Affordable broadband Internet?

This is an article from techdirt, an online technology magazine. The article is from their if-you-build-it-they-will-come department:

After A Decade Of Waiting For Verizon, Town Builds Itself Gigabit Fiber For $75 Per Month

I'm interested - Gigabit fiber for $75 per month? But how did they do it? The municipalities that were being ignored by the big Internet service providers got together and built it themselves.

After the $50 per month charge to offset the building cost, the actual subscription costs $25 per month...for Gigabit bandwidth. That's TEN times faster than the "up to" speed advertised by my local cable provider and their price (with TV of course) is $120 per month.

Reliable, inexpensive REAL broadband is a selling point for communities in today's growing work-from-anywhere job pool. I cannot understand why more small municipalities who want to attract people wouldn't want to consider this sort of public utility approach to Internet service. After all, it is just another connection like water and sewer.

I have nothing against commercial Internet, telephone, and TV providers. I just think there should be healthy competition, you know, like we talk about all the time. Competition is supposed to be the name of the capitalist game, right? That competition isn't going to happen when there are maybe two, or only one, or even zero viable providers in your area. There is no incentive to expand, no incentive to increase speed and capacity, and no innovation.

Danger Will Robinson!

Lost in (cyber?) Space

This is a true danger to democracy, to the citizenry of the USA and to the USA's standing in the world. The continuing push to cripple Internet access will throttle innovation and growth.

What sort of hysteria is this? Why the shrill alarmist tone? Because I truly believe that this is a threat to what's left of our open society.

This article from Motherboard details a disturbing phenomenon identified in a recent Pew Internet study: broadband Internet adoption in the US has DECREASED since 2013.

The article points out the obvious - in the same time frame from 2013-2015, smartphone adoption has increased the same amount that broadband adoption has decreased. Why? Cost. The cost of broadband Internet is appallingly high for what you get and in some locations not even available. There are towns within 30 miles of where I live that you can get satellite and wireless plans but nothing else. No speeds to knock your socks off (maybe 4G LTE) and with high cost and caps. The plan I found for Alden KS residents had 15Gb shared data per month for $100. $1200 per year to participate in what is arguably the most plying-field-leveling and democratizing creation in history - the Internet. There are no options in Alden for wired Internet, at least through AT&T and there are no cable companies there.

From the article:

The evidence is everywhere; the walls are closing in from all sides. The net neutrality victory of early this year has rapidly been tempered by the fact that net neutrality doesn’t matter if you don’t have solid access to said ‘net.

My point is that cost is prohibitive for many, services are unavailable or very limited for many, and if you are lucky enough to be able to overcome those hurdles, there are a myriad issues around data insecurity and data caps with which users must contend. People have to then make a choice - broadband or wireless. Wireless has been winning out because (I think) it goes where you go, mostly and you can sort of do most things you need to do on a smartphone.

Because of this choice though, again, from the article:

Many Americans may soon be left with an insecure, surveilled, and capped Internet connection dominated by broadband and cellular providers that funnel traffic to the companies they've made deals with.

So people have to pay right? That's how capitalism works and the USA is the King of Capitalism. But the free market in this case is not free. The government regulates it in a way that favors the big companies, crippling competition, and stifling opportunity and entrepreneurship. The exact OPPOSITE of a free market.

Ultimately, this situation cripples our future as well. How can we as a country compete with other high-tech economies if the virtual world is capped, available to only some, and controlled by entities who have strong incentives to stifle competition?

The answer is, we can't. We will continue to lose ground in the world because we fail to make this most important of tools - access to information - a right rather than a privilege.

Who can change this? Only us, the citizens of the USA. We still have a right to vote. We can still make our voices be heard. Those we have elected to office are bought and paid for by corporations and individuals who DO NOT have the best interests of the United States in mind. Access to the Internet - a good, solid, secure, uncapped access - needs to be a right and not a privilege. Treat it as a utility. Treat it as you treat electricity, gas service, or water. You need those things at home and you need them to grow a business or create new things. The Internet is the same - it COULD be a tool of innovation but it is still being treated as a toy, a frivolity, an "extra" that one can do without. This is a false and dangerous view to take.

Why do we have public libraries?

