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WebJunction Background
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Library Program– 46,000 computers– 11,000 libraries in the United States and Canada– Five-year initiative – Targeting public libraries serving less-affluent communities
• May 2002: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded OCLC and partners a three-year grant
• Purpose: – Carry forward the Foundation’s work– Build a Web-based, public access computing community
Our Philosophy
Read
Learn
Join In!
Community Partner Program
Pilot Program: Began in June, 2004 for the State Libraries of Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, New Mexico, and Washington.
Customized Content and Services
• Co-Branded Service: Users will be able to navigate between Community Partner web sites and the global WebJunction
• Localized Content: Community Partners will be able to customize content for the libraries they serve.
• Community Specific Forums: Members will continue to be able to access the global forums as well as partner specific forums
• Community Specific Learning Center: Members will continue to be able to access the global course catalog as well as partner specific courses.
WebJunction Quick Stats
• 110,087 Unique Visitors• 9,067 Registered Members• Top 10 States:
• Texas – 475• Ohio – 449• Michigan – 405• Washington – 389• Illinois – 388• Florida – 370• Iowa – 344• California – 338• New York – 326• Colorado - 308• Pennsylvania – 302
Members by Job Role
Members by Population Served
WebJunction Learning Center
Online courses, downloadable lessons, training tips and other tools
Learning Center Statistics
Self-paced Online Courses are popular: • 6463 total enrollments in Learning Center by 3277 unique learners
• WebJunction’s …• Troubleshooting: 460 enrollments• Searching the Web: 489• Browsing the WWW: 316• Evaluating Web Sites: 251• Media Relations: 124• Designing a Library Web Site: 153
• Popular Third-party Courses:• HTML: 284• Intro to PCs: 287• Windows Office 2000: 293
Learning Center Activity
Future Plans for the Learning Center
•E-Train Database, funded through IMLS•WJ Self-paced Courses•Brokered content
Future Plans for the Learning Center, cont.
Tools for training delivery•Distributed Learning Model for Community Partners•Live Learning Central•Workshop Central •Managing Public Access Computers Program (MPAC)
Learning Center Sustainability
•E-Train Database•Self-paced courses•Training tools and delivery
Partners in Learning
•Library Schools•University of North Texas•Isoph•The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation•Drexel University
Isoph’s Experience and Expertise
Focus on mission-driven organizations and their diverse stakeholders
Professional services• Custom development• Coaching services• Strategic program planning• Instructional design• Interface design• Custom applications
Isoph Blue software• Technology for teaching,
training, and communicating
Distributed E-learning Model for Community Partners
WebJunction-controlled enterprise management panel
WebJunction-dedicated
database
Web services
Community partner
Community partner
Community partner
Community partner
Community partner
Main WebJunction portal and customized partner portals
Groups Involved
• Enterprise administrators• Organizational administrators• End users
Enterprise Administrators
• Client creation and management
Organizational Administrators
• Course registration and management
• Course authoring• Course catalogs• User registration
and management• Reporting and
evaluation
End Users
• Course catalogs• Enrollment• Ongoing online
learning
Stronger Community and Purpose
• Another avenue for fostering online community for public access computing—at the organizational rather as well as individual level
• Increased support for front-line staff at libraries and other organizations by allowing content to be localized
LE@D Library Education @ Desktop
University of North Texas School of Library & Information Sciences
Library Education @ Desktop (LE@D)
• Web-based courseware for continuing education for public librarians and library staff
• Partnership between UNT SLIS, the Northeast Texas Library System, and WebJunction
• Partially funded by an IMLS grant
What is LE@D?
