HomeMy WebLinkAboutLibrary Board - 2001 LAUREL PUBLIC LIBRARY
TECHNOLOGY PLAN
FEBRUARY 2001
Laurel Public Library
Peggy Arnold
720 West First St.
PO Box 68
Laurel, Mt. 59044
Phone:(406)628 -4961
pnott@mt.lib.org
Technology used to accomplish service goals
Technology will be used as a tool in our library to help accomplish our goal which is to
to increase use of and access to information and recreation. We wish to increase use of
public access computers by twenty percent, circulation of materials by ten percent, and
us of Infotrac by three hundred percent. Also, technology will be used to market our
collection and services. Information may include but is not limited to consumer, health,
genealogy, business, historical, educational, and current events. Recreation may
include reading, computer games, and hobbies.
Technology integration
Integration will best be accomplished by enhancing what is available on the Laurel
Public Library's LAN.
Year One Objectives
1. Continue to bar code and add MARC records to our PAC using Lasercat and Cat
Express, start making new library cards
2. Use Gates Foundation Content Server to access our PAC from public access
computers
3. Attach three public access computers and two staff computers to access licensed
reference software from the Gates Foundation Content Server
4. Bookmark Infotrac and MLN Internet addresses on all public access computers
5. Post and hand out fliers about the use, content, and home access to Infotrac and
MLN
6. Share a color printer over the LAN
Year Two Objectives
1. Complete bar coding and start using automation software
2. Develop a Web page with general information about the Laurel Public Library that
will include links to MLN, Infotrac, our PAC, and our Genealogy Guild
3. Use our Web page for the home page on all computers in our LAN
Years Three to Five Objectives
1. Finish adding Marc records to OCLC
2. Join with MLN to make our catalog part of the statewide union catalog
3. Increase use of our Web page
Evaluating success
Daily sign up sheets will be used to track any increase in use of our public access
computers. Library use and circulation statistics will be used to compare any increase
in use of library materials and any increase in the number of visits to the library. Short
surveys may be used to find out what public access computers are being used for and
to find out what else users want to use them for. We will use the Infotrac monthly
usage report to track the number of visits and type of use of the database.
Computer equipment and software
1. Networking equipment
Ascend Pipeline 130 router, 24 port AT CentreCom 10/100 Base T Ethernet hub
12 RJ45 Ethernet drops using cat 5 cable
2. Public access computers
Macintosh Performa 6300
Used for games,word processing
MCS- Pentium Pro with 32 MB Ram, 3.1 Gig hard drive, Win 95, CD Rom Drive, 3.5
floppy drive, 3Com 10/100 network card, IE 5.5, Netscape 4.7, Corel Word Perfect
Suite 8, Typing Tutorial, and McAffee Virus Scan
Used for Internet access, office applications, reference, typing tutorial, prints to the HP
Laserjet 6L printer
Gateway E3200 with 350 Mhz Pentium II processor, 64 MB Ram, 6.4 Gig hard drive,
'� 3Com 10/100 network card, CD Rom drive, 3.5 Floppy Drive, Win 95, IE 5.5, Netscape
4.7, Office 97, McAffee Virus Scan, Gateway Learning 2000 software, Family
Treemaker 4.0, Tripmaker Deluxe 99, and Britannica 99
Used for Internet access, office applications, reference, prints to the HP Laserjet 6L
printer
Gateway E1200 -366c with 433 Mhz Celeron processor, 96 MB Ram, 8.4 Gig hard drive,
Cd Rom drive, 3 Com 10/100 network card, 3.5 Floppy Drive, LS -120 Floppy Drive, HP
Scanjet 5200C scanner, Win 98, IE 5.5, Netscape 4.7, Office 97, Norton Antivirus,
Adobe Photo Deluxe 2.0, Print Shop 6.0, Page Keeper, Press Writer, Family Treemaker
