News from Resource
New high speed Internet access for museums and archives
Since 2000, Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries has been working with British Telecom (BT) in the UK to ensure that the sector has up-to-date, rapid access to the Internet as cheaply as possible, to the benefit of visitors and staff alike.
As a result of this collaboration, BT has announced that museums and archives have been added to the list of learning institutions that are able to purchase broadband access at a special educational discount. From now on, museums and archives will be able to purchase BT LearningStream, a networking technology already used by a number of library authorities in the development of the People's Network.
The BT LearningStream range of products includes a fast-speed (2Mbit)connection, using HDSL (High bit-rate digital subscriber line) technology, which is available throughout most of the UK. The technology is similar to the well-publicised ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) technology, but allows fast network connections in both directions, and is available in the areas of the country where ADSL is not yet available.
The technology is already available to public libraries in the UK, and will now be extended to:
registered museums, operated for the public good, and located on non-commercial premises; and
archives, recognised by a body with specific responsibility for archives(such as a Regional Archives Council) and also located on non-commercial premises.
Welcoming the announcement by BT, Chris Batt, director of the libraries and information society team said "Resource would love to be able to extend the highly successful People's Network to museums and archives, and this is a welcome first step in achieving that objective. The announcement is also a step towards the government's objectives of becoming a world leader in broadband connectivity and the e-Europe 2005 Action Plan, which recognises the key role of museums, archives and libraries in e-learning."
Resource publishes guidelines on managing ICT projects
Resource has published ICT Projects Management and Implementation, a free guide on planning, implementing and managing information and communication technology (ICT) projects based on the experiences of the successful Resource/DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) ICT Challenge Fund.
The ICT Challenge Fund provided £500,000 to 11 collaborative projects in order to create digital services and Web sites that make innovative use of new technologies. A full summative evaluation of the fund was conducted by four of the project managers, and this has been used as the basis for the comprehensive set of guidelines.
The publication focuses on five key strands of delivering a successful project. ICT project management looks at a range of issues including planning and timetabling, contractor management, steering groups and reporting structures. Addressing the skills gap includes information on conducting a skills audit and evaluating the particular requirements of Web-based projects. Partnership and collaborative working provides guidance on working within existing collaborative relationships as well as creating and managing new ones. Content creation for the Web is a detailed examination of the implications of creating resources for use through the Internet, including digitisation,interactivity and accessibility. Working with the community considers the pros and cons of working with local community groups and suggests ways of integrating them into various processes including planning and evaluation.
ICT Projects – Management and Implementation is an in-depth guide to the planning and deployment of ICT-based projects. Supported throughout by detailed case studies from the ICT Challenge Fund projects, this publication is an invaluable resource for anyone either already involved in, or planning, a project that makes use of ICT. It can be downloaded free of charge from the People's Network Web site at www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk/content/itcfguidelines.asp.
Learning lessons on library staff computer training
Resource has been awarded £120,000 from the New Opportunities Fund to study the pros and cons of different ways used in the delivery of the People's Network ICT training programme for library staff.
The People's Network £20 million ICT training programme for library staff is an element of the lottery-funded People's Network project which will connect all UK public libraries to the Internet. The aim of the training is to equip public library staff with the skills, knowledge and confidence to use ICT effectively in their day-to-day work and to use new technology to benefit the users of public libraries. The training will ensure that all 40,000 public library staff achieve a basic level of competence in the use of ICT and that they can, in particular, use ICT to support reader development, effective learning, and ensure that the users get maximum benefit from the facilities. The People's Network and the training programme are funded by the New Opportunities Fund and managed by Resource.
A total of £90,000 will be used to fund this study in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and £20,000 will go to the Scottish Library and Information Council to undertake a similar study in Scotland's public libraries. The remainder of the grant will fund the dissemination of the findings,including reports and workshops across the UK.
Chris Batt, director of the libraries and information society team at Resource, said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to explore this key strand of the People's Network project in greater depth. It is training for librarians on an industrial scale never before attempted and it is important that we gain an understanding of what works and what does not, so that lessons can be shared for everyone's benefit. A key aim of the evaluation work that Resource and the New Opportunities Fund are undertaking will be to build on the legacy of the Fund's investment by identifying good practice in ICT training and how programmes can be sustained and developed in the future across the cultural sector."
Stephen Dunmore, chief executive of the New Opportunities Fund, commented:"Free or low-cost lottery-funded computer access at local libraries is only half the story. Help from fully-trained library staff is also crucial to the inexperienced user. Examining the effectiveness of that staff training is part of our responsibility as a funder to get the best value from this lottery investment."
Overall aims of the evaluation are to:
build a body of knowledge based on the experience of public library services through participation in the ICT training for library staff programme that will serve to inform the continuation and future development of staff ICT training;
review different approaches to training delivery within the context of the characteristics of different public library services;
consider issues of quality, consistency and curriculum to contribute to the establishment of appropriate accreditation frameworks for future ICT training in the public library sector;
consider the organisational implications of delivering ICT training in the public library services to enable future best practice to be adopted in this and related sectors; and
consider any implications this may have for Annual Library Plans, Public Library Standards and formal training programmes for the sector.
This work will complement that being undertaken by the New Opportunities Fund on the impact on users and library service development of the People's Network ICT learning centres and ICT training for library and staff programmes at regional and national level.
For further information please contact: Emma Wright, Resource, 16 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AA, UK. Tel: +44(0) 20 7273 1444; Fax: +44(0) 20 7273 1404; E-mail: emma.wright@resource.gov.ukURL: www.resource.gov.uk
