be meeting with Lee next week to investigate it further. Trustee L'Heureux then asked if the rewiring might be worked into the overall remodeling of the Cole library, and Director Lange indicated that is their current plan. LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY PLAN: Director Lange explained that two major decisions must be made regarding technology in the new library building. The first decision involves licensing issues and computer access to other databases. The second decision involves a possible changeover of our lnlex (catalog/circulation) system to another system. DRA is phasing out our current software to a -new product, and we must decide whether to stay with DRA and their new software or change to another system, which would involve a Request for Proposal to entertain other bids. Our hardware is also obsolete. There are many questions we have, and there is more expense involved now in making these decisions; so, we will be hiring a consultant to help us with these issues, since no one on the staff has the expertise to make these decisions alone. Library Board of Trustees January 21, 1998 Page 3 Trustee Harkins asked if there is an updating plan that comes with the purchase of these new systems. Director Lange responded that the City currently has a program under which hardware replacement purchases are made on a regular basis. The same thing is true with the software. We receive normal updates on standard software programs, and on our specialized library programs we pay a maintenance fee to receive automatically any updates they make. President Curtin remarked that planned obsolescence is one reason many companies are choosing now to lease rather than buy. Director Lange was certain the City has looked into this option. COMMUNITY SERVICES UPDATE: Director Lange explained that up until one month ago the library had responsibility for the Arts department. Since the Community Services Reorganization, Connie Beardsley reports directly to Frank Mannen and not to Cliff. They still do some things together, but he is not her boss any longer. It will take some time to work out sharing of resources and working together on projects. The Arts Office will oversee the art gallery in the new library, with the volunteer help of the Arts Associates. Assistant Library Director Armour asked about staffing it, and Director Lange responded that it will probably be a full-time person. Trustee L’Heureux remarked that this was the initial reason for the Arts Associates. Director Lange and Connie Beardsley are developing a job description for this job. President Curtin wondered about the nature of the administrative relationship, with the library overseeing the building but not the people. Director Lange replied that he had a good point, and he is not sure how long the relationship will last in this structure. He will make sure everything is in writing so everyone understands the relationship. He is confident it will work out just fine. LIBRARY 1998-99 CIP (Capital Improvement Program) Director Lange referred to the sheet in the agenda packet on library facilities. He said if you moved the dollar figures for this year over one year, they will stay basically the same. It will be a very busy year and a half while planning interim library sewices, remodeling this building, and building the new one. They met with the architects after the groundbreaking to look at the programming for this building so they can start working on it, because the remodel has not yet been designed. This firm did the feasibility study in 1990, which now needs to be refined in both program as well as actual design. He and Assistant Director Armour will be meeting with Chuck Walden on Monday to see what our options are for interim service delivery. We will probably end up with modulars in the space next to the parking lot. He is not aware of other space available in this end of the City which would have ample parking. Assistant Director Armour said we must also consider moving the collections between the Branch and the Main Library. It will basically be a swap between the two locations, which he does not see as a problem, especially with the technology which provides information on the whole system. This must be done before putting out a Request For Proposal for the move. Library Board of Trustees January 21,1998 Page 4 Trustee Harkins asked if there are rules for selection of books for the library. Director Lange replied that there are principles which govern what a library should have; but beyond that, the rest is on choice and experience, trying to build a collection that sewes the needs of the community you are in. President Curtin said that the choices are becoming more complex as we work with technology. CARLSBAD HISTORY BOOK: Beckeft's Walk Throuuh Carlsbad Hisfow by Susan Gutierrez and Ann L'Heureux Assistant Director Armour expressed appreciation for Mayor Pro Tem Ramona Finnila's promotion of this book at the Council meeting the night before, even showing it to the camera. Trustee L'Heureux brought several copies of the book for the Board to see, both in English and Spanish, and described the book, including the artwork on the cover. She explained that for years the Historical Society has given walking tours of the historical sites in the city, and this book is a walking tour by a little cat named Beckett. She and Susan Gutierrez saw the need for materials at the 3rd-grade level to tie in with the state-mandated 3rd-grade local history program, so they wrote it. It is a sociological look at how people lived in the early days of Carlsbad. Trustee L'Heureux's husband, Hap, did the page layouts .on his computer, and Susan's husband did the translation into Castillian Spanish. (The English and Spanish layouts are parallel.) Trustee CHeureux thinks it will be useful as long as there is bilingual education. Both the library and the schools have bought multiple copies of the book. There will be a book signing in the library atrium on January 29 from 3:OO to 500. President Curtin thanked Trustee L'Heureux for writing and telling the Board about her book. NEW LIBRARY DEDICATION PLANNING: Director Lange said it is not too early to think about planning the dedication of the new library. He would like to have two Library Board Trustees on the committee. Trustee L'Heureux asked whether certain terms of current Board members would expire before then. Director Lange will have that information for the next meeting and put it on the agenda. He would like to have a whole week of events and wants input beyond speeches and the ceremony. President Curtin asked what has been done at other library dedications, and Director Lange said he would also have that information available at the next meeting. Assistant Director Armour pointed out that some tie-in could be made with the State of California's Sesquicentennial celebration, which will be going on at the same time. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: Director Lange opened discussion on the CALTAC workshop coming up on February 28 and asked if any of the.Trustees would like to attend. He discussed the schedule and content of the workshop. Trustee L'Heureux can go and offered to take notes for anyone who can't attend. Director Lange mentioned that the reservation deadline is before the next Board meeting, so any other Trustee interested in going should contact him individually. Library Board of Trustees January 21,1998 Page 5 FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY: Gene Barber introduced himself, as this was the first time he had attended a Library Board meeting. He announced that the next book sale will be on February 7 and reported that the last book sale was the most successful ever, with a profit of $6,684. He is new with the Friends and is enjoying his new duties. GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY: Not present. PUBLIC COMMENT: None. ADJOURNMENT: Trustee Harkins discussed some possible sources for volunteers to serve in the library. Director Lange offered to show pictures of the groundbreaking to anyone who is interested. By proper motion, the Regular Meeting of January 21, 1998 wqs adjourned at 4:OO PM. Respectfully submitted, Rbbecca DiGangi Administrative Secretary EZ L .- ad CD 'EI 0 0 03 Ca P) c *rn m Y L 0 a .I a :fly E 0 d = S- t-- o t, a m Q) - v) 0 0.00 0. . II 0. . . ADULT LEARNING PROGRAM Monthly Report December 1997 1. OD en House On December 9, the Adult Learning Program held its second annual Open House for program participants. Seventy adult learners and volunteer tutors attended the event. John Corcoran, a former learner in this program and now national advocate for literacy, made 3 hour-long presentations about his life before and after learning to read and write. His wife Kathy and tutor Eleanor Condit also contributed to the discussion. John signed copies of his autobiography, The Teacher Wzo Coufdn ’r Read. During the evening, attendees also made holiday greeting cards in the computer lab, socialized, and watched a videotape of the 1988 “20/20” television program featuring John Corcoran. 