• Offers CE courses requiring 1 ½ to 2 “contact hours”
• Northeast Texas Library System (148 public libraries) is the testing lab
• Accessible from any Internet computer• Designed & hosted by UNT using the
WebCT e-learning platform
The First Seven Courses
• Managing Difficult Patrons• Providing Excellent Customer Service in a
Multicultural Environment• Copyright Basics• Reaching Teenagers• Harnessing the Internet• Improving Your Communications Skills• Using Databases
LE@D Courses
• Tested by hundreds of users in the Northeast Texas Library System before national offering
• Over 3,000 successful students to date• Multimedia elements such as video, audio,
animation and graphics • Cost per registered student ranges from $7-$12 per
course
LE@D Home Page
Content
LE@D Multimedia
Assessments
Tracking
For More Information
• UNT contact: Gary Werchan, Project Coordinator– E-Mail [email protected] or
[email protected]: (877) ASK-SLIS or (940) 369-7872– Fax: (940)565-3101– Postal Mail:
Library Education @ DesktopUniversity of North TexasP.O. Box 311068Denton, TX 76203-1068
– Internet: www.leadonline.info
Lessons Learned
from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Library Program
Public Access Computing in Libraries
Granted funds: $179,881,946
Total PCs Granted: 47,200
Buildings Receiving a Grant: 10,915
Training Opportunities: 62,000
all numbers approximate
The Impact
• Today, more than 95 percent of libraries offer public Internet access.
• More than 14 million Americans regularly use these computers.
Statewide Partnership Program
• From 1998 – 2003, provided to over 10,000 U.S. public libraries:– Technology: standardized package (pre-configured
hardware, software, peripherals)– Training: multi-tiered training (classroom-based and
CBT/WBT) and supporting documentation and training publications
– Support: technical support via telephone/email
Statewide Partnership Program
Initial Steps into Online Learning• Offered computer-based training on Gates Library Computers
– Mouse Tutorial– Gateway Tutorials (90% indicated staff use 4-months’ post
training)• Offered online access to technical support articles via
pacomputing.org
Lessons Learned• Face-to-face introduction to online learning increased participants’
use• Creation of online learning community for library staff was needed to
support public access computing (hence, WebJunction)
Statewide Partnership Program
• At program’s close, primary goal was transfer of knowledge to public access community; efforts included: – Public Access Computing Project evaluation data– Impact maps– State Transition packages– Staying Connected toolkit and workshops– NPower tools, Public Access Security Tool– Content capture initiative– PAComputing.org– WebJunction.org
Two Portals for Two Audiences
• PAComputing– Provides resource for technical information related to
foundation machines (about 250 articles)
– Will soon be moved to WebJunction
– Information will be merged with WebJunction over time as foundation machines are replaced
• WebJunction– Serves as living repository for all general public access
computing information from program (started with 250 articles, 150 from foundation)
– Continuing to grow through library generated content as well as staff contributions
The First Step
• Content Capture Initiative– Reviewed all Library Program files, web pages, publications
and curricula
– Approximately 100,000 items tagged and separated into archival, WebJunction material, and PAComputing material
– 13,500 items passed to OCLC on 2 DVDs with a web searchable front end for use as initial WebJunction content set
– Additional files used as the starting content set for PAComputing
The Next Phase
• Keep libraries open• Increase training
opportunities for library staff
• Maintain systems• Enable hardware and
software upgrades• Increase connectivity
Work to Date …and the Role Online Learning Plays
Programs Underway
• Information Use Management and Policy Institute National Survey - Conducting longitudinal study of public library connectivity to the Internet as well as the manner in which that connectivity is deployed
• CompuMentor Technical Support Planning – Studying best practices in technical support in libraries & non-profits; looking for an integrated service model (may include online support communities, Web Portals and content )
• Spanish Language Outreach Pilot – WebJunction and 5 State Library Agencies building workshop delivery package including F2F and online components
Online Learning Benefits & Challenges
from a grant-making perspective Benefits• Reaches large audience with diverse skill sets • Builds learning communities across geographic
boundaries• Increases training opportunities for staff in rural/small
librariesChallenges • Library staff have limited time or lack equipment
needed to participate • Libraries without high speed connections limited in
their ability to participate• Difficult to engage novice technology users
Presenters
•Marilyn Mason, WebJunction•[email protected]
•Phil Turner, Dean, University of North Texas•[email protected]
•Kara Hannigan, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation•[email protected]
•Celisa Steele, Isoph•[email protected]