Some (most, probably) will think I'm a little slow-witted asking this question.  The "educated" technophile might say public libraries are an anachronism and that everything needed research-wise or recreational reading-wise can be obtained online or through Amazon.  The hard-line libertarians would most assuredly say that the money spent on them would be better utilized by the individual to choose to spend on their own education if she/he so desired.  The cynic might say that we (society) have to provide SOME place for the homeless and disturbed to hang out.  Yet other people never even think about the library as a useful tool at their disposal, having had at some point in their lives a bad experience with fines or fees or even SHHHHHH! ... librarians.

There are some days where I can at least see the reasoning for some of these stances.  I have to remember that I have a vested interest in this whole concept.  And yet...

Many of the same social conditions that existed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and that were the impetus for creating free public libraries, exist today.  In fact, poor educational level, poverty, sub-par work skills and the accompanying lack of upward mobility have intensified since I became a librarian in the mid-1990s.

Back to the title of this article: Why do we need public libraries?  Early childhood literacy.  If I could say nothing else about them, if I could answer in only one way, this is a role public libraries fill and succeed in like no other "free" public institution.  Study after study has shown that the single most important factor to success in school is mastery of basic math and reading skills by Kindergarten.  Public libraries have been working diligently at this for decades.  Bring your child to story time, check out some books to read with her at home and BAM!  You've received a huge ROI on your tax dollar because your child is positioned to succeed in school and ultimately in life.

Honestly, we need as many avenues to literacy, competency, life skills and work skills as we can possibly manage in our current world.  The gap between the rich and poor has grown once again to an enormous chasm.  While libraries need to remain relevant by adapting to new media, they must continue to focus on their strengths.  First, the librarians and specialists that can instill the love of reading and learning at a young age and provide support and training throughout the lives of our patrons. Second, the power of being free to all who want our services.  Third, the willingness to explore those new tools as they come around and to bend them to our will - helping our patrons grow and learn.

Kansas Election Information

The reference librarians at the Kansas State Library KGI blog have provided us with a nice series of links to Kansas elections-related information provided by the Kansas Secretary of State's office among others.  This is non-partisan information about our election process in Kansas.  Please note:  this information is in no way intended to promote anything beyond greater public knowledge of the election process in our state!

The librarians that run the KGI blog are awesome!  I encourage you to browse their archive of posts, there is a wealth of information to be found.

Health Care Reform Resources

If you want to learn the facts about something, ask a librarian.

Case in point is this week's Kansas Government Information blog, one of my favorite librarian-produced blogs on the Internet.  Follow this link to the KGI blog and a tremendous list of information about how the Affordable Care Act will affect you, your business, your health, and your finances.

KGI Blog Strikes Again! - 1940 Census Information

Those great researchers at the Kansas State Library posted an article about the 1940 census on their blog, the Kansas Government Information (KGI) blog.

The Census Bureau protects the vital information of citizens for 72 years.  After that amount of time has elapsed, the Bureau releases the detailed census records collected.  This year it was the 1940 census that was released to public view.  Naturally, this is exciting news for genealogists and historians!  You might be interested in looking through these records as well.  If you are starting out on a genealogical adventure - happy hunting!  These records should provide a great start.

This is how we CAN have nice things

For all of the "smaller government" and "taxes are too high" talk that we all hear, day-in and day-out, there are actually good reasons for having robust, smart government:  Government that coordinates; government that practices efficiency (yes I went there); government that gets the job done.

Why do I think this?  Because there are lots of things in our daily lives that we take for granted AND that no one else is willing to do.  What things immediately come to mind that everyone wants and that government provides?  Familiar things like fire service, policing, trash removal, running water / sewer, and road repair.  Then there are more esoteric services (if you can call them that) that have made and continue to make modern civilization possible.  Things like a public education system, support for sciences, art, and higher education; and even libraries.  What's an efficient, coordinated way state government can help each and every public library in Kansas?

This is a quote from the State Librarian's budget presentation yesterday:

Last year the State Library asked one of the database vendors – Gale CENGAGE – to compile the cost for individual subscriptions, in short, what would be the cost if every library subscribed on its own.  That figure was $24,767,699 – nearly $25 M.  The statewide contract with this vendor is $632,000 so cost avoidance is over $24M.

The numbers are so wildly disparate, they almost don't make sense, do they?  The State - the STATE GOVERNMENT - can save taxpayers $24,000,000 by spending a mere 3% of that sum instead of pretending to be fiscally responsible by eliminating programs they perceive as being frivolous or unneeded.


