VALA2002 Session 13 Fitzgerald

From Aardvark to Xylophone to bandwidth from telephone:

VALA2002 CONCURRENT SESSION 13: e-nabling Infrastructures
Friday 8 February 2002, 14:35 – 15:05
Persistent URL: http://www.vala.org.au/vala2002-proceedings/vala2002-session-13-fitzgerald

Brendan Fitzgerald and Frances Savage

VICNET

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VALA2002 Session 13 Fitzgerald Paper 36.79 KB

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Abstract

The benefits and implications of online information delivery are now beginning to be understood. Libraries Online and Rural Libraries Online have since 1998 been developing Internet access in Victorian public libraries. Funded by State (Multimedia Victoria) and Australian Federal (Networking The Nation), these projects have provided a whole of Library approach to e-services which includes provision of bandwidth, infrastructure, ICT skills and content. The specific projects such as Satellite delivery of bandwidth, Rural POP’s, Victoria’s Virtual Library (www.libraries.vic.gov.au), and the Gulliver consortium are discussed, as is the experience of working with 44 partners with very different needs and capacities and the associated ongoing issues.

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VALA2002 Session 13 Feighan

Gee, I didn’t think it was going to be that much: a report on the issues and implications of technically sustainable and affordable bandwidth for Australian libraries

VALA2002 CONCURRENT SESSION 13: e-nabling Infrastructures
Friday 8 February 2002, 14:00 – 14:30
Persistent URL: http://www.vala.org.au/vala2002-proceedings/vala2002-session-13-feighan

David Feighan and Peter Schmidt

VICNET, Vic

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VALA2002 Session 13 Feighan Paper 305.00 KB

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Abstract

This paper explores the dilemma of increased bandwidth requirements and costs in the light of stagnant or decreasing library budgets, and how one group of Australian libraries have attempted to resolve this problem by shared networking and consortia purchasing. Increasingly, library services are dependent on Internet bandwidth to deliver information services, and the bandwidth required for, as well as the cost to deliver, these on-line services is increasing. As the delivery of on-line services has become a core library business, speed and reliability have become increasingly important, as has the recurring cost of bandwidth, but library funding does not always recognise these facts. The Internet industry has become more complex and offers greater choice for delivery (terrestrial, atmospheric, satellite) as well as offering a wide array of cost structures, but these offerings are not necessarily the best solution for the libraries involved. Pricing and technical options often have hidden costs and though they may suit current needs, increased usage makes the costs prohibitive. This paper draws on practical experience in delivering sustainable cost-competitive bandwidth solutions to libraries and looks at how collaborative solutions can offer benefits to the participating libraries.

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VALA2002 Session 15 Cunningham

The Open Road: language technology developments and public library services

VALA 2002 CONCURRENT SESSION 15: e-nabling Technologies
Friday 8 February 2002, 14:00 – 14:30
Persistent URL: http://www.vala.org.au/vala2002-proceedings/VALA2002-session-15-cunningham

Andrew Cunningham

Multilingual Technical Project Officer, Accessibility and Evaluation Unit, VICNET, State Library of Victoria

Larry Stillman

Accessibility and Evaluation Unit VICNET, State Library of Victoria, and Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Community Networking Research, Monash University

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VALA2002 Session 15 Cunningham Paper 517.37 KB

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Abstract

Language technology and access to the internet are crucial components in the development of flexible and responsive library services to culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Minority and emerging languages need public access. Internet access is one way of breaking the linguistic barriers that have been erected around minority and emerging languages. This paper reviews the Open Road multilingual website (www.openroad.vic.gov.au) from a technical perspective, outlining current strengths and limitations of major operating systems and browsers in the display of different character sets. Some solutions for entry and display of languages are offered for public access systems in public library environments.

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VALA2004 Session 7 Cunningham

Persistent URL: http://www.vala.org.au/vala2004-proceedings/vala2004-session-7-cunningham

Global and local dimensions of emerging community languages support

VALA 2004 CONCURRENT SESSION 7: Software Issues
Wednesday 4 February 2004, 14:35 – 15:05

Andrew Cunningham

e-Diversity and Content Infrastructure Solutions, Public Libraries Unit, Vicnet, State Library of Victoria
http://www.vicenet.net.au

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VALA2004 Session 7 Cunningham Paper 192.08 KB

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Abstract

The changing immigration patterns and increasing number of migrants from Africa provide public libraries with new challenges for providing equitable library services to their communities. Current trends in the development and provision of electronic multicultural library services indicates the need for public libraries to engage with their local culturally and linguistically diverse communities and cooperatively develop solutions to resourcing and service delivery problems. The development of solutions for African communities involves the exchange of information, resources and knowledge between libraries and other service providers. The paper suggests that future electronic multicultural library services projects need to develop multilingual content infrastructure solutions to assist in ethnic community web publishing.

VALA2004 Session 11 Feighan

Persistent URL: http://www.vala.org.au/vala2004-proceedings/vala2004-session-11-feighan

Understanding the drivers of online data usage: an empirical analysis

VALA 2004 CONCURRENT SESSION 11: User Behaviour
Thursday 5 February 2004, 11:20 – 12:50

David Feighan

ISP Manager, VICNET, State Library of Victoria
http://www.vicnet.net.au

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VALA2004 Session 11 Feighan Paper 489.11 KB

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Abstract

This paper investigates what drives online data use in 60 public library and council sites across Victoria. The results suggest that simple measures, such as hours of opening and the number of terminals, are not sufficient to account for the variations in use across the sample sites. The results also suggest these simple measures do not provide adequate data for operational and policy planning. By analysing the Internet data used over twelve months, and through case studies analysis, this paper explores what drives Internet data usage and how libraries can take greater control of their data requirements and costs.