Impact of Information Technology
and Special Programming
on Library Services to Special Populations
Funded by the
National Center for Education Statistics
and Co-sponsored by the
U.S. National Commission on Libraries
and Information Science
with the Cooperation of the
Office of Library Programs
and the
National Institute on Postsecondary Education,
Libraries, and Lifelong Learning
May 20 - 21, 1996
The views, opinions and recommendations expressed in this Report do not necessarily reflect the official position or policy of the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education or the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.
| Group | Discussion Topic | Chair and Recorder |
| I | Library Services to Educationally and/or Economically Disadvantaged (including literacy programs) | Jim Scheppke, Chair Christie Koontz, Recorder |
| II | Library Services to Multicultural Populations (including limited English-speaking) | Karen Watkins, Chair T. K. Cassidy, Recorder |
| III | Library Services to Physically Handicapped | Judith Dixon, Chair Mary Jo Lynch, Recorder |
| IV | Library Services to Rural and Rural/Remote Populations | Bernard Vavrek, Chair Jan Ison, Recorder |
| V | Library Services to Seniors | Hugh O'Conor, Chair Jan Feye-Stukas, Recorder |
| VI | Library Services to Businesses and Employers | Sam Memberg, Chair Joseph Shubert, Recorder |
The objective of these Forums is to work toward the further improvement of national data on libraries and information services, for libraries of all types.
These Proceedings include herewith the deep appreciation to all those who participated in this Forum and to those who participated in its planning and administration.
Welcome
Jeanne Griffith, NCES Acting Commissioner
"It is my pleasure, on behalf of the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, to call to order the Forum on Library and Information Services Policy. This is the fourth annual Forum, and I understand that today we have the most participants ever. We have about 80 people registered for both days, and I think that is terrific. People are coming from all over the world—from as far away as Guam and as close by as Washington, DC.
"I see a number of familiar faces and a lot of new faces, and it is my pleasure to welcome you all. I am Jeanne Griffith, Acting Commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics. What I want to do this morning is to take a couple of minutes to talk about some of the things going on at NCES. Then, I would like to present a brief history of our Library Statistics Program (LSP).
"First, let me talk about NCES' budget situation, which I think is of interest to everybody these days in terms of what is happening in various federal agencies. The Fiscal Year (FY) 1996 budget, which ends in September, was finally passed last month, and, so, we now have a budget for 1996. NCES' budget was cut by $2 million. It is a little complicated to explain, but, basically, we have two lines in our budget: a line for statistical programs and a line for assessment. Assessment is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), primarily, and that is not where our library programs are located. That is in the statistics line of the budget, which accounts for all our surveys, data collections, and analyses, and that is where the $2 million came out of. So, we had a slight reduction from about $48 to $46 million on that line of the budget.
"At this point, we do not perceive needing to cut any of our library statistics programs. We have tried to figure out where to cut various programs in the budget, and we have been able to make adjustments that did not require us to cut LSP. At this point, however, the Congress is talking about level funding at the 1996 level until 2002. Of course, level funding at the 1996 level means no increase for inflation, so that could be a very substantial decrease in the funding. We are, of course, anxiously watching to see what happens. Not to alarm anyone: there is a lot of discussion about very serious control on the budget in the future. We all need to be aware.
"NCES has been receiving level funding since FY 1993. In terms of staffing, the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) has also had very severe constraints. We have not had any staff expansion since the late 1980s. Our budget increased from 1986 through 1993, with a small increase in staff during the early years of that period. As we lose staff (staff do move on for professional reasons), we have not been able to replace them, and our staff has substantially declined. So, we keep looking for innovative ways to try to leverage the resources we have, to make sure that we are responsibly expending the funds, and monitoring and administering the programs.
"One thing that people are always interested in—and with good reason—is, "What is going to happen to the position of Commissioner of Education Statistics?" At this point, a nomination has been made by the President to the Senate to appoint Pat Forgione, the Chief State School Officer for the State of Delaware. Pat's nomination has been approved by the appropriate Senate committee and is now awaiting full Senate approval. We are all anxiously awaiting for that to happen. Shortly after he receives the full Senate approval, we expect Pat to report to work as the new Commissioner of Education Statistics.
"Let me talk some about NCES' Library Statistics Program because some of you may not be that familiar with the history. The Forums that we hold are all part of a cooperative and still-developing the NCES/LSP that began under the 1988 Hawkins-Stafford Act. The Library Statistics Program began a period of substantial change, progress, and innovation for NCES. It was a period of growth in our budget, staff, and in the overall survey program in the quantity and nature of the statistics that we gathered and the analysis of the data.
"No time was lost in 1988, the first year in developing the cooperative agreement with NCLIS. With the great help and assistance of NCLIS, we invited representatives from the 50 State Library Agencies to a meeting in Annapolis in December 1988. That meeting gave birth to what we now know as 'The Federal-State Cooperative System for Public Library Data' (FSCS), which is now in its eighth year of accomplishment and steady progress.
"And, LSP has grown ever since. In 1990, LSP developed a biennial Academic Library Survey Program. We then added another program to incorporate school library media centers and their personnel in our Schools and Staffing Survey, which is conducted on a periodic basis. Initially, it was conducted every three years; it is now scheduled to be conducted every five years.
"We have also worked with the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies to plan and administer the first annual National Survey of State Libraries in 1995. That first survey report will be published soon. We then cooperated with the Federal Library and Information Center Committee of the Library of Congress in developing and administering the first reliable Federal Library Survey; those data will also be published imminently. And, most recently, again in cooperation with our state library and public library colleagues, we began planning for a National Survey of Library Cooperatives. So, as you can see, there has been extensive work in the area of collecting data on library statistics. We are attempting, and we think we are achieving, comprehensive coverage in this area.
"Another thing we have done in the library statistics area is to use technology to great advantage and, probably, to the greatest advantage of any program that we have in NCES. Again, referring back to 1988, I would note that the FSCS Public Library Survey Program participants should be commended for being the first of the NCES surveys to use computers at both the state and the federal level to record, edit, transmit, and publish the annual data. That program improved the quality of the data, and it certainly improved our ability to get the data out the door on a very timely basis.