2. 199711998 S tate Literacv Gr ant On December 16, the City Council officially accepted the library.’s 1997/1998 California Library Literacy Services (CLLS) grant €tom the California State Library for $28,857. Most of the’ grant funds will be used to replace the computers in the Adult Learning Program’s instructional computer lab with state-of-the-art models. 3. ISDNLine In December, the Adult Learning Program submitted an application to the WestemPacific Literacy Information and Communication Network System, a project of the National Institute for Literacy. The application is for one of 50 ISDN lines, for high-speed access to the Internet, that Pacific Bell is making available free to adult education programs. If approved, the Adult Learning Program then has the option of choosing if and when to install the ISDN line in the computer lab. 4, Strategic Planning Before addressing future needs, staff continued reviewing immediate program needs and taking action to meet them. Several repair projects were completed, such as carpet repair and repair of desks and a typewriter. Staff member Elaine Lindsey-Paek did an extensive review of educational services and classes offered by other agencies and developed an up-to-date listing for referral purposes. Coordinator Lynda Jones continued drafting an administrative procedures manual. CARLSBAD CITY LIBRARY CmRO DE INFORMACION Monthly Report December 19 9 8 4 3.- Chi1 dren's Pr ocrrammina On December 11, at the Centro de Informacien, the celebration of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah was explained to the children with music and songs by storysingers Judy Shupack and D'Vora Gittelson. On December 12, children and adults enjoyed making ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree at the Centro. Children also had the chance to make ornaments to take home. On December 15, there was a program about the celebration of the African-American harvest festival, Kwanzaa. Through drums, music, poetry, and reading, school-age children learned more about this African-American tradition. On December 18, pre-school children fromthe Headstart program enjoyed a Christmas puppet show at the Centro de Informaci6n. This show was presented by the Main Library Children's Department. 2 *- Commuaitv Ou treac h On December 7, Centro staff members Edith Rodriguez, Lorena Dominguez, Josie Cruz, and Lizeth Simonson participated in the Holiday Tree Lighting, a community event presented by Carlsbad Evening Rotary Club and the City of Carlsbad Community Services Department. During the event Lorena Dominguez several times read a Christmas story in both English and Spanish to groups of children, followed by a craft activity related to the story. A total of 100 children participated in this activity. CEULDREN’S SERVICES DIVISION DECEMBER 1997 ,MONTHLY STATEMENT Children’s Library attendance for the month reached nearly 800. We had a record number of programs for December with 26. The program emphasis was to attract school age children and their parents to the variety of programs. Some of the programs were the Tree Trimming Party, Celebrate Chanukah, and “How the Lizards Saved Christmas”. We also accommodated 8 class visits to the library. We presented library tours, puppet shows or a storytime, library card pickup and an on-line catalog demonstration. The Tree trimming Party planned by our staff, was & popular as ever. This program allows children to make an ornament for the library tree and one for their tree at home. This year’s ornament was a teddy bear. Judy Shupak and her talented friends presented Celebrate Chanukah, with guitar and vocal music. This outstanding program taught the history and customs of Chanukah. The children in the audience received a dreidel and Chanukah gelt as part-of the celebration. The second InfoPeople workshop was held in Temecula and was attended by John, Melinda, and our community partner, Lois Smith. This workshop explained to new grantees how to develop an Internet policy, software applications, dealing with the community partner and security issues. Children’s staff presented a Christmas puppet show at the Centro. Director of the Centro, Lizeth Simandson, coordinated the parents ad children of Project Headstart to come to the Centro for this special treat. The children were very responsive to the show, Santa Mouse, and each got a chance to meet the puppets after the show. ; COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND ACQUISITIONS STATISTICS REPORT December 1997 ’ Current Month Fiscal I terns Received B&T Direct PMSC Total to Date Year ---------- --------_- ------_-- ---______ __--_____---__ ---------- ---------- --------- --------- -_________ Books - Adult Main 350 168 518 3,065 Branch 80 18 98 677 Centro 1 8 9 63 subtotal 431 194 62 5 3,805 Books - Children Main Branch Centro subtotal 274 13 98 74 3 10 375 97 287 1,163 172 480 13 132 472 2,074 Audio - Adult 139 28 167 <814 Audio - Children Video 3 122 125 250 47 6 123 176 674 Total Received 995 447 123 1,565 I, 617 B & T = Baker & Taylor PMSC = Professional Media Services Corporation Genealogy & Local History Division Fiscal Year 1997/ 1998 Statistics Decem bet 1997 Research activity: December 1997 December 1996 Reference questions 1,025 729 Circulation 98 81 Regstered researchers 658 547 Holdings: Added Added December 1997 lT1997/98 to date Genealogy Yon-Circ 37 254 Microfilm 8 38 Microfiche 0 1,363 CD 2 6 Genealogy Circ 0 -44 ,Activities with the North San Diego County Genealogy Society: December 1997 December 1996 Ey1997/98 to date 7,020 5,371 853 Added FYI 996/97 632 8 41 41 1 5,054 20 Total 1997 to date Volunteer horn 28 30 562 Programs 4 0 58 Program attendance 162 0 2,338 NSDCGS donations $1,274.1 5 $649.45 $1 4,664.09 M1996/97 15,549 11,122 2,025 Total 17,302 893 7,315 1 11,609 21 6 Total 1996 44 1 44 1,561 $18,285.00 .. Distribution of researchers: C a rls bad San Diego County Los Angeles County Orange County Riverside County San Bernardino County Other California Counties Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Ohio 0 kla homa Oregon Pennsylvania South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Washington Washington, D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Guam Belgium England Germany Ireland Mexico Russia 'rr4-l ~- December, 1997 111 41 9 26 31 19 1 16 1 0 9 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 5 1 r 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 658 ! 0 Fy1997/98 858 3,626 130 323 171 42 74 1 1 50 1 1 3 5 1 1 4 1 0 2 1 1- 1 0 1 1 1 5 2 9 0 0 0 5 1 4 3 5 0 2 3 2 5 5 11 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 4 0 5,371 FY1996/97 1,852 7,533 222 689 248 76 124 1 0 96 11 9 3 15 0 1 3 6 1 2 3 0 3 3 10 10 0 7 16 22 2 1 2 12 3 6 5 38 2 4 3 18 0 0 30 4 1 4 1 1 1 3 1 13 1 11,122 LA COSTA BRANCH LIBRARY Monthly Report December 1997 DECEMBER CIRCULATION Branch circulation totaled 19,789 items for the month. Of this total, 10,222 adult items, 7,106 children's items, 2,437 video tapes and 24 CD ROMS were checked out to patrons. This was an average of 761 items each day or 73 each hour. Total circulation increased 4% over last year. USERS This month's user count was 15,614. An average of 601 patrons used the Branch each day, or 57 each hour. These figures reflect a typical library usage; pattern which is very low during the month of December. User statistics for December 1996 are not available because the counter was not working during that month. INTERNET ACCESS Some progress was made during December in getting the Branch computers connected to the city network and eventually then providing staff and public access to the Internet. As of the end of the month, appropriate lines had been installed, routers and hubs were on order and Information Systems was "working on it". It is anticipated now that sometime in January, access to the network will be available at the Branch. At that time, staff will train to use the Internet. NEW STAFF Victoria Hadrer pined the Branch staff as a page December 22. She replaced David Hult wha left to become adive in High School sports. Victoria transferred to Branch from the Main Library staff. Next month, 2 clerks will need to be hired replacing 2 who will be leaving in January. LA COSTA BRANCH LIBRARY Monthly Report December, 1997 CIRCULATION Item HrdDavs Circulation Circ Per Hr/Da&. c Children’s Vols. Children’s A.V. Adult Vols. Adult A.V. Video Tapes CD ROMS Total In house Circulation: Reference Questions: 272 I26 CD ROM: (out of order Registrat ions: 6,681 425 7,461 2,761 2,437 . 