The key objective of the project “Libraries for
Innovation” is to achieve, through strengthening and using the capacities of
public libraries, a considerably better use of the capacities of information
technologies among the Lithuanian population, especially the rural population
and social risk groups, for obtaining information and communication. It is
expected that within the next three years most of the Lithuanian public
libraries will have launched free of charge public Internet services and the
digital competence of the librarians will improve substantially, which will make
the libraries a powerful medium helping the people and communities to master and
use the information technology capacities.
The key tasks of the
project:
• Equipping all the perspective and yet non-informatized
public libraries with public Internet access, and expanding and modernizing
public Internet access in the libraries already having it.
• Strengthening,
in essence, information competence of public libraries’ staff and helping them
to become active promoters and helpers of the local community in mastering the
capacities of information technologies.
The participants of the project are as follows:
1217 public libraries, branches and subdivisions. Out of this total number,
technical assistance will be preliminary applied to 859 libraries, which will be
provided with the computer hardware and equipped with broadband Internet
connectivity. All the participants will be involved in library visitor training,
e-services outreach, consulting and impact assessment activities.
The project funds will be used for the acquisition of computer hardware,
the installation of Internet connectivity or the improvement of the existing
Internet connectivity in the libraries, the organization of technical assistance,
the training of librarians, the publicity of the free of charge Internet access
and outreach as well as the assessment of project impact.
The
library outreach strategies targeted at adults and seniors will include
the organization of special seminars and promotional events presenting the
electronic services that are easy-to-use in everyday life: e-declaration, e-banking,
job hunting, distance learning, health care services, etc. The library visitors
that are computer-illiterate will be trained in computer literacy and the basics
of the Internet in libraries. In promoting the public access Internet facilities,
particular account will be taken of the rural population, seniors, social risk
groups and the disabled.
The estimated project impact on the
libraries and the communities:
• 859 libraries will be provided with
approximately 4,000 computers;
• 861 libraries will be equipped with
broadband Internet connectivity;
• 11 training centers with the capacity of
220 training places will be set up;
• Approximately 2,000 librarians will
receive training;
• Approximately 50,000 of the Lithuanian adults will
undergo the training in computer literacy;
• The public access Internet
facilities will reach the adults and seniors, as well as the disabled and other
socially disadvantaged groups;
• General public will involve more actively in
the use of the public access Internet facilities for job hunting, learning, e-services,
communication and other activities.
The project will be beneficial to many people,
who have been deprived of the relevant conditions, in mastering the capacities
of information technologies for obtaining and provision of information,
communication and using these capacities in their activities and everyday life.
This will be beneficial to many people, especially the rural population, in
self-education, boosting the effectiveness of their working life, developing
social communication and getting better access to a variety of services. This
will also facilitate, to a great extent, the integration of the people belonging
to social risk groups and the people with disabilities in society.
The significance of the project also lies in the fact that the project
implementation will strengthen the public library system, which will become a
powerful factor determining the activity of the local communities in mastering
and using the capacities of information technologies. This, in turn, will
strengthen the authority of libraries and will provide them with better
opportunities to receive financing.
To date, the similar projects have
already been implemented in the United States of America, Chile, Mexico. Similar
activities have been currently carried out in Latvia and will soon be launched
in other European, Asian and African countries.