Will all libraries in the state subscribe to Gale CENGAGE online resources with individual contracts?  Of course not.  Many simply will never be able to afford such tools.  But it wouldn't take many individual contracts to start bumping up against that $632k.  The State of Kansas can provide every library and by extension, every citizen these tools for a bargain price.  Funding for the State Library has been cut by an appalling 30.6% over the past 5 years.  Funding for the statewide databases will disappear entirely in the next year if a decision is not made.  I hope our legislators understand the tremendous economy of scale that can be achieved in this instance and decide to do the right thing by funding the State Library at a proper level.

The Revolution is Here!

A colleague who happens also to be a board member here at HPL forwarded this article from the journal American Libraries.  It is definitely worth a read.  Here's why I think it is relevant to us here in lil' ol' Hutchinson:  We are looking inward and examining our mission and role in the community right now.  The gist of the article is that essentially, the revolution in libraries is not just one of adapting to new digital formats, it is one of challenges to the very core of our (the public library world) identity and mission.

According to the article, major shifts in areas libraries once controlled are taking place.  Here are the major challenges:  Shifts in collection development - publishers are wresting this away from librarians by refusing to offer econtent to libraries; Access - license agreements dictate length of checkout and even number of checkouts before an item must be "discarded"; Preservation - this is a scary one because no one really "collects" content that isn't in an analog (paper) format because no one "owns" the items in a digital world; and finally, Privacy - librarians have long been the guardians of patron's privacy and in the digital realm that is simply no longer the case.

So what is a poor, meek librarian to do?  First off, fight to shed the poor, meek stereotype.  I think ALA would do well to hire a Madison Avenue ad agency and change our collective image.  Afterall, image is everything and perception is reality.

The article linked earlier finishes up though with a great suggestion:  That libraries should embrace the core of a report by Roger Levien written in June 2011 for ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy Confronting the Future: Strategic Visions for 21^st-Century Public Libraries (PDF file).  The core idea is this:

 

The Six Ps

• People. Librarians provide unbiased services and advice based on expertise and professional norms.
• Place. Libraries are physical spaces conducive to individual or group contemplative work.
• Price. Library services are generally provided at no charge to the user, and access is available regardless of individual ability to pay.
• Principles. Library services are provided under the rubric of intellectual freedom, privacy, and trust.
• Pride. An excellent library is an indicator of a community with quality public services and high quality of life.
• Package. Libraries provide successful integration of information services across disparate functions.

This seems like a great starting place for a library's statement of core principles, don't you think?  I still believe that libraries can save for everyone our embattled national ideals.  Libraries are unique places offering some of the most cost-effective services a government can fund (hint, hint Kansas Legislature) and librarians, at least here in Hutchinson Kansas, are willing to adapt.  But we can't do it alone, we need the support of our elected leaders and the input of our most precious resource - the communities we serve.  So how about it Hutchinson - what service would be the most helpful / cool / cost-effective for you?

The End of a State-wide Era

Today marks the end of the State of Kansas contract with the company OverDrive that supplied library patrons state-wide with access to downloadable eAudio and eBooks.  This change has only slightly affected us here at HPL since we have continued our own separate relationship with OverDrive (one that has existed since before the state-wide consortium).

The State Library is starting up a new service called Kansas EZ Library.  Right now patrons are only able to access eAudio provided by the State's new contractor, Recorded Books and their One-Click Digital service.  I hope that HPL patrons will try this new service and give us their thoughts about its value compared to OverDrive.  We have looked hard at alternatives to OverDrive and have yet to find one that we felt would serve our patrons best.  I am anxious for the State's eBook service to start later this winter.  The State will be using 3M's Cloud Library to loan eBooks to Kansas Library Card holders, which includes HPL patrons.  Again, once this service starts up, I hope to hear from our patrons regarding what the service is like from their perspective.  For our part, we will be evaluating both services.  Our process will continue to be driven by what is best for our patrons.

KGI blog strikes again!

The great librarians at the Kansas Government Information blog have an excellent post about the changes being proposed in Kansas for Medicaid.  It is, as usual, well worth a look.  This is a major consideration for the state going into the future.  I've said it before and I'll say it again - the KGI blog is an excellent tool.  Find out what's happening in State government!

The power of public libraries

BOO!

