Funding:
Major funding for the initiative will be sought in the 1999 legislative session.
First year: $15 million
Second year: $18 million
Third year and thereafter: $21 million

In the first and second year, a larger share of funding would be used for infrastructure, training, and promotional start-up expenses. Increased funding would be needed to pay for rising information vendor charges in the second and third years as public use of the service increases.

Key Points

• This proposal is for new funding to be provided by the State of Illinois through the Secretary of State and Illinois State Library.

• This proposal would not be tied to any existing program or grant.

• Every citizen of the state would have access to electronic information through libraries. Living in the service area of a public library is not a requirement.

• Libraries of all sizes and types would have access and can participate in this program.

• Funds would be available for infrastructure improvements.

• The funds requested in this project are not only for periodical databases, but also for a broad array of electronic resources, infrastructure, training, publicity, marketing, and program coordination.

• This program would build on other statewide initiatives, including but not limited to:
  
  • The Illinois Century Network;
  • The Illinois Digital Academic Library (Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization [ILCSO] to Illinois Board of Higher Education [IBHE]);
  • Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) efforts (public school online curriculum and information support); and
  • Illinois Virtual Campus (higher education distance learning initiative).

• This is a voluntary program that would be available to every ILLINET member.

• Library systems would have a role in infrastructure upgrades and training development and implementation.

Illinois Information Advantage

Principles

Information literacy - the ability to access, use and decipher both print and electronic information is critical for Illinois citizens because:

• The ability of libraries to provide all citizens with access to electronic information will strengthen democratic participation.

• The citizens of Illinois are entitled to equal access to all information regardless of format, the individual's wealth or a communities' resources.

• The Illinois Information Advantage Program will complement existing statewide initiatives and will support the efforts of our multi-type libraries.

• The program will "level the playing field" by assisting in infrastructure improvement, access to databases, and training as needed by each participating institution.

• Access to more electronic resources will improve the ability of Illinois businesses and citizens to win business in the dynamic world economy.

Definitions of the four program components:

Information Resources:

• Resources selected for the program should represent a thoughtful attempt at supplying online information to fill the broadest possible spectrum of the information needs of the state's citizens at all ages and stages of their lives. For example, while online full-text periodical information should form the core of this program, added sources, such as, interactive career and personal development resources, health resource information, investment analysis resources, online schematics of cars, home appliances, and other practical and useful information should also be well represented.

• The resources selection should be influenced by an advisory committee to the Illinois State Library. The committee should have the resources and support to continuously analyze the information needs of the state's citizens and the online marketplace for resources that fill these needs. Effective procedures for gathering information on resources from program users should be implemented and the resulting information utilized.

Infrastructure:

• The Illinois State Library and the Illinois Library community should participate in the implementation of the Illinois Century network and the continued development and improvement of statewide communications solutions coordinated or lead by state government or consortiums of state agencies, higher education, or K-12 public education. Illinois Information Advantage resources should be used to help those aspects of the state's library community where the need is the greatest and the resources and organized state level support are the weakest.

• Access to resources through all the state's libraries is the goal of this program. Since access to information is the goal and resources are limited, infrastructure grants should be focused primarily on those organizations that make their computing resources available to the widest spectrum of community. Infrastructure grants should help purchase the equipment to create and support convenient and effective high-quality graphical access for library users at participating libraries.

Training component:

• Face-to-face train-the-trainer and online training will be used to teach library staff about this program. Training content will include information about the program itself and the information databases themselves. Care should be taken throughout the life of the program to assure that trainers and trainees master an understanding of the values, goals, and objectives of the program so that they can be knowledgeable emissaries for the program. Conveying the values, goals, and objectives of the program may necessarily require more effort during the start-up phase of the program. As material is developed for the face-to-face training sessions or provided by vendors or participating libraries, it should be massaged and formatted for online presentation and made available online for librarian and customer use.

Promotion and evaluation:

• A section of the program Web site should contain well-organized and clearly written Web pages that present useful information about Illinois libraries and their services as a means of facilitating customer service and library use. Customers should be able to readily understand how the Illinois Information Advantage, interlibrary loan, reciprocal access, local and system programs, etc. can be used. Hotlinks or side menus should lead to this useful body of information and makes it readily available.

Supporters of the Illinois Information Advantage

Nineteen organizations have already written in support:

• American Association of University Women--Illinois, Inc.;
• Council of Directors of State University Libraries in Illinois;
• Health Science Librarians of Illinois;
• Illinois Association of Museums;
• Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools;
• Illinois Association of Teachers of English;
• Illinois Community College College Board;
• Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization;
• Illinois Library System Directors Organization;
• Illinois Library System Presidents' Organization;
• Illinois Reading Council;
• Illinois School Library Media Association;
• LIBRAS;
• Library Administrators Conference of Northern Illinois (LACONI);
• NILRC: A Consortium of Midwest Community Colleges, Colleges and Universities;
• Private Academic Libraries of Illinois (PALI);
• Retired Teachers Association of Chicago;
• Southern Illinois University; and,
• Western Illinois University.

