The Inclusive Gigabit Libraries: Learn, Discuss and Brainstorm research highlights four case studies: Chattanooga Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, CENIC-Corporation for Education Networks Initiatives, and Rutgers University Library. These case studies demonstrate how public and academic libraries across the U.S. are transforming themselves by developing and implementing digital services over gigabit networks. The sites are geographically and socially diverse and are at different stages of connection to and use of the GENI network.
- The Chattanooga Public Library case study shows how leadership and organizational change can transform traditional services into state of the art work spaces and technologies.
- Cuyahoga County Public Library in Cleveland, OH demonstrates how leadership strategies and risk-taking serves as the catalyst for development of diverse digital services at multiple branches.
- Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) shows how the Peninsula Library System, a consortium of thirty-two city, county, and community colleges in San Mateo County, California, is partnering with CENIC to become a sixth segment of the CalREN research and education network. CENIC operates the network which provides high-bandwidth Internet to five charter associates that include K-12 institutions, community colleges, state universities, private universities, and non-charter research and education institutions in California.
- Video Mosaic Collaboration (VMC) application at Rutgers (in NJ) runs over the GENI network enabling the library to serve as a test bed for developing applications based on user experience.
- Additional research includes the Kansas City Public Library in Kansas City, Missouri that is running a software lending library pilot and the CityLibraries in Townsland, Queensland which touted one of its branches as the first library to be connected to Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN).
The research, interviews, and forums conducted for these case studies are explored in the Inclusive Gigabit Libraries Final Report.
Inclusive Gigabit Libraries: Learn, Discuss, and Brainstorm is a U.S Institute of Museum and Library Services, (IMLS)-grant funded, continuing education project focused on libraries and their stakeholders to leverage emerging high-speed networks for social inclusion. Research for this project was conducted by the Center for Digital Inclusion at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois.
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