Education

Libraries Programs - Regional Library Telecommunication       

Statewide Outcome(s):

Regional Library Telecommunication supports the following statewide outcome(s).

A thriving economy that encourages business growth and employment opportunities.

Minnesotans have the education and skills needed to achieve their goals.

Context:

Regional public library systems and their branch or member libraries provide broadband access to over 350 public library buildings statewide.  In Greater Minnesota a public library building may provide the only free high-speed broadband access in a community. As businesses, schools and governmental entities require the use of the internet for employment applications, unemployment applications, school assignments and contacts between schools and parents and other e-government resources, public libraries are where people go for access that they might not have at home or that require a level of high-speed broadband that they cannot afford or obtain.  This free high-speed broadband access increases equity of access to electronic resources statewide.

Regional Library Telecommunications Aid (RLTA) is funded through general fund appropriations (Minnesota Statutes (M.S.) 134.355, Subd. 8-10). State funds are allocated based on actual cost pro-rated downwards to the amount of funding available to support the regional public library systems services and their system-level automation system. RLTA provides support for public libraries in all Minnesota counties.

Strategies:

The Regional Library Telecommunications Aid (RLTA) program provides state aid to twelve regional public library systems to equalize data and video access costs and other related costs to improve or maintain electronic access of participating public libraries to the state information infrastructure and to facilitate resource sharing. RLTA facilitates optimal access and connections to the statewide electronic infrastructure and supports equity of access to electronic resources. Among the activities supported through connectivity are:

·         automation activities for cost-effectiveness in resource sharing;

·         connectivity necessary to access licensed online full-text databases via the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM);

·         access to the internet necessary for e-government, workforce development centers, immigration services, tax filing, and legal and medical electronic resources;

·         interconnectivity and interoperability with school districts, post-secondary education, etc.;

·         community access to high-speed Internet links; and,

·         integration of new technology and training.

Results:

Minnesotans used their public libraries to access the internet over 7.1 million times in 2010. RLTA funds pay for public library access to the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) which provides Minnesotans free access to a selection of online full-text newspaper and journals, and to MnLINK, which makes the resources of academic, public, and some school and non-profit libraries available for resource sharing statewide.

Performance Measures Notes:

Previous year: FY 2008 / Current year: FY 2013