24 19,789 537 Adult 1,683 Children 504 Total 2,187 Carlsbad 163 Non Resident 100 Total 263 73 1761 VOLUNTEER HOURS Proiect Hours Number of Volunteers Children’s Clerical Friends Magazine Sale Total 13 - 43 56 c 9. 2 - 14 16 LA COSTA BRANCH LIBRARY Monthly Report December 1997 USERS Users HrdRavs Users p8r Hr!Day 15,614 272 / 26 57 / 601 a- 4. PROGRAM ATTENDANCE Prmram Attendance & Aae No. of Proarama Preschool Storyhours 101 - preschoolers 6 BookBuddies 2 - 10-1 1 yr. olds 2 3 - 3-5~. OldS Holiday Program - 29 - All ages Total 135 1 9 - .- I LA COSTA BRANCH LIBRARY Monthly Report December 1997 STATISTIC COMPARISON Collection Dec. 1996 Dec. 1997 ComDarison Children's Vols. 5,735 6,681 +946 Children's A.V. 404 425 + 21 Adult Vols. 7,695 7,461 (-2%) Adult A.V. 2,861 2,761 (-1 00) Video Tapes 2,356 2,437 + 81 CD ROMS 19 24 +5 +719 Total 19,070 19,789 % +t6 +5 (-3) (-3) - +3 +26 +4 Circ. Each Hour 73 73 0 0 Circ. Each Day 763 761 (-2) (-26) USERS Dec. 1996 Dec. 1997 ComDarison % U navai table' Unavailable' Unavailable" 15,614) - - Users Each Hour - - 57 Users Each Day .- - 601 i? *No statistics were available due to a non functioning people counter during December, 1996. FY 97-98 Medla Graphla Form Count (Y.T.D.) 159,063 - GRAND TOTAL REFERENCE ACTIVITIES FOR DECEMBER, 1997 Reference Questions totaled 4,986 during the month of December, a decrease of 596 over last year. Reserves totaled 2,290, an increase of 363. Online Searches totaled 447, an increase of 429 over last year. This figure includes Public Internet Access sign-ups, which totaled 387 during the month of December. Interlibrary Loans totaled 104 items received and 15 items were sent to other libraries. Also in December, there were 265 questions answered at the Information Desk. This total was down 221 questions from December, 1996. During the month of December, there were: 3 Library Skills Classes, 2 Job Search Classes and 1 Book Talk with the Womens’ Club. Char Kennedy attended a Records Committee Meeting at Las Palmas on December 1. Callie Ahrens went to a SERRA Reference Workshop, “Health Resources on the Internet,” on December 2 at UCSD. Callie also held a Staff Development Meeting on December 1 1. The last week in December was the one year anniversary of public Internet access in the Reference Department. There are currently two terminals available to adults over 18 by appointment for ‘/z hour periods. When the CD-ROMs are converted to Windows 95, there will be 4 terminals with both Internet access and CD-ROM databases. A total of 1502 users had registered by the end of December: 46% of these were from Carlsbad; 2 1% were from Oceanside; 1 1% were from Encinitas; 1 1% were fkom Vista; 9% were from other places in San Diego County and 2% were from outside of San Diego County. Nine users were from out of state. Technical Services Report December 1997 In December, Technical Services staff added 1,220 new print items and 44 1 audiovisual items to the library's collection. They deleted 1,185 print items and 27 1 audiovisual items from the database. Figures were not available on how many patrons dialed into OUT catalog in December. The Main Library's 3M Selfcheck machine was recently upgraded with new software, featuring improved graphics, and part of the equipment, including the laser scanner, was replaced. Usage of the machine remains steady at 7% of the circulation at the Main Library per month. In early December, the last 386 computer in Technical Services, an OCLC workstation for cataloging, was replaced with a new Pentium computer. We now have Windows 95 and Windows-based software on all of our PCs. 8 LL d s c ii FEDERAL E-RATE (UNIVERSAL SERVICE) PROGRAM PROPOSAL FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF TECHNOLOGY PLANS FOR LIBRARIES M CALIFORNIA Responsible agency: California State Library P.O. Box 942837 Sacramento, CA 94237-000 1 Contact person: Barbara Will, Networking Coordinator* California State Library *Afier December I, the contact person will be Mark Parkq Technology Coordinator Methods for contacting agency: 0 by mail (California State Library, P.O. Box 942'837, Sacramento, CA 94237-0001) 0 by telefax (916-653-8443) 0 by telephone (916-653-5217) 0 in person (California State Library, 900 N Street - Suite 500, Sacramento) Initial Procedure for Review of Technology Plan: 1. 2. 3. 4. Each library submits an original plus two (2) copies of its technology plan to the California State Library The California State Library staffreviews the plan for compliance with FCC requirements on a building-by-building and library jurisdiction-wide basis a. Ifthe plan is approvable as submitted, notice of that approval is issued to the library together with one of the copies of its technology plan for its files. b. Ifthe plan is not approvable as submitted, the California State Library will contact the library and offer assistance in developing an approvable plan. The California State Library retains the original copy of each approved technology plan, together with a copy of the approval notice, in its archives for an appropriate period of time. That period of time will be determined by FCC requirements, technology plan currency, and E-rate program duration. After these procedures have been in effect for two (2) years, they will be reviewed by the California State Library and considered for continuation or continuation with revisions. Revisions may also be made by mutual agreement prior to that time. California State Library November 1997 LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY PLAN DRAFTOUTLINE Name of library jurisdiction: Address: Name of libry outlet: (branch, library sta ion, main library, etc.) Address: 1. MISSION STATEMENT AND GOALS (list the mission statement and goals of the librjuy jurisdiction) 2. TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY (describe in general how technology does, and will, assist the library in accomplishing its mission and goals. For example: “use technology to obtain information fiom remote sites”) -2- 3. CURRENT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM '(summarize the current use of technology to accomplish the library's mission and goals. For example: "Internet services are used to obtain information from and provide information to remote sites") 4. LONG-RANGE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM (summarize the anticipated use of technology, over the next 3 years, to accomplish the library's mission and goals. For example: "T-1 lines will be installed in our three most remote branches to allow them to obtain and share information efficiently") Date: Signature : Name: Title: COMPLETE AIL INFORMATION IN THE SPACE PROVIDED. DO NOT ATTACH SHEETS. CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY q4 LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT SEZVICES P 0 BOX 942837 SACRAMENTO, CA 94237-0001 TELEPHON&&l&, 7 LlERARY Carlsbad To: Public Library Directors City of Date: December 23, 1997 b Re: Universal Services Discount Program From: Mark Parker, Technology Consultant ’ hfq By now public libraries should have received information and application forms from the Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC) related to the Universal Services Discount @-Rate) program. If you have not received a packet, call the SLC toll-fiee number at 1-888-203-8100. Califomia State Library Universal Services Discount workshops will be available at six sites throughout the state during the first two weeks of January. A Registration Form is attached. Libraries should start their review and application process well before the workshops to be in the best position to file an early application. Although the applications are submitted by the individual library or dum. the Califomia State Library has two roles: 1. Certification of technology plans, as requited by the FCC. A form is being dtwioped and will be distributed as soon as possible. Technology plan dcatioo is not nccusmy to start the filing process, but some planning may be needed to identify those.serviccs you wish to apply for. Please do not submit a plan until we provide you with the appropriate form. 2. Consulting assistance, providing support for individual libraries and consortia, as well as workshops on the application process. I will will be the primary CSL Cdtaut assigd to this program. My telephone number is (916) 657-1892, E-mail: mparke@brary.cag. To prepare for ailing, libraries may want to look at “Nine Steps You Can Take Now to Prepare for the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Program.” The current address is: http:/hKww.necaor@nds/sl9steps.htm The SLC website is not yet operational. When it is operational, the address should be: http:/h.slcfund.orrg/ The application process for the 1998 calendar year is expected to start on January 16,1998 and end on March 3 1,1998. It is critical that libraries apply as early as possible, since the filing process includes a 28-day posting of your application on the SLC web site for potential service providers to bid upon, ad that posting period must be complete befare Mar. 3 1,1997. 