A yearlong Maine library initiative to resolve unmet community needs has Caribou’s library director hoping to improve access to technology for local patrons.
The Innovative Librarians Explore, Apply and Discover (ILEAD) program, sponsored by the Maine State Library, will engage librarians throughout the state in pinpointing specific insufficiencies in their communities and developing ways to meet those needs.
Lisa Shaw, director of the Caribou Public Library, is one of a team of five librarians whose focus is “Axis to Access.” Their focus will be on elements such as hardware and other technical issues that inhibit access to online resources for students and the community at large.
ILEAD USA was begun in 2009 by the Illinois State Library with a Laura Bush 21st Century grant as a continuing education/library immersion program, and is also supported by grant funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Illinois library describes the initiative as combining web technology skills building with leadership training, in order to increase exposure of services, engage patrons and promote collaboration. Due to its success, the program has expanded into several states.
“ILEAD is helping Maine librarians create new service models that utilize technology and strategic partnerships,” said James Ritter, Maine state librarian. “Their work will leverage the resources of their respective communities to address a shared goal.”
Shaw’s fellow team members are Sonja Plummer of the Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle, Linda Menard of The Aroostook Medical Center’s learning library, Shiva Darbandi of the University of Maine at Augusta and Sue McClintock of the Vose Library in Union.
There are three other statewide teams involved in ILEAD. One group is exploring technology resources for seniors, another is addressing civil and social engagement in Maine, and the third, ILEAD MDI, will focus on a single-site, collaborative research hub for students, teachers, media specialists and the like.
“The question we were all asked when we applied for this was, ‘What problems in your area do you feel could be addressed by technology?’ We had to write a personal narrative, and also had to apply as a team and write a group narrative as well,” Shaw explained.
“The biggest thing that we identified was lack of access — lack of equipment, lack of connectivity. We saw that people were wanting to get online to file their taxes, and many don’t have a computer or don’t have Internet at home,” she added.
Shaw’s group will be looking at ways to address barriers to online connectivity. “It’s not a safe assumption that Wi-Fi and the Internet are ubiquitous,” she pointed out. “What kind of hardware is that going to take? We have some available in the library, but of course we’re not open 24/7. Our Wi-Fi reaches out into the parking lot, but not everyone has a laptop.”
One of the things to be investigated specifically is a Mobile Beacon type of service, which is a 3G or 4G type of device that would enable connection to the Internet. There is no service in Maine for that right now, Shaw commented, but noted former State Librarian Linda Lord was working on a similar project for the Downeast area.
In her narrative submitted for the ILEAD grant application, Shaw stated, “Our overall community is rural and often lacks broadband connectivity. Area citizens are very active in homeschooling and alternative education. We also have college-age students involved in distance learning. … Job-seekers are a town away or more from a one-stop career center and [in] applying for jobs or posting a resume run into the same connectivity issues — likewise with filing taxes or researching health insurance. The ability to ‘circulate the Internet,’ similar to Mobile Beacon, addresses connectivity.”
The Axis to Access group will meet March 23-26 in Bangor, but members are already communicating ideas back and forth, said Shaw.
“We’re anticipating the possibility that, if this project succeeds as we’re hoping, it’s going to be something that could be replicable by other libraries, as well,” she said. “We’re hoping that even our mistakes will lead to a light down the road for people.”
