From now on - Superhighway or superheadache?

A presentation to the School Libraries Section of ALIA (NSW Group) by Suzette Boyd at a Seminar in Sydney 1st November, 1997 "Role on the Internet"

MLC background  
Description - 2200 students, 400 staff, 2000 laptops, 1200 user network, ISDN link to the Internet (had since 1994….Netscape since 1995 )and e-mail access for all students and staff, currently trialing remote access.
The Library - 49 CD-ROM network, 25 PCs and 25 laptop connections to the network. 14 staff, including 5 teacher-librarians etc. 
   
In the beginning - What WERE the implications for the library when the Internet was made available across the school network?
It was the library who pushed for the introduction of the Internet. Took DL to a VALA Conference.

Appointed a University Librarian with Internet experience in 1994 to spearhead initiatives incorporating the Internet into the life of the College.  
The library was seen as leading the way in the initiatives as the new Librarian was the most experienced Internet user in the College. 
Only a small percentage of staff were regular users of the Internet and looked to library staff to provide them with URLs. We quickly changed that mentality to training staff and students in using search engines and directories.  
Offered an Internet elective to year 10 - this was run by the new librarian with the assistance of the T/Ls who were learning on the job. 
Necessity of providing PD activities….Lib became a PD provider
e-mail, listservs, newsgroups, Netscape navigation
 
Enhanced library profile - new directions and new services - first 2-3 years 

• Staffing and educational programs
• new roles (Information professionals)
• teacher-librarians in high demand
• new profiles - the experts 
• new opportunities (Comm Ed trainers) 
• increased staff as offering many new services, and programs (Information Networkers, remote access, LINKnet, ) 
• library staff seen as indispensable
• Facilities - largest number of PCs and network points, library usage up dramatically
• Community - opened the library after school to the wider community for a fee and offered unlimited Internet access.
• Parents - run Parent Internet information evenings Home Page development

Four years on - how is the library supporting the use of the Internet by staff and students now?

• Continuing with the above and further Home Page development
• Teacher-librarians setting the agenda for curriculum change to address the learning dilemmas of electronic information
• Library Professional development for teachers now revolves around the above and is more learning based, rather than application focussed
• New services - SEARCH page, Webways, Netscape User Guide
• LINKnet and staff in-servicing are critical in keeping teachers abreast with the latest developments

Copyright 1997: Suzette Boyd