"Now, we have begun efforts with public libraries to try to develop their electronic data collection and reporting capabilities from the local public library levels to their respective State Library Agencies who will then send their data to NCES.
"So, the Library Statistics Program is an outstanding example, has an outstanding record of experience for using technology to great advantage, and sets a superb example for other NCES surveys.
"Underlying all of this rapid development in the breadth of our Program has been the cooperation and dedication of the planning and executive bodies associated with these surveys. We are certainly trying to reflect, statistically, the very rapid changes taking place in library and information services at the local, state, and territorial levels. These changes are particularly major when it comes to electronic information services, but, at the same time, there are very substantial challenges to improve the quality of, and the equity of, access to library services for all of the people in the country. And, our surveys need to reflect that. In an Information Age, you cannot afford to have any population being 'Information Have-Nots.' It is a key role of libraries! I believe that we need to be positive that we are collecting the data which informs the public about progress in this area.
"As you can see, all of the rapid societal and technological changes taking place over the last eight years formed the 1992 back-drop for Emerson Elliott to recommend an annual series of policy Forums on library and information services. This is the reason we are here today.
"This is a good point for me to introduce Emerson and to turn the Forum over to him as your Chair. Having been the NCES Acting Commissioner since Emerson's retirement in July 1995, I can say with a much greater depth of feeling and appreciation how much I appreciated his leadership and mentoring while he was Commissioner. It is my great privilege and honor to welcome Emerson and to introduce you to one of our country's most distinguished civil servants."
Purpose
Emerson Elliott, Forum Chair
"It is a privilege to be chair of the fourth annual Forum. The subject of this year's Forum is, Impact of Information Technology and Special Programming on Library Services to Special Populations. Today, if you look at the program, you will see one set of phrases like: 'value of services; measuring results; measuring change; measuring services; and measuring outputs.' The other half of the terminology reads like: 'educationally and/or economically disadvantaged; multicultural populations; physically handicapped; rural and rural-remote populations; businesses and employers; and seniors.' It is perfectly obvious as you look at the two sets of phrases that we are talking about data and about services.
"Why does anyone care about data on libraries? The answers are simple: 1) to know, and 2) to decide. Actually, I think librarians and statisticians have a great deal in common. Librarians are organizers of information. Statisticians and statistical agencies define terms for things that are to be measured, and they organize data. In recent years, I think that both librarians and statisticians have learned that policy makers want different kinds of information these days. It used to be enough if we had information on the: 1) number of volumes in the collection, 2) number of hours the library was open, 3) number of loans made from the collection, 4) size of staff, and 5) costs and expenditures. Policy makers could use that data to decide on the budget. I do not believe this is any longer true.
"Jeanne just described the budget situation. And, from what I hear, the budget situation in Washington is not all that different from budget situations in public libraries and institutions everywhere in the county. Everyone is making difficult trade-offs.
"When John Lorenz was at the Michigan State Library, my father was the City Manager of Kalamazoo, Michigan. My father had to make decisions about how much money would be invested in the public libraries in his community. I do not know how much John made-up for the local public library deficits in those years, probably not very much. However, state funding for libraries have come a long, long way since then!
"Today, different types of questions are asked, such as: 1) What service do you offer? 2) To whom do you offer that service? and 3) What is the value of that service?' Those are three very tough questions. And, people are asking those questions at the same time that technology is changing the look, feel, and access of library information. Recently, I recently stopped by the brand-new New York Public Science, Industry, and Business Library. It is a magnificent and wonderful place to be in; there are computers everywhere. But, at the same time, it is very attractive and welcoming. Recently, I read in the New York Times about San Francisco's brand-new library, and I imagine it has some of those same attributes, but, maybe, not as many computers quite yet.
"This conference is organized for small group discussions, and everyone will have an opportunity to participate. As we move into those small groups, I think it will become obvious that discussions will focus on data gaps and what should be done about them. I would like to make one special request. You will find a set of questions for discussion during the small group sessions. I ask you to take responsibility for assuring that the answers to these questions are as concrete as possible so we can think about the nature of the data tasks. During conferences, it is often difficult to think about what would be nice to have and to figure out how to get there. Sometimes, the 'nice to have' is not essential. You think about essentials. But, you also consider: 1) What is required to make this something we can use? 2) Is this a developmental task, 3) Are researchers needed to help understand how to approach issues and to offer some alternatives? 4) Is it so clear cut and well defined that libraries can simply add the item to their existing data collection, and report? 5) Is it a matter that requires analysis and interpretation? 6) What does a city manager, a mayor, a local commissioner, a state legislator, a library board, and/or a governor need to know to make decisions regarding libraries? and 7) What can we give them? Make your views as concrete as possible.
"Remember, too, that you are not just discussing something that is 'way out there' and something you cannot do anything about—because money is not available. One issue you should think about during this Forum is the unique kinds of information gaps not meeting definite needs. If you find that need, you will, somehow, find a way to meet it. Nothing will affect the kind of information available for policy makers more than that. If you have talked to a legislator or a government administrator, you know the kinds of questions they ask; you must figure out the best way to answer their questions.
"The suggested questions are:
The group may also wish to comment on key data elements that are needed in data collection.
"You should think of this Forum as a way to share information needed to influence others, like yourself. What we do not want to come of the Forum is an agenda of impossible tasks for the cooperative Library Statistics Program. Rather, the result can influence the library and information services field with newly-generated ideas which, hopefully, will: 1) appear in professional library and information journals, 2) be discussed during American Library Association meetings and conferences as well as other related conferences, 3) can influence the way your peers think about your responsibilities, and, finally, 4) can/will influence what NCES' Library Statistics Program can accomplish."
Mr. Elliott requested that the participants in attendance at the four previous Forums introduce themselves.
Mr. Elliott then introduced Betty J. Turock, President of the American Library Association and Professor, Rutgers University, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies. Dr. Turock spoke on Information Technology and Equity of Access.
Information Technology and Equity of Access
Betty J. Turock, President, American Library Association
"Good morning, colleagues. It is no exaggeration to say that there is a momentous telecommunications revolution sweeping our country. Nothing happening today offers more challenge and more opportunity for the people of our Nation than the emerging national electronic information infrastructure, better known to the American people as the, 'information superhighway'.