1. 2. 3. The three steps above must be completed not later than March 31,1998. Additional steps arc: File Fam 470 (a multiple Form 470’s), Starting January 16,1998. This fam lisb SCTYiCCS, hrsdwrre, a sodhvrre that you want under this program. Pdngidbmaticmoathe SLC web site for potential vendorst0 Cxamiae. This is a28 day listing. llm infwmetioa fa posting is gmmkd fhmycnxFcnm 470 by SLC. Fw Fam 47 1, idcntdjmg those scryices you have contracted far. 4. 5. CertiticatiOn of your Technology Plan. Filing of Form 486, stating that you are now receiving the seryiccs you contrected for. A deadline far these last two steps has not yet becn identified. The filing process should not be as difiicult as it may initially appear to be fhm the SLC packet. A variety of Intemet fesourcts is available to assist you, and the electronic filing process will facilitate the provision of some data (e.g., school lunch eligibility levels). Other suggcstim to make filing easier: Focus in the ht year on services you arc already paying for. Telephone service, data circuits for your integrated library systcm, Internet Service Provider, etc. The 1999 filing process will start in July, 1998. At that time you may want to be more ambitious. "Tariffed" services, such as telephone Service, will be handled somewhat differently. services regulated by the Public Utilities Commission will be posted on the web site, but they may not have to be competitively bid. However, if you can negotiate a better deal, do so - discounting is still available, regardless of how much you save through competitive bidding. Aggregating several parties for the purpose of negotiating lower prices is encouraged. You can negotiate together to get the best price for a product or service, even if some of your partners do not qual@ for the discount. You can file multiple Form 470's. 47 I's, etc.. You may want to file a separate form for each type of service, or you may want to file multiple fonns if you believe you will achieve a higher level of discouat by targeting specific locations. If you file electronically, the Form 47 1 template will help you calculate your discount rate. You will need to know National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) Code for a School in each district where you have a branch or library outlet. The C& will be published on the SLC website. Existing contracts signed before November 8,1996, arc qualified for discounting, even though you may still have to post the service application 011 the SLC web site. Contracts signed after January 16, 1998, will have to qualify under the provisions of the program. Contracts signed between November 8,1996 and January 16,1998 arc uncertain. It is possible that they may only qual@ for discounting for the calendar year 1998, regardless of their length of term. Ifpossible, avoid signing any new agreements for telecommunications or related services until you can submit them through the SLC application proctss. Lay some groundwork with your purchasing entity to incorporate the new FCCBLC bidding requirements within existing processes. The FCC wants to encourage Competitive bidding, but they arc not trymg to replace existing local procedures. You can still write tight specifications to quallfy potential bidders. Univd sesviceSdiscormts canbe combinedwiththe California Telcc~mmunicatiionsFund against the brrsecostdsuvice or whether one discount must be takenbeforethenext discouat is crlarlrted Ifyou need information on the California Telecommunications Fund discount program, pbr# matact Barbara Will in Library Development Scrvicu, (916) 653-707 1. discormts to achieveeven greater savings. It is ndyctknown wbethabothdiscormtscanbe applied Tho# who wish to look at school lunch program eligibility rates can find somc idormation at http://thcbmhkan.org/M This site, sponsored by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, has SOM eligibility information. The State Library does not vouch for the cumncy or authoritativeness of this site. CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY Univerral Servlccr Discount @-Rate) Workrhopa Workshops on the Universal Savicu discount process will be held hm 9:OO am. to 3:OO p.m. in six locations statewide. Public Libraries and CLSA systems may send up to two (2) persons. Pre-registration is requirad, and seating is limited. The tentative agenda is: 9:OO am - Noon Application procesS and Materials - Elidbility - TeCbn010g~ Plans - FOXTII 470 - SLC Web Site Posting -NCXtsteps -Form 471 REGISTRATION FORM &Rate Workshop 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Name: Additid Name: Library: Addrtss: Telephone: FAX: Check thc date dthc wodmlmp for which you are registaing: Please mail or FAX this form go later than Januam 5.1998 to: California StateLibrery P.O. Box 942837 Sacramento, CA 94237-0001 Am: E-- Workshaps FAX (916) 653-8443 SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES Universal Service Program CORPORATION On May 7, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Universal Service Order implementing the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Order ensures that all eligible schools and libraries have affordable access to modem telecommunications and information services. Up to $2.25 billion mually is available to provide eligible schools and libraries with discounts, often referred to as the “E-rate,” for authorized services, beginning January 1, 1998. Overview Level of Discounts Discounts range from 20 percent to 90 percent, depending on economic need and location (urban or rural). The level of discount is based upon the percentage of students eligible for participation in the federal Gree and reduced price school lunch program. Libraries will use the school lunch eligibility percentage and urbdrural status for their local school district. Services Eligible for Discount Discounts can be applied to all commercially available telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections. Discounts are available in all states, as long as the state adopts intrastate discount levels at least equal to the federal discounts. Application Process Discounts will be applied as of January 1,1998, for qualified pre-existing contracts. For contracts covering new services with approved discounts, the discounts will be applied as of the date the contract is signed. A technology plan must be developed, and approved by an independent agency, such as a state education or library agency, or the Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC). Eligible institutions must submit a self-certification of eligibility (attesting that all criteria have been met) to the SLC along with a description of the services requested. program is not a grant program. Schools and libraries are required to pay only the “non- discounted” portion of their costs for telecommunications services, Intemet access and internal connections. The discounted portions of the services are directly applied to reduce the bills to be paid by schools and libraries and these amounts will be reimbursed directly to the service providers fiom the fund administrator. Requiring schools and libraries to pay a share of the costs from their own funds is intended to insure cost-effective purchases. The percentage discount mechanism for administering this program means that this Fund Administration SLC, a newly formed independent not-for-profit entity established by FCC rules, has responsibility for administering the schools and libraries program. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), a subsidiary of the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), has been named by the FCC as the interim, overall administrator of Universal Service Fund collection and distribution. December 1997 1 ~ Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa City, IA 522444217 1-888-203-8100 Disbursement of Fun& Once an application has been accepted and approved, the schools and libraries will apply the applicable discount to their telecommunications services, Internet access and internal connections, and pay the remaining portion of the costs to the service providers. The service providers will seek reimbursement from the SLC for the cost of the discounts. Schools and Libraries Eligibility Schools must meet the statutory definition of an elementary or secondary school found in the Elementary and Secondary School Act of 1995 (20 U.S.C. Section 8801 (14) and 8801 (25)). They must not be operating a for-profit business, and may not have an endowment exceeding $50 million. Examples of Eligible Schools 0 Public schools 0 Non-public schools hivate schools Parochial schools 0 Area vocational technical schools Charter schools 0 Intermediateunits Examples of Ineligible Schools Home school programs 0 Institutions of higher education 0 Private’vocational skills schools (Proprietary schools) Libraries or library consortia eligible for assistance fiom a state library administrative agency under the Library Service and Technology Act and not operating a for-profit business are eligible for discounted services. Examples of Eligible Libraries 0 Public libraries Academic libraries (unless their 0 Privatelibraries budget is completely independent) 0 Research libraries that: (I) make publicly available library services and material suitable for scholarly research and not othexwise available to the public and (2) are not an integral part of an institution of higher education Examples of Ineligible Libraries December 1997 2 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa City, La 52244-4217 1-888-203-8100 Consortia A school or library can apply for a discount on a specific service either as an individual entity or as part of a consortium. Entities within a community (e.g., schools, school districts, libraries, library systems, government, and health care providers) could identify their common communication needs and plan for a community infrastructure. A consortium could negotiate with service providers fiom a position of strength due to the aggregated demand. Consortia may include both eligible and ineligible entities. Ineligible entities are those members of a consortium that are not entitled to a discount. Entities not eligible for universal service discounts, however, may benefit from lower pre-discount prices fiom such aggregation. Mixing eligibility will place significant record-keeping responsibility on consortia. They will be required to demonstrate that only eligible entities receive the discounts. Consortia are not required but are encouraged. Consortia advantages are: 0 0 0 0 Sharing facilities reduces costs. 0 Aggregating demand attracts competitors and allows negotihting lower prices. Consolidating services achieves improved efficiency. Sharing both network infiastructure and knowledge results in lower costs for all. Sharing technical staff reduces costs. Calculating the Discount Discounts for eligible schools and libraries are set as a percentage discount fiom the pre-discount price. Pre-discount price means the price the service provider agrees to accept as total payment for its telecommunications or information services. This price is the sum of the amount the service provider expects to receive as payment from the eligible school or library and the amount it expects to receive as reimbursement from the universal service support mechanisms for the discounts provided. Schools The discount is based on the number of students eligible for participation in the national school lunch program and the school’s classification as rural or urban. The national school lunch program is a program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state agencies that provides fiee or reduced price lunches to economically disadvantaged children. For shared services, school districts applying for discounts on behalf of their individual schools may calculate the district-wide average percentage of eligible students. For example, a school district would calculate the appropriate discount rate for each individual school, then multiply each school’s discount rate by the number of students in the school. Add up the total for all schools and divide by the total number of students in all schools that are receiving an appropriate December 1997 3 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, IowaCity, IA 52244-4217 * 1-888-203-8100 share of shared services. Last, round the result to the nearest percentage point. For site-specific services, an individual school would use its own discount level. Libraries The discount for libraries is based on the percentage of student enrollment that is eligible for the national school lunch program in the public school district in which the library is located. Library systems may apply for discounted services on behalf of individual branches of the library system by calculating a system-wide percentage which would be computed by fist calculating each individual library’s discount, then summing the discounts and dividing by the number of library branches. The library will use the school lunch eligibility discount percentage for the school district in which the library is located. If a library system is located in more than one school district, then the library will use the average of the discount percentages for each school district in which the library system has a branch. Alternatively, an individual branch of the library system could apply using its own discount level. The level of discount will be based on a school’s or library’s percentage of students eligible for the national school lunch program and its location in an urban or rural area. December 1997 4 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, IowsCity, IA 52244-4217 1-888-203-8100 Classifying Urban and Rural Locations Las Cruces Santa Fe Santa Fe These categories are based on definitions adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP/HHS). Counties are first classified as either urban or rural depending on the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in which they are located. Dona Ana 0014,0019 County Los Alamos County Santa Fe 0101,0102, County 0130.01 Urban Schools and libraries located in metropolitan counties, as measured by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) method, shall be designated as urban, except for those schools and libraries located within metropolitan counties identified by census block or tract in the “Goldsmith Modification.” Rural Schools and libraries located in non-metropolitan counties, as designated by the MSA method, shall be considered rural. However, portions of urban metropolitan counties may be classified as rural if their census block or tract number is identified by the “Goldsmith Modification” table. The “Goldsmith Modification” identifies rural pockets within larger urban metropolitan counties. The MSA table along with the “Goldsmith Modification” will be posted on the SLC Website (www.slcfund.org) and the NECA Website (www.neca.org). A paper copy of the MSA table and “Goldsmith Modification” is also available, upon request, from the Schools and Libraries Corporation. STATE New Mexico I--- i New Mexico ew Mexico Iz 1 New Mexico Sample of the MSA Table: 1I:your county is indicated on the MSA table, you are considered urban, unless your specific street address falls within one of the listed “Goldsmith Modification” tract numbers. An example of how the MSA table can be used: If a school or library is located in a New Mexico county that is not identified on the MSA December I997 5 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa.City, IA 52244-4217 * 1-888-203-8100 table, it would be considered “rural.” Additionally, if the entity is located in the Santa Fe Metropolitan Area, Santa Fe County, it may still be urban or rural. If it is determined that the address of the school or library is located in Census Tract 0102, for example, it would be considered “rural.” If the address is not located in a “GoIdsmith Modification” tract, it is “urban.” To determine whether your street address is within one of the listed tract numbers you may contact the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) Website (www.ffiec.gov). 0 First, select Information Services. 0 Next, select FFIEC Geocoding System. 0 Next, input the school or library’s street address and zip code. 0 The BNAlTract number for that location will be provided. 