In a statement to Congress Danielle Milam, who is the Development Director for the LasVegas-Clark County Library District, very clearly articulated the value of public libraries to their communities.  Nevada as a whole and the Las Vegas metro area have been among the hardest hit areas after the 2009 recession.  Huge unemployment rates and a massive drop in tax revenue (she states a 30% reduction) cause the dual problems of an extremely tight budget and soaring use of the public library.

How did they help?  By doing what libraries have done all over the country with perhaps more effectiveness than any other public organization designed to help in an economic crisis - they provided information, entertainment, and that VITAL resource in the digital age, an Internet connection.

The LV-CC Library District's usage statistics are staggering.  You can read them in the link to her statement above, but two of her statements really stuck out for me:

Today’s public libraries are models for digital skill diffusion and workforce development. Every day over 300,000 Americans get job-seeking help in public libraries. The number of libraries with free public WiFi outnumbers and augments the access provided by private enterprises, like Starbucks.

We are reducing the digital divide. Our Library District is one of 5,400 libraries nationally that offer free technology classes for those who need to retool quickly with new digital skills.

The Hutchinson Public Library is one of those many public libraries offering the only Internet link many people have.  The LV-CC Library District has done an exemplary job in helping its constituents get back to work.  Setting a standard that we and many other libraries should strive toward.  But this statement is what our legislators, not only in Washington, but in Kansas should be looking at:

Today’s situation is urgent. It is time to consider new workforce development models that are scalable to the high levels of unemployment, that can quickly mobilize resources to those in need, where they are, fueled by their inspirations and inquiries.

The motto of many libraries today is “Start Here. Go Anywhere.” It reflects the free choice way people use library resources in times of transitions. We urge you to include public library roles and resources in the design of strategies to get many people to work, quickly, with relevant and current workforce skills.

Libraries help people.  Provide the resources and a public library can do amazing work.  Just like Ms. Milam says, public libraries are already built, staffed, and connected, ready to partner with their communities and get their economies growing again

KGI blog finds you a job

OK, so they didn't actually find you a job, but today's post is chock-full of great places to look for job training, re-training and assistance sources to help you if you are out of work.  KGI blog entries are always packed with useful information.  I have recommended it before, but I'll risk repeating myself - follow it for a while to give it a try.

[steps up on soapbox]
The KGI blog is another one of those great tools created by librarians.  Concise, full of useful information, and worth every penny of the tax dollars expended on it.  The old "penny wise, pound foolish" chestnut applies to the situation school, public, and indeed any library finds itself in these days.  As political leaders scramble to close enormous gaps in budgets, we librarians have been caught flat-footed at times in justifying our existences.  Excellent tools like the KGI blog are exactly the kinds of things librarians can create for you - the taxpayer.  We all need to remember to help our political leaders make wise decisions when times are tough.  Librarians and libraries are worth the expense.
[steps down from soapbox]

Kansas and Libraries

***WARNING - RANT AHEAD***

I attended a focus group last week, the purpose of which was to help form a list of what is essential in a database package for Kansas.  Sound pretty dry, right?

It was.  But there was an interesting side to it that really wasn't talked about until the very end.  The question on everyone's mind was, "How are we going to pay for this?"  And the answer was, "We don't know, the money has all gone."

So how did this happen?  Well, first off the economy went in the tank a couple of years ago.  So, cost cutting became even more of a mantra in the legislature.  And the cutting was done with a sword rather than a scalpel.  So far, from a library perspective everything REALLY useful has been cut to the bone.  Not only was state aid reduced (direct aid to libraries) for what I think was the 4th year in a row, several statewide programs were massacred.  So this year, Kan-Ed had its funding slashed.  This is basically because big telecoms don't want the downward price pressure on their services.  You see, Kan-Ed provides low- or no-cost T-1 connections to public entities like libraries that can't otherwise afford "high speed" Internet.  Now, I take issue with the definition of "high speed" Internet as our providers use it, but that's a rant for another day.  Unfortunately, by slashing Kan-Ed's funding, over 50% of the funds for statewide databases - these tools provided here - disappeared.  And in the next budget year, they are gone all together - nearly $1 million.

Now, bear in mind that all of the cutting, I was told directly, was to reduce the "government footprint".  And, that ,"We're not looking to increase your [the library's] costs or reduce access..."

So, can you guess what happened?  EXACTLY.  Our direct costs, because we lost the power of purchasing in a state-wide contract, have increased and our ability to provide access to information has already and will continue to be drastically reduced over this year and next.