"I believe so strongly that getting the Nation connected is essential to the public interest that I made public policy on the information superhighway the focus of my year as President of the 58,000 member American Library Association (ALA). And, ALA staff have made this topic the focus of their activity. It is a major focus at the highest levels of government, as well. Political leaders from both sides of the aisle agree that all Americans must be connected. But, we need more than just words to guarantee free and open access to information in the twenty-first century.
"Over the past five years, ten major corporations spent more than $40 million to influence telecommunications legislation and public policy. So, it is no surprise that technical and financial interests have dominated decisions about the information superhighway, overshadowing what it can do for the people and how it can address society's needs.
Who Will Reap the Benefits?
"At the same time, the American public is being barraged with promises and proposals for the swiftly unfolding infrastructure. Amid the rhetoric, major questions arise about who will reap the benefits. Our electronic future holds the promise of facilitating communication and exchanging information across global, national, economic, ethnic, and social boundaries; and of creating communities united by similar interests where none previously existed. But, the evolving infrastructure will also have the ability to separate, exclude, and depersonalize, even effect loss of, cultural identity.
"While we describe the superhighway as providing easy access, quick response, informality, accessibility, and independence, we also recognize it as chaotic and disorganized; a pathway where it is difficult to sort quality information from the glut that proliferates and to trust the authority of what is found.
"The availability of more information than ever before can become empowering, informing, and educating for the people, but the policies set now can also increase the probability of information being perceived only as a commodity. Increased commercialization could turn the electronic frontier into a virtual shopping mall.
The Big Four
"Major national policy on four public interests issues will ultimately dictate whether access to libraries remains free and open. They are: universal service, intellectual freedom, intellectual property rights and equity; all must lead to equitable, just, and affordable access to the electronic highway.
"The signing of the Telecommunications Act was historic. While it provides opportunity for unlimited economic gain in the private sector, for the first time, public institutions like libraries and schools, are slated for special telecommunications discounts, and given the designation universal service provider, a designation that brings with it an ongoing infusion of funds for technological transformation.
"In April, I introduced the American Library Association's (ALA) position on universal service in testimony before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Among the specific recommendations in the filing are:
"The states will play a major role in the definition of 'universal access'. The way in which the special discounted rates are to be implemented is left to the Federal-State joint board. The amount of the discount will be determined by the FCC for the interstate services, and by the states for intrastate services. The discount is to be treated as part of a carrier's universal service obligation.
"ALA's full proposal, which recommends discount methodologies to determine specific library rates, was received with widespread interest by both the FCC and Congress. In the past year, ALA has experienced remarkable success in driving a stake in the ground for the public interest in the national legislative and public policy arenas. A challenging period is ahead as we attempt to make the definition of 'universal service' and the special rates meaningful in infrastructure implementation. But, important for us, librarians and educators are at the table as these decisions are being made in Washington.
"The second major public interest issue affecting access is 'intellectual freedom'. The Telecommunications Act is, 'a glass half-full and a glass half-empty'. The glass half-full is the universal service provision. The glass half-emply is the Communications Decency Act (CDA), a provision of the Telecommunications Act which makes it a crime to transmit or distribute indecent material. Under this standard, librarians and other information professionals could be sentenced up to two years in prison and be subjected to fines up to $100,000 for using a computer system to transmit indecent material in a manner that would result in it being, even inadvertently, viewed by a minor.
"ALA believes strongly that the current criminal laws against preying upon children or subjecting them to obscene material—as solidly defined by the Supreme Court—can and must be vigorously enforced. But, 'indecent' is a vague and Constitutionally problematic word. Under the CDA, material that is perfectly legal for youth to view in books, films, or other media is may be illegal to view electronically.
"In February, ALA became the lead plaintiff in a constitutional challenge to the CDA. The Association put together a coalition called 'Citizens Internet Empowerment' that went into court representing twenty-six organizations, including America Online, Compuserve, Prodigy, Microsoft, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, Society of Professional Journalists, People for the American Way, Families Against Internet Censorship, and others.
"Our challenge is based on the belief that: 1) the CDA is unnecessary; 2) the term 'indecent' is too broad, vague, and lacking in definition; 3) it criminalizes speech protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and 4) it does not protect children. In fact, it gives parents a false sense of security that the government is protecting them, when that is almost impossible in the world of electronic information. In enacting the CDA of 1996, without hearings, Congress effectively banned a substantial part of the public discourse on the new electronic medium. The case is assigned to the Fifth District Court in Philadelphia, where judges have joined it with a challenge from the ACLU. It is on the fast track and expected to reach the Supreme Court in the early fall.
"The third major public interest issue affecting access is the protecting of intellectual property rights, balanced by the doctrine of fair use. Original copyright legislation not only fosters the development of creativity in the arts and sciences, but also encourages the dissemination of that creativity broadly to the public.
"Copyright law lays the basis for the lending function of libraries. This year, ALA was one of the founders of the Digital Future Coalition—thirty library, education, and commercial organizations working together to make sure that the public interest receives due consideration in any copyright law changes.
"While supporting the updating of the Copyright Law for the digital future, the Coalition has proposed a package of amendments to the National Information Infrastructure Copyright Protection Act, making the point that the proposed legislation tips the delicate balance in current law toward authors and publishers—those who make financial gain—and that any change in copyright policy must continue to protect the public's right to reproduce copyrighted materials in limited quantities for educational purposes.
"The final major public interest issue affecting access is equity on the information superhighway—just , equitable, and affordable access. Today, more and more of the information we need for our jobs, health, education, participation in government, and so forth, is only accessible through computers. The powerful technology of the information superhighway can help us find a job, research a medical condition, or connect students and scholars to the information they need around the Nation and the world. But, what if you do not own a computer? Or do not know how to use one. What if you cannot afford one? What if you cannot pay the on-line charges to get access? The evolving electronic infrastructure threatens to exacerbate the chasm that already exists between the' information rich' and the 'information poor', even as it revolutionizes how we live, learn, work, and connect to one another.
"According to a recent New York Times article, two-thirds of all computers are sold to households with incomes of $40,000 or more, but only one-in-three households reach that level. Statistics show that only one-in-ten Americans has access to the vast network of databases that are already part of the infrastructure. High cost and rapid changes in technology could place many more of us among the 'information poor'.