0 Compare this number to your county’s “Goldsmith Modification” numbers to determine if a tract number is listed which designates your location as rural. You may also contact the U.S. Census Bureau within your state for help in determining rural status. Census Bureau Regional Information Center phone numbers are included with the, MSA tables. Eligible Services Eligible schools and libraries may purchase all commercially available telecommunications services at discounted prices. Internet access, and installation and maintenance of internal connections are also eligible for discounted rates. Schools and libraries will have maximum flexibility to purchase the services that they believe will meet their needs most effectively and efficiently. Schools and libraries may choose from a wide array of telecommunications services and technologies, including, for example, basic telephone service, a T-1 line, and wireless telecommunications services, and these services may be purchased fiom various service providers. Please note that not all of the eligible services may be available in all areas throughout the country. (Note - The FCC has authority to revise service eligibility determinations.) Examples of Eligible Services Basic phone service Leaseddatacircuits 0 Dial-up Intemet access 0 Direct Internet COM~~~~OILS 0 E-mail 0 Wireless COM~C~~OXU 0 T- 1,56 kbs, ISDN lines Examples of Ineligible Services 0 Content Training 0 Software (see, however, Eligible Internal Connections) December 1997 6 Schoola and Libr8rier Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iows City, IA 522444217 * 1-888-203-8100 Examples of Eligible Internal Connections 0 Telecommunications wiring Routers Switches 0 Hubs Network servers 0 Certain networking software Wireless LANs Installation & basic maintenance 0 Private Branch Exchange (PBX) Examples of Ineligible Internal Connections Personal computers FAXmachines Voice mail Modems 0 Electrical wiring 0 Asbestos removal 0 Cable modems cameras Firewalls SLC has adopted the following Policy Statement on Certification that Services are Being Used for Educational Purposes: The primary purpose of the services for which support is sought must be the delivery of services into classrooms or other places of instruction at schools and libraries that meet the statutory definition of an eligible institution. Support for the administrative functions of library or education programs is permitted so long as the services are part of the network of shared services for learning. Universal service support will be limited to services delivered to the onsite educational facility or facilities. Services at a personal residence or at locations that do not host places of instruction or are not accessible to library patrons, with the exception of a centralized district office or similar facility, are not eligible for support. Rules of Priority The fund administrator, SLC, will track the amount of commitments for disbursing discounts to determine how much of the $2.25 billion annual fund is available, and how much has been committed. When expenditures in a funding year reach the level where only $250 million remains before the cap will be reached, monies will be committed in accordance with the following rules of priority. The Schools and Libraries Corporation will post a message on the SLC website, notify the Commission, and take reasonable steps to notify the educational and library communities that commitments for the remaining $250 million of support will be made only to the most economically disadvantaged schools and libraries. The most economically disadvantaged schools and libraries (those in the two most disadvantaged categories as measured by the school lunch eligibility percentage) that have not received discounts (other than basic telephone service) from the universal service support mechanism in the previous or current funding years will, for a 30-day period or the remainder of the funding year, whichever is shorter, have exclusive rights to secure commitments for universal service support. Other December 1997 7 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa City, LA 52244-4217 1-888-203-8100 economically disadvantaged schools and libraries (those in the two most disadvantaged categories) that have received discounts from the universal service support mechanism in the previous or current funding years will have the next highest priority, if additional funds are available at the end of the 30-day period. Preexisting Contracts The FCC established a competitive bidding system that supplements local and state bidding requirements. The FCC requires the posting of detailed requests for services for 28 days on a website, thus making the infoxmation available to potential service providers. A key date for determining the treatment of pre-existing contracts is November 8,1996 (the date that the Federal-State Joint Board issued its recommendations for the schools and libraries Program). Multi-year contracts that have been signed prior to November 8,1996, do not require the 28 day website posting, regardless of the length of the contract. Annual requests for renewal of the discounts may be submitted without renegotiating contract terms or website posting of the service request. Contracts signed between November 8,1996, and the date that the website is open for receiving applications, also do not require web postings for services provided on or before December 3 1,1998. Once the SLC website becomes operational all new requests for services are subject to the 28 day website posting as well as to applicable local and state competitive bidding requirements. The rules for pre-existing contracts are under reconsideration by the FCC. December 1997 8 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa’City, IA 52244-4217 1-888-203-8100 What schools and libraries must do before applying for discounted services 1. A technology plan must be developed to ensure that the school or library has the ability to use the services once they are purchased. Schools and libraries must prepare technology plans covering the current, next, and future years. Technology plans should specify how schools and libraries plan to integrate the use of these technologies into their curricula and programs. The FCC order indicates that a technology assessment must be conducted which includes, to the extent applicable to the services requested, the following: Computer equipment currently available or budgeted for the current, next, or future years, as well as whether the computers have modems and, if so, speed of the modems. Internal connections currently available or budgeted for the current, next, or future years, or any specific plans relating to voluntary (donated) installations of internal connections . Computer software necessary to communicate with other computers over an internal network and over the public telecommunications network currently available or budgeted for the current, next, or hture years. Experience or training received by staff in the use of the equipment to be connected to the telecommunications network and training programs currently available or budgeted for the current, next, or hture years. Existing or budgeted maintenance contracts to maintain computers. The capacity of the school or library's electrical system in terms of how many computers can be operated simultaneously without creating a fire hazard. Note: schools and libraries must also certify that they have funds budgeted and approved to meet their financial obligations to pay for the "non-discounted" portion of their requested services and to pay for the other components, set out in their technology plans, for the current funding year. The certification requirements are intended to assure that the schools and libraries will be able to use the discounts cost-effectively and to impose accountability on the part of schools and libraries. 2. The technology plans must receive independent approval, ideally by a state agency that oversees schools or libraries. The SLC also has authority to approve technology plans, which will be available in cases where no other approving authority is in place. If a.schoo1 or library has a technology plan that has already been approved for another purpose, e.g., for participation in federal or state programs such as "Goals 2000" or the Technology Literacy Challenge, it will be accepted without need for further independent approval. December 1997 9 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa City, IA 52244-4217 * 1-888-203-8100 Schools and Libraries Application Process (Detailed instructions for completing applications are included with the forms.) 1. 2. 3. 