Talking Points

Academic Libraries

• provide services and activities that benefit the primary clientele of academic libraries directly;
  

• provide and assure a common set of electronic resources that incoming students learn to use in schools and public libraries;
  

• enable students to come to college with basic information-seeking skills and knowledge that can be transferred to their new environment;
  

• enable students leaving college for a day or a lifetime to readily access familiar resources while away from campus;
  

• serve as a foundation on which academic libraries may individually or collectively build a collection of programmatically appropriate databases, such as, those envisioned in the Illinois Digital Library proposal to Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE);
  

• support development of the Illinois Virtual campus and distance education generally by providing anywhere, anytime access to library resources statewide; and
  

• help to leverage academia's investment in the Illinois Century Network by providing content essential for scholarship and learning.

Public Libraries

• provide core electronic resources with no subscription fees to all libraries;
  

• provide training resources for staff, who will then be able to train the public;
  

• facilitate ease of use in public, school and academic libraries since core electronic resources will be the same throughout the state;
  

• create more interest in library services and be supported by marketing and promotional materials;
  

• help build communication networks at the local level and create high-speed connections from libraries to the World Wide Web;
  

• be a voluntary program available to every Illinois Library and Information Network (ILLINET) member;
  

• be extended to those who are untaxed for local public library services, who will be able to access Illinois Information Advantage service through public or local community college libraries; and
  

• be in addition to all existing grant programs.

School Libraries

• provide a tremendous advantage for students who would be able to start a project in their school libraries, computer labs, or classrooms and then continue to use the same resources outside of school;
  

• provide resources that will be available 24 hours a day from home if a student has a computer with Internet access;
  

• provide resources that will also be available at public libraries, community centers, or other locations with computers and Internet access;
  

• enable faculty to plan lessons and projects at home as well as in school knowing that these same resources will be available to students;
  

• enable schools that have not been able to afford electronic databases and resources (or only a limited number due to their expense) to make these available to their students;
  

• provide a carefully chosen broad-based, multi-level collection of electronic resources that address the needs and interests of students from early grades through adulthood;
  

• compliment the electronic resources selected and provided by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Online Resources initiative;
  

• save valuable time that is often wasted trying to find valid sources on the Internet via search engines allowing students more time for higher order thinking skills;
  

• support the implementation of Illinois Learning Standards by providing the variety of well-selected resources the Standards require;
  

• help all citizens of Illinois to become livelong learners and support the seamless integration of these resources in everyday life as students see adults such as their parents model information seeking and learning behaviors;
  

• utilize economies of scale to purchase electronic resources at low rates per person thereby enabling most school districts to provide resources otherwise unattainable due to high cost; and
  

• enable those district or individual school buildings with the most limited funds for technology to use those funds for infrastructure and equipment.

Library Systems

• assure that all Illinois libraries and citizens have access to a dependable and well-funded collection of high-quality electronic resources chosen to reflect the diversity of interests and wide range of age of the State's citizens;
  

• assure that rich and poor libraries and communities will have access to the same basic, high-quality collection of electronic resources;
  

• improve the availability of information resources at local libraries so library staff will be able to satisfy immediately the requests of more customers for information;
  

• continue to illustrate Illinois' high level of support for cooperative library services and provide national leadership in important, innovative programs;
  

• decrease the need for individual library systems to coordinate local electronic resource purchasing groups thereby saving staff time and local funds;
  

• enable library systems to establish electronic resource sharing groups that build on the foundation established by this program, when needed;
  

• provide more funding for infrastructure and equipment needed at library system headquarters and member libraries;
  

• provide funding for staff to meet the demands of members for technical support; and
  

• provide funding for staff to train members to use program resources.

Special Libraries

• provide online resources that promote economic development and improve the quality of life for Illinois citizens;
  

• enable small businesses, medical centers, farmers, and other information seekers with internet access to use a dependable and well-funded collection of high-quality electronic resources from home or office;
  

• allow many employees to satisfy their information needs without leaving the premises of the business or while working off site; and
  

• provide readily available resources for employees who learned how to use the program at college, school, or the public library.

Question: Why is ILA asking for $15 million of the Illinois Information Advantage?

Answer: $15 million may sound like a lot of money, but it is only $1.25 per person for each of the state's residents. Some of us spend $1.25 each day for newspapers, not to mention magazines and books. Frankly, it's what $15 million, or about $1.25 per citizen, enables Illinois Libraries to do through this program that makes it so exciting!

There are two main parts of the Illinois Information Advantage Program, e resources and infrastructure.

E-resources: License for a very significant collection of e-resources is what this program is all about.

• 50•¢ - 75•¢ per capita per annum ($6 - $9 million in FY 2000).
  

• Buys meaningful access to the e-resource collections compiled by our choice of two or three of four major e-resource providers' collections of online periodical articles.
  

• Buys meaningful access to a wide selection of smaller databases, such as, encyclopedias, book review information, auto and equipment schematics, etc.
  

