New Jersey LSTA Five Year Plan, Part 2

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Library Services and Technology Act Five Year Plan

Although federal funds are only a small part of the total funds administered by the New Jersey State Library for the development of library service programs, they are critical because they serve as a catalyst for innovative and risk-taking initiatives which encourage the development of new directions in library services. The receipt of LSTA funds enables libraries to initiate programs which would not be possible without outside funding. LSTA is not intended to supplant local responsibility to provide support for basic services or for operational budgets.

The development of the LSTA Five Year Plan provides the opportunity for the New Jersey State Library and the library community to redefine the federal role in support of library services in the state. The requirements of the Act offer librarians the opportunity to take new directions rather than reorganizing past approaches and priorities.

In accordance with the Act's guidelines, LSTA funds will be used to support libraries, library computer consortia and the State Library to:

deliver technology based information services to New Jersey residents; and
promote equity in access to library services for those persons, of all ages, having difficulty using a library and to underserved persons in urban and rural communities.

During the five year period, October 1, 1997 through September 30, 2002, the State Library will distribute LSTA funds through competitive and targeted grant programs and statewide services programs provided by the State Library and other libraries.

Information Access Through Technology

Goal: To provide every resident of New Jersey, of all ages, with full and equal access to electronic library resources made available either on-site at a library or via remote access from home, school and the office.

Priorities for Development of Grant Programs and Statewide Services:

Priority will be given, in the following order, for developing grant programs and statewide services for the following objectives identified in the Act:

assisting libraries in accessing information through electronic networks
establishing or enhancing electronic linkages among or between libraries
paying costs for libraries to acquire or share computer systems and telecommunications technologies
encouraging libraries in different areas and encouraging different types of libraries to establish consortia and share resources
linking libraries electronically with educational, social or information services.

Programs to provide libraries with ongoing technology training and technical support will be a major component of the first two priorities for assisting libraries in accessing information through electronic networks and establishing or enhancing electronic linkages among or between libraries.

Eligible projects:
Eligible projects will promote:

library services that provide all users access to information through state, regional, national and international electronic networks;
access to learning and information resources in all types of libraries for individuals of all ages; and
sharing of information and materials through linkages among and between libraries.

Need for Proposed Projects

The Public and Academic Library Electronic Access to Information Survey: February 1996, prepared by the Library Development Bureau, indicated that many of the 266 New Jersey public libraries that responded to the survey were not able to effectively use the Internet or provide patron access to the Internet.

48%, or 128, of the public libraries provided their staff with Internet access.
14%, or 38, of the public libraries that provided staff access to the Internet allowed patrons to search the Internet.
of the public libraries that did not currently have Internet access, 29%, or 78, of the libraries either indicated that they did not plan to acquire Internet access within the next 12 months or did not answer the questions.
most of the libraries having Internet access were not using 486 MHz or higher microprocessors; or 14.4 baud or higher modems.

The survey also indicated that while there was a much higher percentage of libraries who provided on-site online access to their collections, 27%, or 72, public libraries did not have integrated online library systems; and 9 college libraries were without IOLS systems.

Access to information is shifting from print to electronic formats. Many segments of the New Jersey population are becoming increasingly computer literate and are demanding access to electronic information. At the same time, only about 40 percent of U.S. households now have computers and less than 20 percent of these households have modems. Librarians play a vital role in assuring that electronic access to information is available to all New Jersey residents, on an equitable basis, regardless of their social, financial, educational status or any physical or geographical constraints.

New Jersey librarians serve as an important link between information providers and consumers through their skills in educating people in the most effective way to locate, evaluate and use information.

Libraries have a significant role in creating a computer literate workforce. The changing economy requires that workers continuously learn new skills. By 2000 more than 60 percent of new jobs will require computing and information networking skills which are currently held by only 20 percent of the population. Public libraries, in many parts of the state, provide the only access available for adults to use computers for basic business applications as well as for searching information resources.

In order to provide the public with access to electronic information resources, New Jersey libraries require a range of broad band, high speed interactive telecommunications services to support users both on-site and remotely. These telecommunications services must also support delivery of quality interactive multimedia services for the exploration of new ways of learning and communicating and for the delivery of distance learning programs. Connecting libraries to electronic resources is critical to ensuring that all New Jersey residents can benefit from life-long learning opportunities.

Competitive and Targeted Grant Programs

During the five year period, October 1, 1997 through September 30, 2002, the State Library will distribute LSTA funds through a program of competitive and targeted grants.

