Good afternoon....And thank you, [Sheldon Kaye,] for that great introduction.
I am delighted to be with all of you today to celebrate the launch of Portland's Operation Gateway. Sheldon, I am also proud to recognize your gifted library staff, the members of your dedicated Board of Trustees, the host of volunteers, and those personal and business contributors whose generosity has made this project a reality. Of course, this success could not have been possible without support and funding from the City of Portland. [And I am so glad that Portland City Manager Bob Ganley can be here to celebrate with us today.]
As all of you know from [Sheldon's] introductory comments, the National Commission advises the President and the Congress on information policies related to libraries and information services. I serve on NCLIS along with 14 other Commissioners from different parts of the country. Only five Commissioners are professional librarians or information specialists. The rest, like me, are citizens with a special competence or interest in the needs of our society for library and information services.
Ever since President Clinton appointed me NCLIS Chairperson two-and-a-half years ago, I have had the chance to pursue my life-long commitment to libraries. When I testify before Congressional Committees, I take every opportunity to talk about the terrific potential that new information technologies offer for libraries; I also hold meetings with top Federal information policy officials to discuss the opportunities Internet offers public libraries for providing enhanced community-based information services; and, finally, I have the chance to meet librarians, library supporters, and information specialists from around the country (from Maine to California), and around the globe. I learn a great deal from these meetings. And, believe me, I think that I have the best job in the entire library world!
As you can tell, I enjoy all of my NCLIS-related duties tremendously. But invitations to join in events like this are very special. Participating in this Operation Gateway celebration allows me to see "Your Window on the World". And from what I can see today, Portland's Window offers a global view that will provide benefits for your entire community.
From meeting all of you, it's clear that the Portland Public Library is providing leadership for the information age of the future. Your enthusiasm and energy are infectious. And you have every right to feel proud of your accomplishments! Operation Gateway is a model in developing public/private partnerships to provide the public with access to advanced information services. With the success of this project, Portland has laid the foundation for a Statewide library information network that promises to enhance access for your community, for the State of Maine, and for the global community.
My visit today allows me to see first hand how the Portland Public Library is linking your community to the global information revolution of the 21st century. But, especially for a non-librarian like myself who often struggles to comprehend the computer revolution, I also place a high value your commitment to preserving and strengthening those traditional services and resources that have made this library "...the community's gathering place for learning, growing and sharing" since the Portland Public Library was founded in 1867.
2.) Public libraries and the Internet
I find the Case Statement for your Operation Gateway so compelling that I want to read the following passage:
"Public libraries play a fundamental role in the communities they serve. Citizens from all walks of life rely on the library to help them make informed decisions and find fulfillment in their civic, professional and personal lives. This is especially true in states like Maine, distant from major urban centers. Here, the Portland Public Library system is a vital connection between our community and the world at large. Increasingly, that connection is an electronic one."
This language signifies so well the openness, the welcome, the opportunity, and the inclusiveness that constitute the essential mission of the American public library. The Portland Public Library has reason to celebrate today. Maine's independent self-sufficiency is a well-established New England tradition. But with Operation Gateway, the Portland Public Library is linking your community, your state, and your region to the interconnected electronic world of the 21st century. The economic, educational, and social significance of these links will help the citizens of Portland participate in the dynamic world of electronic information.
The importance of your achievement is highlighted by the results of a recent NCLIS survey of public libraries and the Internet. Our 1996 study found a whopping 113% increase in connectivity since a similar NCLIS national survey was completed in 1994. In less than two years, public library Internet connectivity grew from 20.9% to 44.6%.
This explosive growth rate is truly astonishing. It reflects the frenetic pace of change in electronic information technologies. Increased connectivity to the Internet is good news for public libraries. But the Commission's recent surveys also reveal some troubling facts, as well. By comparing libraries serving larger and smaller communities located in different regions of the country, we discovered some important differences.
NCLIS is concerned that these discrepancies reflect a widening gap between the information "haves" and the information "have-nots". The National Commission is exploring opportunities to replicate Operation Gateway for other communities around the country by assuring reduced telecommunication rates and by authorization of new generation of information technology grants to libraries (LSTA). Our democratic society must assure that every American has access to critical information using advanced information and communications technologies.