7.0, and Parson Family Origins 6.0
Used for Internet access, office applications, reference, and for storage for Genealogy
Guild members, prints to the HP 722c Deskjet color printer
Four Gateway E4400s with 800Mhz Pentium III, 128 MB SDRAM, 27.5 Gig hard drive,
LS -120 Floppy Drive, 3 Com 10/100 network card, NT 4.0 workstation, IE 4.0, Mouse
Tutorial, Word 2000, Microsoft Excel 2000, PowerPoint 2000, Microsoft Access 2000,
Publisher 2000, World English Dictionary 2000, Encarta Encyclopedia 2000, Encarta
Africana 2000, Encarta World Atlas 2000, Microsoft Expedia Streets & Trips 2000,
Corbis FDR, Stellaluna, Just Grandma and Me, Little Monster at School, The Cat in the
Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, Barney's Farm, Barney's Circus, Barney's Sea, Koi and
the Kola Nuts, Paul Bunyan, How the Leopard Got His Spots, Magic School Bus
Explores the Rainforest, Magic School Bus Explores in the Age of Dinosaurs, Magic
School Bus Explores inside the Earth, Arthur's Brainteaser, Arthur's Math, Arthur's
Reading, Algebra I, Geometry, and Big Science Ideas
Used for Internet Access, office applications, games, reference, training, and prints to
the HP 4050 TN Laserjet printer
3. Staff computers
Hewlett Packard 150 with a 16 bit Intel 8088 microchip running at 8 Mhz, 128K of Ram,
15 Meg hard drive, Dos 2.1, Condor 100
Used to track over due materials and stores patron records, print lists to the HP Think
Jet printer
Gateway 2000 486sx with Intel 80486sx/33 processor, 8 MB of Ram, 170 MB hard
drive, Windows 3.1, Ultramarc Card
Used to print catalog cards and labels with an Okidata Microline 590 printer equipped
with tractor feed
Gateway E1200C with 366Mhz Celeron processor, 64 MB Ram, 6.4 Gig hard drive, LS-
120 floppy drive, CD Rom drive, 3Com 10/100 network card, bar code wand, Windows
98, IE 5.5, Netscape 4.7, McAffee Virus scan, Eudora, Lasercat, and Print House 5.0
Used for Internet access, email, reference, recon, bar coding, downloading marc
records, interlibrary loan, and prints to the HP 4050 TN printer
Gateway E1400 -500 PC with 500Mhz Celeron processor, 64 MB Ram, 15 Gig hard
drive, CD Rom drive, LS -120 floppy drive, Windows 98 SE, Norton Anti - Virus, Word
Perfect Suite 2000, IE 5.5, Athena, and Outlook express
Used exclusively by the Library Director for backup for Athena circulation system,
downloading marc records, cataloging records into OCLC, Internet access, reference,
general office duties,email, prints to an Epson Stylus color 440 printer
4. Servers
Gateway 7000 with 300Mhz Pentium Pro processor, 64 MB Ram, 9 Gig SCSI hard
drive, 4GB tape backup unit, 3.5 floppy drive, 3 Com 10/100 network card, Windows NT
4.0 server, Athena
Used for circulation system
Gateway NS 7200 -500 with Intel 500 Mhz Pentium III processor, 128MB of 100Mhz
ECC SDRAM, 18 Gig SCSI hard drive, LS -120 floppy drive, CD Rom drive, 10/20 Gig
TR5 tape back up drive, Intel 10/100 network card, Windows NT 4.0, Internet
Information Server 4.0, FrontPage 2000, Encarta Reference Suite 2000, Encarta
Africana 2000,
Expedia Streets and Trip planner 2000, IE 5.5
Will be used as a file server and may be used to host Web pages for the library and the
Genealogy Guild
5. Misc. computer equipment
All computers have surge protection and or battery backups. Head phones are available
for all public access computers. A digital camera is owned by the library and will be
used for creating photo ID's.
Purchase plans
We will purchase one PC to free up one of the older PC's. The older PC will be used
exclusively for accessing the PAC. More Ethernet drops will be added to our LAN and
the router will be moved to a more secure location. These purchases and changes will
allow library users to quickly search our collection.