4. The applicant must submit the Description of Services Requested and Certification Form (FCC Form 470). The Description of Sewices Requested and Certlfication can be entered by the applicant over the Internet to the Schools and Libraries Corporation Website (www.slcfund.org) upon commencement of its ability to receive applications, or mailed to the SLC. Please do not use the SLC e-mail address to submit forms; all electronic submissions should be made through the SLC website. Additional electronic submission methods are under investigation. Information on this effort, when available, will be posted on the SLC website. The Description of Services, when prepared on paper, may be sent through the mails to the SLC. If entered over the Internet, which is the more timely means for submitting requests, a hard copy of the Certzfzcation page must be printed, signed by an authorized individual, and mailed to the SLC. Applicants may check the website for the posting of their requests for services. Additionally, the SLC will undertake special efforts to inform applicants who may not have ready access to the Internet of the posting of their Request for Services. In any event, SLC will mail a notice of receipt and posting of the Requestfor Services on the Website, within 7-10 days (Website Posting Confirmation). Schools or libraries wishing to apply for discounts for pre-ekisting contracts must also submit FCC Form 470, describing the pre-existing contract. Eligible entities can submit more than one request (FCC Form 470) per fimding year. Service requests for new services must be posted on the SLC website for 28 days in order to comply with the competitive bidding requirement. (As noted above, SLC will send a Website Posting Confirmation to the applicant.) The school or library may also issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) whose closing date is no earlier that the 28"' day of the website posting, and may receive bids either in response to the RFP or the website posting of the request for services. During that time, service providers may offer bids to schools or libraries for the requested services. The applicant is required to wait 28 days fiom the date of posting before a contract can be signed. At the end of the 28 day website posting, the applicant may select a vendor(s) fiom the bids received either in response to the website posting or a RFP. Among the criteria to be considered are service quality, prior experience, personnel qualifications, management capability, and schedule compliance, as well as price. Once the service provider is selected, a contract should be executed, with onepossible exception. If the school or library chooses to receive service pursuant to or under a tariff, it is not these circumstances, a contract may be executed, but it is not required to be executed. to execute a contract. Under After a service provider is selected and a contract is signed, the school or library will request the SLC to commit to make payments to the service providers for the costs of the discounts. The school or library does this by submitting the Services Ordered and Certification Form (FCC Form 471) to the SLC. Until the SLC reviews and approves the Form 471, applicants cannot assume that everythmg they have contracted for will be eligible for discounts. Applicants should therefore exercise caution in signing a contract and consider including December 1997 10 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowi City, IA 522444217 * 1-888-203-8100 5. 6. 7. 8. appropriate conditions and contingencies. The entity who is responsible for paying the bill should file FCC Form 471. All schools or libraries will have an initial "window period" to submit their request for commitment (FCC Form 471), during which all applicants will be given equal priority. The window period will begin on the date that the website is open to receive applications. All properly completed applications filed during an initial 75-day window will be treated as if simultaneously received. Both completed applications and commitment requests (FCC Forms 470 and 471) must be received by the 75th day to be treated equally. Forms received after the 75th day will be treated on a first-come, first-served basis. Discounts will be applied as of January 1, 1998 for qualified pre-existing contracts. For contracts covering new services with approved discounts, the discounts will be applied as of the date the contract is signed. The SLC will notify applicants of the approval of commitment of funds. When the service is operational, the school or library will submit the Receipt of Service Notification Form (to be known upon publication as FCC Form 486) to the SLC. At this time, the applicant must certify that its technology plan is approved by an independent third party. After confirmation of the receipt of services, and of ckification of the technology plan, the SLC will instruct USAC to credit the discount amount to the telecommunications carrier's Universal Service Fund contribution obligation, or to pay the discount amount to the non-telecommunications service provider. The school or library will pay the service provider for the non-discounted portion of the services. For (FCC Forms 470 and associated Form 471) for services to be provided in the following funding year. These applications will be accepted each July 1 st beginning in 1998. Funding is on a calendar year basis, beginning January 1st of each year. While schools and libraries may enter into multi-year contracts, the funded support will only be committed for services delivered in the cwent funding year. Schools and libraries must reapply for discounts each year. of the discount program, schools and libraries must file new funding requests It is important to realize that discounts cannot be guaranteed for subsequent years. Multiple year discount commitments will not be granted. For more complete guidance, contact our Client Service Help Desk by toll-free telephone at 1-888-203-81 00, or by e-mail (question@slcfund.org). December 1997 11 Schobls and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa'City, IA 52244-4217 * 1-888-203-8100 For additional information, visit the following Websites: 0 a a a a a 0 a 6 Federal Communications Commission Homepage at http:/hww. fcc.gov LearnNet Page at http:/hww. fcc. govneamnet FCCsend at subscribe@info. fcc.gov A one-way (non-interactive) listserver set up to send e-mad on the FCC I s latest updates and suggestions for preparing your health care facility to get the most out of communications technology. To subscribe to FCCsend, send an e-mail to . Inthe message space, write "sub FCCsend Chris Brown" (substitute your own first and last name for Chris Brown). US Department of Education Technology Initiatives at http:/W.ed.govrrechnology American Library Association at http:/W. ala. org/oitp/univserv. hfml Information to help libraries with the implementation of thi universal service fund. Libraries may keep informed about how the Telecommunications Act affects libraries and schools by visiting the ALA'S Washington Office Newsline (ALAWON) Archives at [http:/M. ala. org/Zllashoff/alawon]. E-Rate Interactive Discussion at http:/7bvww3.pbs. org/cgi-bidnelfomm/emfe/d7 On June 3, PBS hosted a live satellite event addressing Universal service. This forum has been established by PBS and the live satellite event producer to provide Mer information about the E-rate as it becomes available and answer your many questions. Information Renaissance at http://info-ren.pitt.edu The Information Renaissance seeks to provide networking technology to groups and individuals across the region, in the service of education, medicine, business and government. Sponsors an online forum for the Telecommunications Act and E-rate. Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) at http:/Www.neca.org The website for the interim administrator of the Universal Service Fund for Schools & Libraries and Rural Health Care. EdLiNC Homepage at h#p:/Wwv.itc.org/edlinc EdLiNC is the Education & Libraries Networks Coalition. It represents the viewpoint of schools and libraries in FCC proceedings dealing with the implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to ensure that these entities are given the affordable rates December 1997 12 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowd City, IA 52244-4217 * 1-888-203-8100 e guaranteed in the act. NetDay Homepage at http:/%vww. netday. org NetDay is a grass-roots, volunteer effort to wire schools so they can network their computers and connect them to the Internet. Labor and materials come from volunteers and support from companies, unions, parents, teachers, students and school employees. For additional information you may contact your state education agency, and ask for the state education technology coordinator. If you receive service from an intermediate education service agency in your region, you may also phone them for information. The U. S. Department of Education has also established six Regional Technology in Education Consortia (R*TEC) to help integrate technologies into schools. The following list will help you reach the Consortium in your area: Northwest Educational Technology Consortium (NETC). Toll Free: 1-800-21 1-9435 (voice mail) Phone: 503-275-0658 URL: http://www.netc.org E-mai 1 : ne tc @nwrel . org Fax: 503-275-0449 Pacific and Southwest Regional Technology in Education Consortium (PSR*TEC) Phone: 562-985-5806 URL: http ://psrtec .clmer.csulb. edu E-mail: clmer@csulb.edu Fax: 562-985-4528 North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium (NCRTEC) Phone: 630-57 1-471 0 URL: http://www.ncrtec.org E-mail: ncrtec@crel.org Fax: 630-2 18-4989 South Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium (SCR*TEC) Toll free: 1-888-TEC-2001 URL: http://scrtec.org E-mail: info@scrtec.org Fax: 913-864-0704 December 1997 13 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa City, IA 52244-4217 1-888-203-8100 0 Northeast Regional Technology in Education Consortia (NetTech) Phone: 2 12-54 1-0972 URL: http://www.nettech.org E-mail: debs@enc.org Fax: 614-292-2066 . 