Specifically, our recent national survey found that public libraries serving smaller communities in New England are much less likely to offer public access to Internet services than libraries in other regions serving large urban populations.
But with the implementation of Operation Gateway Portland is moving to correct this situation. By providing patron access to the latest computerized information tools and resources, Operation Gateway promises to "level the electronic playing field" for Portland, for the great state of Maine, and for the entire New England region.
3.) "Additive", not Alternative
Do you remember seeing those television commercials from last fall's football season that featured Dallas Cowboys star Deion Sanders and team owner Jerry Jones? They were quite cleaver and they illustrated the ability to embrace several different alternatives simultaneously. To each alternative presented - - - whether the choice was among different types of pizzas, between defense or offense, or millions of dollars per contract - - - Jones would add, "What'll it be, Deion?" In response, Sanders could be counted on to proclaim "BOTH!"
Well, I'm pleased to see that we are also proudly proclaiming "BOTH!" as well when it comes to our libraries. The choice for public library patrons ought not to be between printed resources OR electronic information. We should not be replacing books with computers. Public libraries like Portland's are saying "yes" to new electronic information services AND "yes" to those traditional services which have been part of public libraries since Andrew Carnegie's time. And, with support from citizens like yourselves, we will be able to continue to proclaim "BOTH" far into the future.
This merging of the past with the present promises that library patrons will have access to a rich variety of collections in both print and digital formats, from both local and remote sources. But in this mixed-technology environment, we must never ignore the importance of the public library as a community's public space.
I understand that the new electronic services from Operation Gateway will be available from familiar places. Like the Jane L. Burbank Branch Library which, I understand, was re-opened last summer - - a decade after it was closed. I can think of no better tribute to our past than to blend the old with the new for the benefit of future generations.
This same theme of blending traditional library services with newer electronic information services is reflected in a Michael Buckland's book on Redesigning Library Services. This Professor of library and information studies at the University of California at Berkeley, writes that the electronic library
". . .must be developed and is best viewed as additive. The world is changing, and this additional form of library service appears to be not only desirable for library users but also inevitable."
4.) Portland Public Library
Well, from today's celebration, the Portland Public Library is obviously a "BOTH" library too. Operation Gateway affirms your recognition of the desirability and inevitability of providing access to electronic information resources. You are dealing with what Dr. Buckland termed the "urgent question" of access. Portland's Operation Gateway also affirms partnerships with the private sector to make these electronic advances widely available to the community.
Congratulations and appreciation are due the City of Portland and the individuals and businesses who shared the costs of Operation Gateway. I understand the Portland Public Library's Board of Trustees and numerous individuals and business generously contributed funds for more than half the cost of this new system. Now that's truly an example of a successful public-private partnership! But I also want to pay tribute to the leadership and outstanding commitment of Sheldon Kaye and the staff of the Portland Public Library. I know the difference visionary leadership can make for a community and I am pleased to salute all of you here for your wonderful accomplishment.
5.) Maine's Statewide Library Information System.
I also want to encourage you, as you look beyond this community, to consider the merits of the June 11 statewide referendum for the Maine Information Network. The citizens of Maine are to be applauded for two important recent advances in this area:
These initiatives place your State at the forefront of a national movement to assure that schools and libraries are connected to the National Information Infrastructure.
Passage of the L.D. 500 June 11 bond issue will support the Maine Library Information Network System (Maine Info Net Bond Referendum) and assure public access to on-line multi-library catalogs shared access to commercial databases an interlibrary loan system with online instant locations Internet gateways and search guides creation of a high-quality comprehensive statewide Maine catalog database
The vision of such a comprehensive information source for the State is extremely compelling. Passage of the June Bond Issue will give all Maine residents a gateway to those global information resources needed to succeed in the next century.
6.) Conclusion
Lastly, I want to conclude my remarks with a final quote from
Professor
Buckland:
"Hitherto library services have been dominated by local catalogs, local collections, and great inequalities in the geographical distribution of services. The constraints on library service are changing right now. None of this is an argument for abandoning paper and local collections. All of this requires us to think again about the mission of the library, the role of the library, and the means of providing service. For the first time in one hundred years we face the grand and difficult challenge of redesigning library services."
With the launch of Operation Gateway, the Portland Public Library is responding to this grand and difficult challenge! Again I congratulate all of you and thank you for inviting me to be part of this celebration.