"Throughout the past year. I have had three opportunities to testify before Congress. In each case our federal representatives demonstrated eagerness to rapidly adopt electronic technology for the dissemination of government information. If current plans go forward, by the year 2000 the Government Printing Office (GPO) will produce less than thirty titles in print. Congress will pass along the cost of conversion to the depository libraries —some 1,500 libraries designated by law to receive government information. And, if the depositories cannot afford to pay, the people will have to either pay or be locked out of the information they have already paid to create.
"Unless we take steps to protect the public interest, the electronic high speed lanes could become a road open to only those who can afford it. That is why we need equity on the information superhighway. And, as we all know (I am now speaking, purposefully, to the converted) that is where libraries come in. Historically, libraries have served as the Nation's great equalizers, providing people —of all ages and in all circumstances—with the information they need regardless of their ability to pay.
"Libraries can also make technology costs more reasonable. In a country having trouble balancing its budget, it is far more cost-effective to concentrate on the library for public access than it is to connect every home. That, according to Barron's Business and Financial Weekly estimates, would take over $250 billion. And, librarians are there within the libraries to help the public find the right information from a sea of information, and to teach them to use the technology, keeping costs reasonable.
"According to a recent MCI Survey, Americans are eager to connect to the superhighway for the information it contains about health, government affairs, and education—the information needed to help them lead more satisfying lives tops the list of services wanted. And, the 100,000 libraries throughout the United States have that information—they are the Nation's information infrastructure; the natural points of entry to the high-speed lanes of electronic transmission! The people of the United States have already spent billions of dollars on their libraries, and it would be economically foolish not to ensure them a place in the electronic future of our country.
"But, where are the public policy studies that make these statements more than self-interest spoken by the president of the oldest and largest library association in the world?
Public Policy Research Needed
"Over the past five years, telecommunication economists have attended to definitions of universal service and the development of methodologies to determine special discounts. But similar data are not forthcoming from researchers in library and information systems and services. ALA's Washington Office, with the help of consultants and lawyers, had to puzzle that out for themselves. Public policy research is desperately needed.
"The Congress is urging electronic transmission on the 1,500 depository libraries in this country. The GPO asked for funding to study the impact of electronic transmission on the libraries and the people. But no funding was forthcoming. As a result, the current timetable is set—electronic transmission for all but thirty core documents in two years—without the basic questions answered, such as: 1) What is the readiness of depository libraries to receive electronic information? 2) What is needed to make them ready? and/or 3) What costs do depository libraries now incur nationally to distribute government information? We know this is a cost-effective program, and that libraries out-spend the federal government, covering costs for staff, facilities, organization, and retrieval tools, among others. But, there is no solid data to present the national picture.
"Shortly after becoming ALA President, I called a Forum on Government Information to formulate a proposal for the reorganization of the government information structure in an electronic future. I looked hard for public policy gurus in our domain who had been working on the multitudinous issues involved, but I came up empty handed. The GPO, with help from library leaders, has outlined a major study needed to prepare for the electronic frontier. However, to date, it has not received attention from researchers or possible funding sources, such as the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education.
"Even as we meet, two studies commissioned by Congress—one through the General Accounting Office (GAO) and the other through Booz-Allen—have questioned the mission and management of the Library of Congress (LC) in an electronic age, while it scrambles to respond. Where are the public policy researchers in library and information studies who have been looking at GPO, LC, and other major national information agencies to help determine and document realistic missions and structures for the future?
Impact and Public Policy
"The fact that the results of evaluation studies in library and information systems and services have led to so few public policy action agendas is regrettable. In the last decade a shift has taken place in evaluation from the dominance of quantitative assessment to the addition of qualitative approaches. Over time, studies have revealed that, when performance measures—output measures for the most part—are compared, the differences discovered may not be due so much to performance as it is to the social and educational characteristics of the library's public.
"Even in the face of evidence that applying output measures may make difficult the fair assessment of services, particularly those for special populations, they are still the most widely-touted measures. While outside our world, the emphasis is on outcome measurement, we have been slow to move into that realm—even where it is most appropriate. The focus of output measurement is the library. The focus of outcome measurement is the people using the library. The shift is to determine impact; for example, what happens as a consequence of a service?
"Questions of impact are basic to public policy. Questions like: 1) How well did the service meet the magnitude of the need uncovered? 2) Did it have the intended effects? 3) Did it reach the target audience? 4) What changes occurred in those audiences? 5) Were their skills enhanced? 6) Were they able to reach a personal goal that improved the quality of their lives or the lives of their family members? 7) Where are the studies that address the library of the future from the public policy point of view? and 8) Where are the studies that speak to society's challenges, to what the people want and need, and how this can be united with professional views to make the electronic age of information have real meaning for our democratic society?
"We need more studies that judge electronic services within the context of our social environment and within the context of the lives of the people served. While we have debated the best way to measure, we have missed the point of public policy—input, output, cost studies, and the value of information related to the service supplied—are all pertinent, depending on the public policy questions asked. But, are we sufficiently engaged in the public policy arena to even know the questions that might arise?
"The superhighway of the peoples' national information infrastructure is not about the future—it is about now. Research and library and information studies must not be diverted from this great opportunity. We can contribute to the development of the National Information Infrastructure (NII) based on fact, not just on conventional wisdom, and not on the research forthcoming from organizations unfamiliar with library and information services. Helping to build a socially-responsive NII is our job. Let us do it!"
A question and answer session followed.
Joan Challinor asked, "1) When Congress asks you about libraries, in what form do these questions come? and 2) What is the most asked question?" Ms. Turock replied, "In every testimony I have presented and in very many media performances, I am asked if I could choose only one—electronic information or books—which would I choose? If I were to say computers or books, it would make Congress' job much easier. They would then be able to say it was my decision and not their decision. The questions on electronic information came from the Forum on Government Information. Questions such as:
1) What are we going to do with government information? 2) Is two years a reasonable and feasible expectation? I have said, 'No, no, no' many times. Fortunately, Congressman Allard—who is electrifying Congress by putting in the electronic information system—preceded me in my last testimony. When asked if Congress could be ready in two years, he stated, 'No. Making electronic information any part of government is an ongoing job. It is not over in two years; not over in five; not over in ten. It is ongoing'. I breathed a sign of relief because he made my testimony much easier that day."