Lest you think that nothing was done to enlighten our state government as to the results of these actions, librarians and others across the state wrote, emailed, talked directly to, and testified in the state house about these matters.  Only, instead of listening to feedback from knowledgeable sources, no provisions were made to transfer funds from Kan-Ed to the State Library to administer state-wide tools and services.  Instead, contracts will lapse, work will have to be repeated, and much more struggle for funds will have to be made in order to even BEGIN negotiating new contracts - and worst of all, library service and credibility will be damaged.

You may not know this, but the Kan-Ed funds I have mentioned so often are actually "Kansas Universal Service Fund" (KUSF) monies.  They are collected by the Kansas Corporation Commission and WILL CONTINUE to be collected at the same rate as before.  The legislature merely choose to not allocate them to Kan-Ed.  Taxes (or in this case service fees) are not any lower because of this action.

What can you do?  Contact your legislator and ask her or him to allocate to the State Library KUSF funds not given to Kan-Ed to provide for state-wide library services.  Kan-Ed funding went from $10 million per year to $6 million.  That means there are $4 million available - even a quarter of that amount would allow us to restore lost services and take pressure off the State Library so that they might be able to stave off further cuts to direct aid or other services.

[Wipes spittle from corner of mouth]

What does a public library look like?

I was thinking about the future of libraries today while participating in the library board meeting.  We were talking about where we go at HPL with downloadable media of all types.  It is my current belief that libraries everywhere will be subscribing to more than one online content provider to get the broad scope of what is (and what will be) available for download.

Warehouse?

Center of the City?

Tiny kiosk?

Here's what I think will happen:  Despite all the talk about ebooks driving the future of reading / publishing, there is still an important demographic that prefers paper, or can't afford the technology, has no access to high speed Internet, or any number of other contributing factors.  The library will have another demographic to cater to - the ebook patron.  Just like before them came the downloadable audio patron, the DVD patron, the VHS patron, the tape audiobook patron, the CD music patron, the vinyl / 8-Track / microfilm / microfiche / plain-old-book patrons before them.

Ebook readers don't kill libraries.  Lack of good services for lending ebooks does.  When the publishers realize that libraries DO promote their authors and DO promote a love of reading and services like OverDrive realize loaning ematerial CAN be easy and seamless (look at 3M Cloud Library, hint, hint), libraries will integrate this new media and move on.  Afterall, libraries are so much more than the materials they loan out.  Libraries serve a function in their communities no other entity can fulfill - they cause the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to be injected into the real world.  Sound grandiose?  It isn't - public libraries provide space to assemble, access (at least for awhile) information to allow the existence of an informed electorate, defend the freedom of speech, and ensure at least some measure of equality to all this across the increasingly disparate ends of the socio-economic spectrum.

OK, now I'm just angry

[/rant]

I read a Los Angeles Times article earlier in the week about the treatment of Los Angeles public school librarians and was by turns sad, angry, and ever more firm in my conviction that the United States is so far off the rails, it might just be irreversible.  The issue is that the LA school district wants to fire all the librarians because in the district's view they are, in a nutshell, superfluous.  To add insult to injury, the librarians were grilled by attorneys in a make-shift courtroom, made to defend their worth because the choice was either lose your job, or prove that you could be transferred into a classroom.  Disgraceful.  Where were the court appearances for the greedy folks that leveraged us in to this mess?

Our leaders no longer even attempt to look at what they are doing because the pressures from the "no tax could ever be good" folks have blinded them to the point that they can't see what tools are necessary to achieve even their own (the politician's) stated goals!  Just looking at the federal level, how do you build a strong STEM education if students don't learn to research a topic?  Ask any college instructor today and they will tell you that the multitudes of HS graduates coming to them are ill prepared for advanced study.

I can tell you that my experiences with school libraries all the way back to early elementary grades were the only things that kept me interested in learning.  I got the chance to go to this place, once per week, that was filled with new avenues and I could choose which one I took.  In fact, there was this person there who, over time, learned what I seemed to like and would suggest other similar books.  Sometimes she would suggest things that were just OK, but sometimes she would suggest a book or author that would (as I have found to date) stick with me forever.