Libraries Eligible to Apply for Grants

The following types of libraries and library related agencies are eligible to apply for competitive grants or can be awarded targeted grants:

All public libraries except for those that do not meet all Per Capita State Aid requirements as listed in the publication New Jersey Public Library Statistics for the fiscal year prior to the grant fiscal year;
All academic libraries; and
All library computer consortia. A library computer consortium is defined, by the State Library, as a non-profit organization that:
1. operates a shared local system computer providing online public access catalog and circulation control services for its member libraries; and
2. includes public libraries in the consortia's current membership and may include other types of libraries: college libraries, school library media centers and institutional libraries.

All libraries (academic, institutional, public, school library media centers and special libraries) will be eligible to participate in the following types of programs funded by LSTA:

receive services at the rate negotiated by the New Jersey State Library to access the statewide Intranet and the Internet through a telecommunications connection to a Hub Library;
receive services from a public or academic library or a library computer consortium when the grant program's guidelines require that the grantee provide services to other libraries in its local or regional area or on a statewide basis; and;
receive services or participate in the administration of a project in cases when the grant program's guidelines require a public or academic library to collaborate with another type of library to provide electronic access to information services.

The definition of various types of libraries, with the exception of library computer consortium, is provided in the New Jersey Administrative Code, 6:68-1.2.

Information Access Through Technology Activities: Grant Programs

Hub Library Network provides all public libraries with rapid, free Internet access and technical assistance. Funds pay for; 1) the Hub Library members' fees for the Internet Service Provider; 2) line charges from the Hub Library to the Internet; and 3) provides technical support for the library members' local connection to the Hub.

Virtual Statewide Interlibrary Loan System: Funding of phases 2-3 pays for the epixtech RSS software and hardware maintenance contracts.

Sharing Online Circulation and OPAC Systems: Public and academic libraries who did not own integrated online library systems join library computer consortia or host public libraries to share the system.

Implementing Z39.50 and Web Pac Technology: Public and academic libraries and library computer consortia acquire necessary technology to promote interconnectivity and resource sharing among all types of libraries.

Public Library Computer Training Centers: Install training centers and develop training programs to provide adults hands-on computer training to: acquire adequate computer mouse and keyboard skills, become familiar with the Windows interface; and develop skill in locating and effectively using information via the Internet.

Digitize New Jersey resources made available to all libraries and library users through the Internet.

Public Library Information Kiosks: Expand patron access to information at locations outside of the library.

Program of Statewide Services

The New Jersey State Library provides statewide services to libraries and individuals to make information available for research and interlibrary loan. Reference service is provided on-site for the public and via its Web site through authoritative links to other information resources on law, genealogy and philanthropy. Through its online catalog, which is available via the Internet, the State Library provides access to government information and unique materials for libraries and the public.

The State Library will provide expanded reference services, via its Web site, in the following areas:

expanded links to New Jersey government information and New Jersey topics; and
creation of databases of digitized unique and rare materials in its collection.

Information Access Through Technology Activities: Statewide Services Programs

Digitize unique and rare State Library collections of Jerseyana, New Jersey documents, local history and genealogy and make these materials available to libraries and library users through the Internet or the statewide Intranet.

Implement State Library listserv to:

facilitate State Library communication with all types of New Jersey libraries via e-mail; and
to allow New Jersey librarians to share information through participation in electronic discussion groups.

Investigate, evaluate and contract for commercial databases appropriate for statewide licenses: State Library will expand the resources available to the citizens of New Jersey and supplement databases provided by the Regional Library Cooperatives to their members.

Coordinate technology training/continuing education opportunities: State Library will: 1) coordinate and support training programs provided by Technology Training Centers and Regional Library Cooperatives; 2) sponsor conferences and workshops and 3) support other training activities.

Expand access to information about New Jersey government and New Jersey topics: State Library's Web site will contain indexed and abstract links to sites providing sources of New Jersey government information, New Jersey laws, New Jersey documents, Jerseyana and genealogy. The site will also provide information that is most frequently asked for and links to current topics.

New Jersey Union List of Serials (NJULS): State Library updates and adds holdings of non-OCLC member libraries, maintains the NJULS in the OCLC database, and contracts to house the database at one or more New Jersey sites which can be accessed via the Internet or through dial-in access. In FY2001, the State Library will provide Internet access directly to the NJULS located in the OCLC database.

Go on to Part 3

Last updated: November 3, 1997.
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