• 75•¢ or more as program matures ($9 million or more in FY 2002 and beyond)
  

• Enables purchase of more databases, such as, meaningful access to electronic editions of newspapers.

• 50•¢ - 75•¢ per capita ($6 - 9 million in FY 2000).
  

• Assure all libraries can pay for and have adequately and appropriately scaled dedicated telecommunications access.
  

• Purchase equipment at local libraries and library systems to handle high speed communications.
  

• Statewide contribution to the statewide network (ISBE or Century network).
  

• 40•¢ or more as program matures ($5 million in in FY 2002 and beyond).

• Illinois provides access to a meaningful selection of e-resources from one of four major national e-resource vendors. Continuation of this access in FY 2000 is projected at 20•¢ per capita. ($2.4 million) (ISL low budget projection for FY 2000 is a total of about 30•¢ per capita for all resources.)
  

• Georgia spends 50•¢ per capita to provide selective access to three of four large national databases.
  

• Idaho provides selective access to two of four large national databases at 34•¢ per capita.
  

• State level contracts in Illinois are relatively more expensive than most other states because Illinois has a high amount of institutions (K-12 schools, colleges, public library) relative to the State's population.

Robert McKay's worksheet January 25, 1998

In coming up with a cost for the program, we've used some assumptions, been informed by our own experience and the experience of other states, and used our own political sensibility.

Assumptions:

We have made some assumptions about finances. First, we anticipate that in the early years relatively more money will be spent to help libraries with infrastructure improvement grants than in the future. The State Library and the Library Systems have been working for the last six months with communications consultants to get a price on what it will cost to connect public libraries and library systems to the Century network. We see IIA infrastructure expenditures providing very necessary and basic assistance in connecting poorly equipped and inadequately connected libraries. Second, we anticipate that as the program continues more money will be spent to purchase access to electronic resources and less will be needed to improve or maintain infrastructure, to provide training, and to promote public awareness.

Illinois experience:

We have drawn on relevant pricing experience from the Illinois State Library. For the last two and half years, the State Library has worked to provide access to commercial e-resources. Since June 1996, the State Library has contracted with OCLC for FirstSearch, a web accessible e-resource providing online full-text and indexing for a variety of subject areas. For FY 2000, continued FirstSearch access will cost $2.4 million, (approximately 20•¢ per capita) an increase of approximately $1 million from this fiscal year. This increase is due primarily to rising demand as search requests have doubled on a year-to-year basis for the last two years.

Other states' experience: Indiana and Wisconsin do not provide OCLC FirstSearch but have contracts for state-wide access from another vendor to some of the e-resources we'd like to see added in Illinois. The per capita cost of their programs are 17•¢ and 24•¢ per capita, respectively. Idaho does not provide OCLC FirstSearch but has access to resources available in the Indiana and Wisconsin plus the databases of yet another vendor at a total cost of about 34•¢ per capita.

We conclude 50•¢ to 60•¢ per capita (or $6 - $7.2 million) in FY 2000 rising to $1 (or $12 million) by FY 2002 will enable the State to provide the type of e-resource content we envision by the Illinois Information Advantage program. This level of funding should enable the Illinois State Library to maintain state-wide contracts with a minimum of two, but hopefully three, major information resource vendors and a handful of smaller vendors. This level of contracting will enable residents to enjoy the broad-based, wide-spectrum program ILA has envisioned. In addition, as library infrastructure is brought up-to-date and initial training and public awareness are accomplished, the high early program expenditures of 65•¢ - 75•¢ per capita ($7.8 - 9 million) in FY 2000 should decline to about 50•¢ per capita ($6 million) in FY 2002.

Stories

A psychology teacher at a small, rural high school in central Illinois used full-text periodical articles from psychology journals and popular magazines to help students broaden their understanding of scholarship and research. The students and teacher appreciated the ease of printing online articles as opposed to slower, more labor intensive delivery means such as fax, mail or library system delivery vehicle.

After a fruitless search of several newspapers, E-resources were used to find a library patron's request for a California organization that advocates inside, manually operated truck releases on passenger cars. The requestor, a patron at a major suburban library, was also able to get the address of a California firm that manufactures an inside, manual truck release.

A senior citizen approached the branch staff requesting assistance. Her husband had just been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She had many questions regarding the disease, treatment and prognosis. Despite discussions with their physician, most of the questions had not been answered in terms which the couple understood. With the assistance of the library staff and access to the Internet, important information was provided in terminology which the patron understood. In addition to descriptive information, the staff located support groups and a physician who had recently documented success with a new form of treatment.

A neighborhood branch was accustomed to seeing a homeless woman using the collection and the computer equipment each week. Though she required little assistance, she was one of their most faithful patrons. After many months, her use of the facility suddenly ceased. Weeks elapsed and a staff member happened to see her walking down the street. The librarian approached the patron, commenting that they had missed her in the branch. The patron explained that because of the access to computers and assistance at the library, she had taught herself wordprocessing and was now employed as a secretary. She was no longer homeless, but her work schedule prevented her regular use of the library.