Children in Los Angeles, in other states, in Kansas, and potentially even in Hutchinson will miss this guidance because of a glaring ignorance regarding the importance of not the collections of information but the people who know what is there.  School librarians are being fired everywhere.  They have taken big hits in Kansas as school districts cope with drastic budget cuts.  I know, times are tough.  They were made tough by rampant greed and you and I and our kids and grandkids are apparently expected to suffer for that greed.

Back to my original point, the political leaders need to make up their minds.  They can't have it both ways - funding cuts and no revenue increases.  As a parent, I am for any education-related tax increase needed to adequately staff our schools.  I am not oblivious to the fact that I am in a minority here.  But I want the United States to regain an even keel.  I want a nation full of opportunity and competitive spirit.  And I know there are 2 things that will get us there - ingenuity and education.  I am convinced that librarians play a crucial role in the education and development of children and that cutting them out of schools further cripples an already overburdened educational system.

[/end rant]

Grab Bag

Catch-all, whatever you might call it - this is that type of post.

First off, a few building updates.  We started off this spring with a flurry of activity aimed at restoring the Quiet Reading Room.  This was a space in the original 1950 portion of the building designated for contemplative study away from the hub-bub of the rest of the bustling library.  It had been gone for a long time and is sorely needed again.  As I said though, we started with a flurry of activity, but have ground to a halt waiting on furniture orders.  Never fear though, because we will announce a grand re-opening in the next few weeks.

Second, I read an article from the Guardian (UK) newspaper about the "secret" life of libraries.  I wouldn't call this an article so much as a reminiscence.  However, it ended with a couple of passages which I'd like to quote here because they hit home with me regarding what libraries are worth to a society:

"The pace of life is different now, and people expect art to happen to them. Music and film do that, a CD will do that, but you have to make a book happen to you. It's between you and it. People can be changed by books, and that's scary. When I was working in the school library, I'd sometimes put a book in a kid's hands and I'd feel excited for them, because I knew that it might be the book that changed their life. And once in a while, you'd see that happen, you'd see a kind of light come on behind their eyes. Even if it's something like 0.4% of the population that that ever happens to, it's got to be worth it, hasn't it?"

The libraries' most powerful asset is the conversation they provide – between books and readers, between children and parents, between individuals and the collective world. Take them away and those voices turn inwards or vanish. Turns out that libraries have nothing at all to do with silence.

Third, I'd like to point out ANOTHER awesome collection of information posted on the Kansas Government Information (KGI) blog.  It's about one of my favorite political figures from the recent past, Senator Bob Dole.  Browse through a trove of Dole-related links here.

So there you have it.  A grab bag befitting my little collection of odd bits and extraneous information that I have posted here over the past 2-ish years!

Preventing Identity Theft

I just love the KGI (Kansas Government Information) Blog.  The blog is a product of the State Library's reference staff, and they do a really great job.  In fact, I think their style is exactly what a blog created by a reference department should be (in my extremely humble opinion).  Their posts are always well organized and always packed with useful links about the topic they have chosen.  Perfect starting points for patrons asking about where to start researching a topic.  I have a link to it over there in the sidebar.  The entry this week is a collection of links to all sorts of great information for protecting yourself online from identity theft.  I highly recommend adding the KGI blog it to your list of sites you regularly visit.

Man, this soap box is getting rickety!

Here I am again, stepping up on my virtual soap box.  I've been having a lot of difficulty lately reconciling all the budget slashing affecting not only the library world, but public services in general with the total lack of accountability for those folks who ran the financial ship on to the rocks.  So, now the public services that help people get back on their feet are being threatened with gutted budgets at the very time the "regular folks", i.e. you and me, are using them most.  Maybe I'm off base.  But I don't think so.

[Steps off soap box]

Here's something MUCH cheerier:  The paint is dry, the wainscot up, and the floor is in our new Quiet Reading Room.  Right now there are two sample lounge chairs in there, available for testing.  If you are local, go and have a sit and let us know what you think.  Bear in mind that each chair is customizable regarding seat width, back height, firmness of cushions, etc.

Another good development is that the design process for our new library website is rolling along.  I think we are moving in the right direction and I think that the patrons will like the awesome new features.  Among them will be a calendar that will allow direct registration for library events, straight-forward jargon-free language, and a vastly simpler navigation.  We're expecting a mid- to late-spring launch.

State Librarian Testifies

Earlier this week, the State Librarian of Kansas testified before the Kansas House of Representatives' Education Budget Committee regarding funding for Kansas libraries.  Here is a .pdf of her remarks.  A good illustration of something reaching a "tipping point" is the withered budget for the "State Aid grant program".