Audience: "Does anyone help you with research questions?" Ms. Turock replied, "The question is, have we turned to researchers enough for help? I testified on a panel with Senator Snowe, Secretary of Education Riley, and a representative of Nynex. Nynex had a proposal which was not complimentary to ALA's, but I must say; it was a proposal they had worked on by themselves in isolation. We need to integrate more with that world. If we had worked together, the proposals would have been better from both sides."
Information Technology and Measuring Change in Library and Information Service Peter R. Young, Executive Director, U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
"First, let me add my welcome to this Forum. Jeanne Hurley Simon, the Chairperson of the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) cannot be here today, and she has asked me to convey her apologies.
"As you know, there are several major 'strands' in today's Forum. I hope we can discuss these strands as they relate to the purpose of the annual Forums—which is to work toward the further improvement of national data on libraries and information services for libraries of all types.
"Throughout this Forum we need to continue to ask: How will 'x' or 'y' or 'z' topic or question further the collection, dissemination, analysis, and use of data that will, in turn, improve library and information services? In other words: 1) How are we using the data we collect? 2) Is our data collection keeping up with the ways in which people use library and information services? , 3) Is it relevant and/or meaningful? 4) What does the data collected say about library and information services? and 5) What does it say to our funding authorities? Well, I could keep coming up with questions, but let me now tell you what my talk will include.
"My talk is entitled, Information Technology and Measuring Change in Library and Information Service, and I will discuss several facets of that topic:
Debra Kaplan at 1991 WHCLIS
"Those of us at the White House Conference on July 10, 1991, heard an important and concept-expanding speech by Deb Kaplan, Vice President of the World Institute on Disability (who referred to herself as a 'disabled activist' working on access to information technologies.1 Some of you may recognize her name because of her membership on the Advisory Council for the National Information Infrastructure. "I am aware that special populations, in terms of library and information services, include many groups that are not disabled. However, please listen to the major points from Ms. Kaplan's WHCLIS remarks and hear how the word 'special' could be substituted for the word 'disabled' and still have the same dynamics. Her thesis was that 'Meeting the needs of persons with disabilities with respect to library and information services need not be viewed as a special activity for people who are special.' [Ms. Kaplan's emphasis.] Her points to support this thesis are as follows:
"I would like to finish this segment with one last quote from Ms. Kaplan—keeping in mind the substitution of 'special' for 'disabled'. 'As information technology becomes more a part of library services, universal access will become easier to achieve, provided it is considered in the planning process. Universal access means that persons with disabilities will be able to use systems and equipment intended for the general public as much as possible. This will require a shift in perspective: From considering persons with disabilities as outside the norm to a new perception of disability as a rather normal human characteristic to be taken into account when systems, consumer products, and technologies are designed.'
Special Populations in LSCA and LSTA
"The traditional, well-known focus of LSCA Title is to make services more accessible to persons who, because of distance, residence, physical handicap, or other disadvantage, are unable to benefit from public library services regularly available. Will services to targeted populations be part of the proposed LSTA? If so, will they be emphasized to the extent they are in the LSCA?
"A recent article in Public Libraries on the proposed LSTA, Nancy Zussy, Washington State Librarian, listed three items 'of which the national library community should take note'.
Whither Services to Special Populations?
"I have used a sizable part of my presentation, I hope, to encourage us to ask, not just about the future of library and information services to special populations, but what our goal should be in serving the special populations. And, behind that goal, we must ask: 1) What is our objective in collecting special populations data on library and information services? 2) Is our objective the ability to count and categorize everyone? 3) Is our goal to count everything that each member of a special group uses or requests? 4) Is our goal just to show ever-larger numbers of users and uses to persuade our funding authorities to give us additional funding? 5) Especially with electronic services, how do we maintain traditional categories? 6) Should we maintain traditional categories?.
"We have to know our goal before we know what to count. And, we must keep our eyes, minds, and resources on that goal in the midst of tremendous changes on many fronts.
Whither Change?
"I will use the balance of my time to review changes as demonstrated in a series of studies on public libraries and the Internet sponsored by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. Copies of NCLIS' comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on universal service are being distributed. These comments contain the first analysis and publication of data resulting from our 1996 study and compares those results with the 1994 study. I would like to recognize one of the principals in the study, John Carlo Bertot. John is a panelist in this Forum.
"I wish the Commission could sponsor studies on all types of libraries; I certainly hope we can in the future. Meanwhile, the public library studies are interesting, informative, and useful to many people and officials at many different levels and places throughout the country.
"Now, returning to NCLIS' latest study. We found a 113 percent increase in public libraries' connectivity to the Internet—up from 20.9 percent in 1994 to 44.6 percent in 1996. However, despite this overall increase, discrepancies increased in connectivity by size of population served. Public libraries serving populations under 5,000 in 1996 were 58.6 percent less likely to be connected to the Internet than those libraries serving populations of 100,000 to over one million.
"Public libraries' plans are just as interesting, or perhaps more interesting, than their current connections. For example, preliminary analysis of the 1996 study indicates that connectivity to the Internet could be more than 60 percent by 1997. That is just next year! That is both exciting and troublesome. Libraries and information services may be moving rapidly, but the environment is changing just as quickly.
"In 1997, just next year, there may be a new Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) in place. In 1997, there may be rules from FCC on universal service. In 1997, there may be a new copyright law dealing with electronic information. In 1997, there may be new plans for the Federal Depository Library Program, as the dissemination of government information shifts more and more to electronic formats.
"Can we, in the library and information services field, cope? I think we have no choice if we are to stay relevant in the everyday life of people. We had better do more than cope; we had better take the lead!
Conclusion
"For the purpose of this Forum, our questions keep returning to:
"As I mentioned at the outset, there are several major strands in this 1996 Forum. They are: 1) Library and information services to special populations; 2) Measurement of services; 3) The value of services; 4) The value of changes; and 5) The value of information technology. I hope we can separate or interweave these strands as the discussions lead us. Thank you."
Audience: I suggest that we not undertake the problem of attempting to prove that bringing technology into the classroom will make teaching more effective.
