Library Public Access Computing Program:A Step Towards eParticipation in Latvia

Līga KursīteProject Coordinator and Manager’s Assistant

Library Public Access Computing Program in Latvia

Baltic IT&T, Riga, 20 April 2007

Project History Autumn 2005: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invites

Latvia to apply for funding Autumn 2006: Latvia submits full project proposal to the

Foundation November 2006: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

commits $16.2 million to expand access to computers and the Internet

Latvia project represents one of the first grants offered to an Eastern European country

Project Implementing Institutions in Latvia

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia www.km.gov.lv.

The State Agency Culture Information Systems (CIS)www.kis.gov.lv.

Project Goal

Provision of free access computers and internet to inhabitants of Latvia in all public libraries of the country, as well as training of librarians in customer

consulting skills on work with ICT

The Grant is Providing Resources to connect all Latvian public

libraries to the Internet with broadband connections

to build a wi-fi network for library users

to provide approximately three computers per library to meet an anticipated high demand

to offer basic computer training to library patrons

to provide training to librarians

Building PartnershipsProject Advisory Panel: the Latvian National Library Foundation the Latvian Information Technology and

Telecommunications Association the Association of Latvian Local

Municipalities the Ministry of Regional Development

and Local Government the Secretariat of Special Assignments

Minister for Electronic Government Affairs

the Ministry of Education And Science the Library Association of Latvia the Latvian Association of Rural Women the Latvian Adult Education Association the Association of Latvian Public

Relations Companies

Social Benefits and Impact on Communities Increased availability and use of local services in

libraries Knowledge on how to use e-services to both

librarians and patrons The use of local content in libraries

Content produced in public libraries (children’s programs, traditional uses of library transferred to ICT context, etc.)

Locally produced, local language, locally relevant distributed through libraries (e.g. agricultural, financial, health)

Content developed for public library distribution / dissemination

Increased perceived value and respect of libraries as a social

institution that benefits the community

Getting Together Institutions Who are the creators and providers of digital

content and services? Government (local and national) Local communities (everyone!) Local organizations (NGOs, commercial) Public/private sector Schools Universities Libraries Media Churches Researchers Museums/Archives Digital/Virtual Communities Development Organizations Foundations Entertainers

Libraries as partners to everyone of these and

more

Project Challenges

Encourage and stimulate the motivation of librarians to be trained and change their role

Encourage and stimulate users to benefit from training

How to overcome multilingual issues

Librarian become more skilled but don’t get any more salary

Tadenava library