Ability to fund
Purchase of new PC's is possible through our yearly budget and from the Laurel Library
Trust. Building maintenance funds are available for adding more drops and for moving
the router. The Laurel Public Library has a reserve fund separate from the general fund
that can be carried over from year to year for designated projects. We have designated
this fund for networking, equipment replacement, and for joining the statewide union
catalog project. This fund is small but it is growing as we are able to add some
unexpended funds to it every year. Supplies a funded by charging patrons for printing.
Service and maintenance contracts
We have maintenance contracts on our Athena software and our Ascend router.
Most of our computers, monitors, and printers have warranties and or service contracts.
Training
Staff
Staff schedules overlap at the library which facilitates one on one training on a regular
basis. Two of the four staff have taken the Cat Express tutorial, all will have taken it by
April. A comprehensive list of what staff needs to learn to instruct patrons will be
developed. Staff will take turns training each other on the use of the Gates Foundation
office, reference and children's software. We will start regular training based on this list
beginning in April.
Patron
Computer classes have been given for beginner and novice level students. These will
continue as staff time is available. A volunteer will be giving classes on the use of the
Internet and email this summer. Volunteers will be sought to teach classes on the use
of Microsoft Office Applications. Members of the Genealogy Guild are given instruction
on use of the Internet for Genealogy records when the guild meets every month. Staff
will be trained to teach patrons to use the Internet, Infotrac, MLN, and Gates
Foundation software by next fall. A 'Mouse Tutorial' is on four of the access computers
and we have a typing tutorial on one computer for patrons to use. Quick Guides and
manuals are available for self teaching of the Gates Foundation programs.
S e Th
rar 1515 East 6th Avenue • Helena, Montana 59620 - 1800 444 -3115
Fnx: 406 444 5612 • htt / / ms l .mt.gov
March 2, 2001
Peggy Arnold, Director
Laurel Public Library
Box 68
Laurel MT 59044 -0068
Dear Peggy:
Montana State Library staff has completed the review of the technology plan you
submitted in accord with the "Technology Planning on the Lite Side" requirements for
participation in the federal E -Rate program.
n We are approving your plan as part of your eligibility to apply for FCC
telecommunications discounts under the E -Rate program.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into preparing this plan for our review.
Sincerely,
Darlene Staffeldt
Program Manager
Statewide Library Resources
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Suzanne Reymer, 11:39 AM 3/5/01 -, tech plan approval
Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2001 11:39:23 -0700
To: pnott @mt.lib.org
From: Suzanne Reymer <sreymer @uswest.net>
Subject: tech plan approval
Reply -To: sreymer @uswest.net
X- Mailer: Opera 5.02 build 856a
Peggy -
You should be receiving soon your certification from the State Library but I thought I'd send
along my
comments so you'll have some idea on how well you met SLD's requiremements and where you
might
look to improve in the future.
SLD states: Successful plans align the following five criteria with the overall library
service
improvement objectives. It is critical that technology planning not be viewed or treated as a
separate
exercise dealing primarily with hardware and telecommunications infrastructure. There must be
strong
connections between the proposed physical infrastructure of the information technology and
the plan
for professional development and library service improvements.
1) Clear goals and a realistic strategy for using telecommunications and information
technology to
improve library services.
Comments: This was one of the best I've seen! Goals and objectives on a year by year basis.
Should
make it very easy to evaluate how you're doing.
2) Professional development strategy to ensure that staff know how to use the new
technologies to
improve library services.
Comments: Good clear goals for training.
3) Assessment of the telecommunications services, hardware, software and other services
needed to
improve education or library services.
Comments: I think your assessment is good. I think I'd steer away from hosting web pages
locally
(except for intranet within the library) but we can talk about that sometime.
4) Sufficient budget to acquire and support the nondiscounted elements of the plan: hardware,
software, professional development, and other services that will be needed to implement the
strategy.
Comments: Yes, given rather modest achievable goals.
5) Evaluation process that enables library to monitor progress toward the specified goals and
make
mid - course corrections in response to new developments and opportunities as they arise.
Comments: Good use of different evaluation methods.
You did a really good job on the tech plan, Peggy. It not only meets SLD's requirements
easily but it
also gives you a framework for deciding where you need to go technology -wise.
Suzanne
Printed for Peaav Arnold <nnott @mt.lib.ora> 1