Peter Young: That is a very important point. It is easy to measure connectivity. What is hard to measure is the individual's qualitative education as a result of that technology. One of the basic reasons that NCLIS and NCES work together cooperatively is to sponsor these policy Forums to relate to the many professions and disciplines, to come to a deeper understanding of exactly what is happening in our institutions, and to discuss how they can be transformed into much more effective learning environments.
David Penniman: On the whole, I would say that a challenge for many school libraries and media centers is to demonstrate that electronic use by teachers and students makes both teaching and learning more effective.
Peter Young: There is both good news and bad news on public library connectivity to the Internet. The good news is that connectivity is growing in public libraries. The bad news is that the discrepancies are not simply in terms of geographic connectivity. The distinctions are between people who have only dial-up text-base versus public access graphics. If we continue in this same direction, the differences will increase. There will not be simply 'haves' and have nots', the distance between those two groups will increase.
Joey Rodger: I see one real challenge. On one hand, you have a definite need for the blind and physically handicapped. On the other hand, you have a definite need for English as a second language. How can we bring these two populations together?
Programming for Special Populations and Measuring Results Shelley Quezada, Consultant, Library Services to the Unserved, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
1. Services to Special Populations
"Twelve years ago, I answered an ad in the Boston Globe for a position with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners which had the intriguing title, 'Consultant for Library Services to the Unserved'. I suspected that I would be working in providing services to people for whom English was not their first language. I was unfamiliar with issues concerning Adult Functional Illiteracy. However, this was at the time that A Nation At Risk had just been published and the beginning of a number of federal initiatives within the U. S. Department of Education, such as LSCA Title VI, targeting monies for literacy program development in libraries. There was considerable activity on the part of the National Coalition for Literacy. In fact, the American Library Association (ALA) had active representation on that Coalition, which included some of the people at this Forum.
"As recently as 1993, the National Adult Literacy Survey, the most significant survey of literacy to date, confirmed what many of us already knew: Upwards of 45 million adults in this country fall into a category where they have difficulty performing tasks such as understanding a prescription, completing a job application, using a map, or reading to their child. This is a chilling statistic in light of one significant finding that we already know: Whether a child was read to (or not) is one of the greatest predictors of a child's success in school.
"As my own work evolved, I began taking on additional responsibilities, including serving as liaison to the institutionalized and incarcerated population. The trend toward deinstitutionalization means that more people are being released into the general population. And, they often end up in our public libraries as 'homeless or indigent' and create new challenges for us.
"Our one growth industry, of course is the prison system. However, as we have increased the number of inmates, try providing library programming when you are 145 percent over capacity. That increase in numbers has not been supported with resources, and, as a result, we have many librarians attempting to provide programs and services on limited budgets. Our librarians are frequently isolated from other institution staff and, since security is the main function, a library can be shut down at a moment's notice.
"With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there has been greater awareness about the many issues facing people with disabilities. The blind or visually impaired, deaf or hearing impaired, and those with mobility or other impairments now have a tough law to back up their right to have access to library programs and services.
"In most states, the State Library Agency has provided guidelines for service, conducted workshops, and coordinated technical assistance in interpret the Act. However, the reality in many states is that our buildings are not all equally accessible and many do not have the complement of equipment necessary to provide accommodation in using these resources. Adequate signage, computer terminals at the appropriate height, a screen enlarger (such as Optelec), or devices which enhance speech (such as Phonic-Ear) should be in all facilities. In addition, TDD numbers should be available and published.
"In our state—this should be the same for all states—we should provide adaptive workstations in designated libraries so that all people have equal access. A critical concern today is in the area of Internet access and its move toward providing access to library collections, primarily through a graphical browser. When a blind person accesses a computer and modem and dials into a graphically-based site, perhaps at your library or another web site, when the computer reaches the image on the screen, the screen stops talking to them.
"Another issue of concern, bordering on a crisis in this country, is that, in spite of an increase in recording devices for the blind and in talking books, there is a decrease in the use of Braille —down from 50 percent usage to 12 percent. Yet, today, of the 30 percent of this country's adult-blind population employed, 91 percent are active Braille users on a daily basis. This should be a concern for all of us who understand that Braille is the 'medium of choice' for the visually impaired. Many legally-blind people with partial sight prefer to use Braille because it allows them greater fluency than laboring with magnifying devices. Frank Kurt Cylke, Director of National Library Service, Library of Congress, states, 'Braille uniquely provides a medium for blind individuals to read and write, the full definition of literacy.' Braille is to blind users what conventional print is to those who read. Are you aware that of all the conventional print material available to sighted users, only 5 percent of all print material is ever recorded for the blind by the NLS? Currently, 15 Braille bills are under consideration at the state level which would require that Braille be taught in schools, just as reading is taught.
"Depending on how we choose to define 'special populations', they can be characterized as groups or individuals with the same right to use the library for whom the library does not mean much in their daily lives. It may just a place they pass by on their way to and from work.
2. What Are Their Needs? "In 1996 I was barely out of library school, and one of my first 'professional' jobs was on the federal project, Bookmobile, which traveled to schools in Watts and East Los Angeles once a week. At that time, Watts was the well-known neighborhood razed to the ground during the 1960s riots.
"What image would you have of this community? I would not be surprised of the picture in your mind. It is probably of a place where there was turmoil, segregation by race, and with a host of social problems. In fact, Watts was a place where residents have become consumers of a service; a service which depends upon their being a 'client.'
"According to a significant publication on community development, Building Communities from the Inside Out, published by the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research in Evanston, Illinois, many of us represent well-meaning social service organizations which develop programs to serve poor communities, guided by university research and supported with foundation or government funding. Ironically, these forces combine to create a wall of needs—a wall not built on hatred, but built on a desire to help.
"The Center for Urban Policy Research suggests that this approach to providing services in a given community is often based only on targeted 'needs assessment' exercises. Many people in community development call this a Needs Driven Dead-End. Thus, viewing communities as a nearly endless list of problems leads to fragmentation of efforts to find solutions, and that targeting resources, based on needs only, directs funding to service providers—not to residents, such as the users and special populations. Relying on this 'needs response' promotes survival strategies and does not ensure a development plan which targets a whole community.