0 Southeast and Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium (SEIR*TEC) Toll free: 1-800-659-3204 Phone: 404-893-0100 URL: http://www.serve.org/seir-tec E-mail: seirtec@serve.org Fax: 404-577-7812 December 1997 14 Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, iowacity, IA 52244-4217 1-888-203-8100 The U. S. Department of Education also supports 10 Regional Educational Laboratories, which may be able to provide you with additional information. You may use the following list to contact the laboratory in your region: Appalachia Educational Laboratory, Inc. (AEL) 103 1 Quarrier Street P.O. Box 1348 Charleston, WV 25325-1348 Fax: (304) 347-0487 http://www.nwrel.org http://www. ael.org Northeast and Islands Laboratory at Brown University (LAB) 828 Fort Street Mall, Suite 500 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) 101 SW Main Street, Suite 500 Portland, OR 97204 Phone: (800) 547-6339 Phone: (800) 624-9120 Fa: (503) 275-0448 Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) 222 Richmond Street, Suite 300 Providence, RI 02903-4226 Phone: (40.1) 274-9548 Fax: (401) 421-7650 http://www.lab.brown.edu The Mid-Atlantic Laboratory for Student Success (LSS) at Temple University 933 Ritter Annex, 13" and Cecil B. Moore Philadelphia, PA 19 122 Phone: (2 15) 204-300 1 Fax: (215) 204-5130 http ://www. temple. eduldepartmentsflss Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory McREL) 2550 South Parker Road, Suite 500 Aurora, CO 80014 Phone: (800) 949-6387 Fax: (303) 337-3005 http ://www .mcrel. org North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) 1900 Spring Road, Suite 300 Oak Brook, IL 60521-1480 Phone: (630) 571-4700 Fax: (630) 571-4716 http://www.ncrel.org Honolulu, HI 968 13-432 1 Phone: (808) 533-6000 http://www.prel.hawaii.edu Fax: (808) 533-7599 Southwest Educatioqal Development Laboratory (SEDL) 21 1 East Seventh Street, Second Floor Phone: (512) 476-6861 Fax: (512) 476-2286 http://www. sed. org Austin, TX 78701-3281 Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) P.O. Box 5367 Greensboro, NC 27435 Phone: (800)755-3277 http://www.serve.org Fax: (910) 334-3268 WestEd 730 Harrison Street San Francisco, CA 94 107- 1242 Phone: (800) 645-3276 http ://w . fwl.org Fax: (415) 565-3012 December 1997 15 ~~ ~ Schools and Libraries Corporation, P.O. Box 4217, Iowa'City, IA 52244-4217 1-888-203-8100 September 8, 1997 TO: Cliff Lange FROM: Chris Pickavet ckWD RE: Here is summary of the issues, without the explanations Geoff Armour Issues in upgrading‘replacing our Inlex system SEP 1997 LIBRARY City of Carlsbad Our current Hewlett-Packard computer must be replaced prior to the year 2000. Our current integrated library system software must be replaced in the near future, as it will no longer be supported by the vendor, DRA. The replacement software fiom the vendor will require an HP 9000 series box or multiple NT or UMX servers. We must either upgrade to DRA’s new clienthewer software (when available) or go out with an RFP to select a new vendor. New software and hardware will require that we buy a new computer, recable our existing buildings, upgrade electrical connections, upgrade all terminals to Windows workstations on a LAN, and convert our databases. Staff in the Library and in Infomation Systems do not have the time and the expertise with library systems to handle the details an experienced and impartial library automation consultant could take care of. Areas where we could benefit by using a consultant: gathering staff input on desired features of the new system: designing and writing the RFP, including specifying performance tests; analyzing responses to RFPs; negotiating with vendors; writing the contract; setting timelines for installing the new system and upgrading outlying library facilities; performing codbenefit analyses to help determine whether access to databases should be through networked CD-ROMs or the Internet; integrating the library system into the city’s systems; carryout out performance tests; recommending staffmg levels and training. Due to the expense and effort involved in upgrading and the timing of the obsolescence of our hardware, it would make sense to tie this into the move to the new main library. NOTES FROM LIBRARY AUTOMATION COMMITTEE MEETING JANUARY 6,1998 Chff gave the committee some background on plans to hire a consultant to help develop a technology plan. The focus would be on technology needed for the new library and the reconfigured system, but would also include advice on selecting and installing a new automated system. The overall goal is to provide equal access to technological resources and services for all users at all library sites. Developing a comprehensive technology plan could also be used to help with a planned application under the Universal Services Discount program, which could provide major telecommunications discounts to the library and the city. The committee brainstormed ideas that could be included in a scope of work for the consultant and came up with the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. a. Since the Inlex system will not be supported much longer and with a mainframe computer rapidly reaching obsolescence, the library , will need advice on selecting a new automated system. Conversion of terminals to PC’s. computers in the new library alone, over half for the public. The current plan is to have 150 Issue of technology support and what staffing would be needed for the entire system. Staffing would include hardware and software maintenance and support as well as training and supervision of public computer labs and the job center. The division of technical support responsibilities between the library and Information Systems. The addition of Sunday hours and what impacts that would have on technical support. Should the plan cover just the next 18 months or so to the new library, or should it go out 3-5 years to cover the expanded new system? Technology issues relating to an interim facility, while the Cole Library is being remodeled. How to budget system-wide for things like Licensing agreements that are not site specilk. i 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. The use of CD-ROMs vs online access to resources like periodicals and the availability of periodical backfiles online. Should there be a consortium approach to various licensing agreements as a way to cut costs? Possibly through the SERRA system? The need to move from DOS technology to a Windows environment. The establishment of homework centers and computer labs at all library facihties. The need for a specific site within each facility to be designated for public training in new technology. Investigate options for adaptive technology for all forms of electronic access. Consider the development of new resource data bases, such as one for historic photographs and other image files, and how this will impact the space needs for servers installed. There needs to be a fairly long-term vision for how much computer space will be needed. Need to tie in with city-wide technology planning. Need to prioritize resources provided if funding is an issue. Examine printing options, individual vs networked. Also consider use of coin-op or debit card operated printers and computers and use of color vs black and white printer products. Consider printing of larger quantities of forms or graphics and use of a special workstation for this purpose. May need a larger, more sophisticated printer. Issue of public bringing in their own laptop computers. What plug-in access would be needed and where? How to make Internet resources available to the public: catalog based or only at special workstations? Serials control to track subscriptions and centralization of the serials check-in process. Which staff to handle? Best system to manage this function? 23. Address wider Internet and Intranet issues. Will require input from other city departments and a need to coordinate plans with Information Systems. 24. Examine the auditorium and other public spaces and how they can be used for staff training in new technology applications. How to connect data and video projection systems with the local wide area network. 25. Although the current system is focused primarily on CD-ROM products, where should the future focus be? 26. Look at wiring and cabling plans, fiber optics, number of servers needed, and backup or parallel systems. i I F 2 i f