First a little background:  The "State Aid" grant program is money distributed directly to libraries in Kansas and is intended to supplement local budgets and help raise the level of library service across the state.  We in Hutchinson have been fortunate over the years and haven't been in desperate need for these funds, but they do help and we use them for their intended purpose - to raise the level of service we provide.

To return to the tipping point idea; the budget for State Aid has dropped from $2.7 million in 2002 to $1.7 million in 2011.  The money is distributed based on population served, so it was never much for smaller communities anyway, but that small amount has shrunk by about 36% in less than a decade.  The Legislature and the Governor have arrived at the moment where they need to decide if libraries are worth anything to Kansas.

Here's what a snapshot of library service means to Kansans on a daily basis.  In one day:

• 39,037 people visited their local library (roughly 10.1 MILLION visits per year!)
• 75,827 items were checked out (roughly 19.6 MILLION loans per year!)
• 4,411 questions were answered
• 10, 859 people used the Internet (roughly 40% of those have no other Internet access)
• 1,945 people found help searching for a job (that is over 500,000 job searches per year!)

I suppose my point is, how else could you provide that amount of service for such a paltry sum?  Granted, all of those libraries services are primarily supported by local tax dollars.  Many small libraries rely on State Aid grants to provide that "extra" that helps some of those 500,000 job searches turn into job offers for the patrons they serve.  The prime example of this is the statewide database subscriptions.  Only the largest and strongest of our State's libraries could afford these on their own.  Learning Express Library is one that many job seekers and students would sorely miss if the State Library couldn't fund it.  It provides scores of practice tests for academic and occupational certifications.

If the State Library "tips"; if our State leaders cut more; they might as well cut the whole thing.  There is a point at which a service becomes non-functional and the State Aid program is nearly there.  When funds or manpower or delivery methods become so curtailed as to be a waste of the remaining money spent on it, a decision must be made.  I would argue that in the tight budget they are looking at, the State should dump a few million EXTRA into the State Aid grant program and the state-wide database system.  Many people are, quite clearly, using their libraries for help during our economic recovery.  How better to lend a hand to people who are seeking out solutions to their problems?  These are the motivated ones - give them a leg up instead of tripping them up.  Libraries, especially public libraries can and will help them succeed.

So that's my rant-for-the-week.  Thanks for indulging me.

Fiber is your friend

In more ways than one, really.  I am not talking about bran muffins, I am talking about fiber optic cable in this case, although if you are eating something with whole grains right now, more power to you!  Anyway, the library system where I worked prior to the wonderful Hutchinson Public Library was part of a county government.  To their credit, they realized that as their county grew and data demand soared they needed a solution that would get them ahead of the curve.  So about 5 years ago in 2004-5, they started building their own 100Mb (megabit) fiber network.  For comparison, the average home connection speed in Kansas in 2009 was 4.9Mb, not quite 1/20th of what they built.  So this was a pretty progressive and aggressive plan at the time.  In fact, when I left that library system the slowest connection in the county system was the 10Mb pipe to the Internet.

Why am I carrying on about data and pipes and megabits?  Because of this article.  The National Broadband Plan could wire "anchor institutions" such as schools, community centers, colleges and libraries such as good ol' HPL, with 1Gb fiber connections.  A gigabit represents 1 billion bits or 1,000 megabits.  In other words, this FCC proposal would create connection points in communities 10 times faster than the network my old employers built.  The implications are enormous.  A plan of this type could leapfrog the US back into the top tier of nations in the area of Internet connection speed.  Since we currently rank 28th in the world, I think this plan is worth attempting on the basis of lowering our international "Embarrassment-to-Prestige Ratio" alone.

More importantly, it could create the possibility in virtually every rural town for solid, high-speed Internet access.  This quote, from the ArsTechnica article above sums it up for me:  Bob Bocher, who works as a consultant with the Wisconsin State Library, says, "The more than 16,000 public libraries across the country are often the only places in their communities that offer no-fee Internet access to all residents.

This is certainly the case, for better or worse, at HPL.  As our bandwidth needs have grown, an ever-larger chunk of our limited funds have gone toward maintaining a tolerable usability level connecting to the Internet and the library's many paid digital services.  So I am excited about this change.  I wonder if the funding will be found to make it a reality?