"The alternative approach suggested is called Capacity Focused Development, often called 'Asset-Based' or 'Strengths Model'. This approach is grounded in evidence that significant community development takes place only when local community resources are mobilized. Individuals, associations, and institutions are the three major categories which make up an 'Asset-Based' community.
"The key to rebuilding comes in identifying and harnessing local assets and connecting them with one another in powerful ways, including working with the land, buildings, and infrastructure upon which the community rests.
"The first principle is that any strategy depends upon what is already present in the community, not what is absent. A development strategy depends upon agenda-building and problem-solving capacities of all local residents, associations, and institutions. And, it must be relationship-driven. The challenge is to build, and rebuild, relationships between and among local residents, local associations, and institutions.
Traditional Barriers
"In addition to 'needs-based' barriers, there are the following traditional barriers to participation in library service:
A. Physical Barriers. People cannot get in our doors. Or, if they gain access, there may be nothing for them. Public libraries should consider adaptive workstations with speech synthesizers and large print.
B. Public Awareness Barriers. Many people do not know, and, therefore, do not use, our libraries because they are unaware of many of our services.
C. Cultural/Language Barriers. In San Francisco, Asian mothers were afraid to share information needed to fill out library cards because they thought it was part of a 'government plot' to obtain information about them.
D. Institutional Barriers. Libraries consider themselves as neutral locations, but, in fact, many libraries are equated with the same institutional feel as schools.
"Fortunately, many excellent public libraries around the country are responding to these barriers in the following manner:
Continuing Challenges for our Profession
"Finally, I would like to speak to some of the new and continuing challenges for the library profession in this area by posing some questions:
A. Are we really viewing special populations for the contributions which they can make to the system?
B. Are we merely creating 'special user niches' for the groups which one community developer called, 'Labeled People?' Do these special user niches inadvertently create subtle barriers to mainstreaming?
C. Are we permitting the concept of mainstream library services to evolve and diversify?
D. We have a growing group of latchkey children in our libraries. We can either look at this as either a problem or an opportunity. Are there conflicts in shared resources? For example, what do you do when the mainstream library user objects to the noise or talking of a literacy tutor and student? Not all libraries have special quiet areas where these kinds of activities can take place.
E. Even within our profession there is an institutional resistance to certain kinds of programs which may seem outside the purview of mainstream library services. These programs, which have been suggested, often receive the response, 'But we are not a social services agency.'
F. Technology has widened the gap between those who can read and those who cannot. How can the library community be part of the information revolution to ensure and promote the democratization of information technology?
G. In my home state, the Commissioner for the Blind was successful in mobilizing the resources of three other states to challenge Microsoft on making WINDOWS 95 accessible in some way for people unable to use a graphical interface. How can we, as librarians, help shape what is being made available to us and which we offer to our patrons rather than conforming our services to products which someone has already developed?
5. Powerful Impact of Technology in the Lives of Special Populations "We have many examples of how emerging technology has helped serve our 'named populations,' such as accommodations in hardware, software, and CD ROM programs in other languages.
"Last year, in a Braille literacy project in Massachusetts, we received permission from New Readers Press to scan material from some beginning, adult, new reader titles into the computer using an Optical Character Reader, which were then turned into a file and translated into Grade I and II Braille, using the Duxbury Translator. Adult Braille readers did not have to jump from basal readers to full-adult texts. Finally, through the magic of technology, we can help bridge the gap between beginning material and difficult text.
"In the Hennepin County Library System, Minnesota, Gretchen Wronka described a project which placed Macintosh Performas with dial-in access to the library catalog in a number of remote sites. One site was a local apartment complex for residents living at or below the poverty level. Using a 'train-the-trainers model,' community members and apartment residents were trained in the use of equipment and software. Recently, the children's librarian stopped by the apartment complex resource center and observed an enthusiastic 77-year old African American man accessing American history on a Smithsonian Institution CD-ROM. Until he was trained by the library staff, this man could not use a computer. Now, he is rapidly acquiring superb computer and research skills. His enthusiasm for the project has led him to help children in the housing complex with their homework. He has been asked to accompany the library staff person to a local paperback jobber to help select books of interest for the kids. Surely, Minnesota is on the right track with a program such as this!
"In February, while Congress was briefly debating and considering the merits of whether legal immigrants should be required to take an English test before coming to America, a group of adult learners in the Lawrence Public Library had just finished discussing an abridged version of Admissions Decisions: Who Should Apply? as part of the National Issues Forum Program. For this program, we had provided Internet accounts to these adult learners. After a lively discussion on the issue, they developed a resolution. Then, they sent an e-mail message to The White House detailing the resolution and expressing their feelings. It was a powerful moment. Rather, than some shapeless institution, the government was now a body with which they could communicate. These people had learned an important lesson: If you keep saying it over and over again enough times, eventually someone will listen. Just the previous month, these same students had taken the results of their session on 'Child Care Decisions' and written a joint letter to the Lawrence Eagle Tribune. I am happy to say they had the satisfaction of seeing it published on the editorial page.
"There are many stories about programs which work and are responsive to all library users, regardless of background. As library leaders, policy makers, directors of State Library Agencies, city libraries, and advocates for improved services , we have been presented with a welcome opportunity to begin working together, today and tomorrow, on some of these issues. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a conversation which we can continue beyond these next few days."
Introduction of Discussion Group Chairs and Recorders
David Penniman, Chair, Panel on Measuring Value of Library Services
David Penniman, Chair, Panel on Measuring Value of Library Services, introduced the Discussion Group Chairs and Recorders and provided the following selected comments.
"Andrew Carnegie chose libraries as a means of social change because, in his words, 'They give nothing for nothing. They only help those who help themselves.' According to recent data, however, we are faced with a serious condition in many communities, where even those who wish to help themselves may not be able to in the manner Carnegie envisioned because of inadequate library facilities and/or resources. During the next few days, we will engaged in a process to see how information technology and special programming can be leveraged to help address this issue, especially within selected populations.
"The purpose of this year's Forum, and stated in the handout material, is 'to work toward further improvement of national data on libraries and information services for libraries of all types.' We want to keep this in mind as we progress through our discussions. Even though we may focus on public or school libraries, we need to stay as broad as we can with regard to libraries of all types. The topic of this year's Forum is: 'the use of information technology and special programming to improve quality and equity of access for library services to special populations'. Special populations we will focus on are:
"This morning it was pointed out that one group not specifically addressed is prison population; there may be others, as well, not specifically mentioned. Please make note of this special population, and any others, in your group discussions and be sure to include them in your work and recommendations.
"What are the objectives of the discussion groups?
(1) To identify data that is not now collected but would be useful for policy development or research;
(2) To select the most significant of those data elements for action; and
(3) To develop action recommendations."
Mr. Penniman reviewed the material sent to Forum participants and outlined suggested topics for group discussions:
Mr. Penniman continued, "One concern that has consumed my interest and resources for sometime is: How can we gain a better understanding of how investments in information services provide payoffs? Tomorrow you will hear from a panel of researchers on Measuring the Value of Library Services. Panelists are:
Mr. Penniman then introduced Group Chairs and Recorders and provided instructions for group discussions.
Group Discussions, Session I, were held from 11:15 to 12:15 p.m.
Mr. Paul Planchon, NCES Associate Commission, introduced the luncheon speaker, Lygeia Ricciardi, Policy Advisor, Office of Plans and Policy, Federal Communications Commission.
Universal Service for Libraries Under the 1996 Telecommunications Act
Lygeia Ricciardi, Policy Advisor, Office of Plans and Policy, Federal Communications Commission
"It is an honor to speak to such a distinguished audience. I am pleased to represent the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and, in particular, our Chairman, Reed Hundt, who is among the most committed public servants to the dissemination and the democratization of information.
"Libraries have occupied a position of central importance in our Nation since the early years. In 1800, President John Adams approved legislation that appropriated $5,000 to purchase 'such books as may be necessary for the use of the Congress'. The first library collection consisted of 740 volumes and 3 maps.
"After the British army burned the Library of Congress collection in 1814, Thomas Jefferson sold his own library of 6,487 volumes to the Library for $23,940. His personal library was more than double the size of the original Library of Congress collection. Jefferson had encyclopedic interests, and his collection contained books on every subject. His concept of universality is the base for the comprehensive collecting policies of the Library of Congress.
"As Jefferson said, 'Information is the currency of democracy'. If this is so, the so-called 'Information Revolution' provides us the opportunity to increase our riches at a rate unmatched since the invention of the printing press. This Information Revolution has given birth to the fax machine, cellular phone, personal computer, Internet, and World Wide Web.
"As technology evolves, public policy must keep pace with it. On February 8 of this year, President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 at the Library of Congress, symbolically linking our Nation's greatest library, through the power of technology, to the success of our democracy, economy, and society. This is the first major telecommunications law in nearly 62 years. This new law turns the old law upside down. Before, government encouraged monopolies. Now, we encourage competition among all communications businesses. At the same time, the new law extends the public benefits of communications by emphasizing the importance of making modern communications available, accessible, and affordable to absolutely everyone.
"The Telecommunications Act of 1996 contains several 'Universal Service Principles'—principles to guide the FCC in providing access for all Americans to the information tools of tomorrow. Among them—FCC must guarantee that:
(1) quality communications service be available at just, reasonable, and affordable rates;
(2) advanced service be available in all regions of the country;
(3) low-income consumers and those in rural and high-cost areas have access to communications service, and
(4) all schools, libraries, and health-care providers have access to advanced telecommunications services.
"In addition to these general guiding principles, there is a specific provision for which we owe thanks to Senators Snowe, Rockefeller, Exon, and Kerrey. The section they sponsored requires that telecommunications providers discount telecommunications services for schools and libraries to an 'affordable' rate. The FCC is now in the process of defining this discount, however, we need to answer such questions as:
"We are well aware of the importance of our decisions. We know that a phone line can be a life-line, and that networked computers could bring the resources of every networked library in the world to any citizen. But we also know that much work lies between the present and the realization of this vision.
"There is a frightening gap in this Nation between the rich and the poor. A gap that could, in part, be bridged by information and knowledge—but not without the physical networks of communication. According to a recent FCC report, one out of 16 American households is without phone service. For households with incomes below $15,000, more than 1 out of 10 is without phone service. And worse, 1 out of 8 households headed by an African-American, and 1 out of 7 headed by a Hispanic, is without phone service.
"Since connection to a network allows the unemployed to get back into the work force, the fact that nearly 11 percent of unemployed adults are without phones is especially disturbing. The availability of communications services, and the skills required to use them, are becoming increasingly important, not only for finding but for keeping work. Already more than half of the high-wage jobs in the United States require the use of networked computers. And jobs that require computer- use pay about 15 percent more, on average, than those that do not.
"Yet access to technology is by no means evenly spread. Although more than 50 percent of high-income families with children have computers at home, fewer than 5 percent of low-income families do. We must help people at the lower end of the economic spectrum to gain access to information technology outside of the home.
"The opportunity to succeed in our competitive information economy depends on technical literacy. As Education Secretary Richard Riley has said, 'learning on-line must not become a new fault-line in American education.' The Secretary's words apply not only to the education of children, but to the ongoing education of all Americans, regardless of their status as old, young, disabled, rich, or poor.
"For every child and every citizen to have his or her fair chance to make the American dream come true, each must have access to the best information. The solution lies in our schools and in our libraries. Yet, only about 45 percent of public libraries, according to NCLIS' recent findings, are currently linked to the Internet. And, of those, the majority offer Internet access only to their staff.
"The percentage of libraries with Internet connection has risen dramatically. In fact, it has more than doubled since 1994. We now have the opportunity to increase those numbers even more.
"We at the FCC will know that we have succeeded in our job if five years from now libraries and schools have become community communications hubs with access to the most advanced communications network in the world.
"The FCC is striving to bring the tremendous benefits of the 'Information Revolution' to everyone. We want you to know, ahead of time, what impact our actions are likely to have. We need your experience and knowledge. Help us. Stay informed. Read LearNet, an FCC page on the World Wide Web dedicated to issues impacting libraries and schools. LearNet is at 'http://www.fcc.gov/Learnet.html'. I have brought with me printouts of the LearNet page, which explain how you can participate in FCC proceedings.
"The opportunities of the Information Revolution are limitless. Let us do everything we can to make sure those opportunities are for all. Thank you."