Pennsylvania Department of Education
Office of Commonwealth Libraries
Glenn Miller, Deputy Secretary & Commissioner for Libraries
Tuesday, April 30, 2019

In March, I announced that the Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) is working with the  Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research (KINBER) to help improve public librarians’ knowledge and management of broadband services and library technology infrastructure. This project is called Toward Gigabit Libraries in Pennsylvania

We’re now launching the first phase of this project.  To obtain baseline information on each library’s Internet connectivity speeds, we need each public library outlet in Pennsylvania (main library, branch, system headquarters, system member, bookmobile, etc.) to complete a short survey:

• Toward Gigabit Libraries Survey – Deadline Friday, May 17.

There aren’t many questions, and it should only take a few minutes of your time.

Please note that we are asking someone from each public library location in the state to complete the survey.  This will give us the results of an Internet connection speed test for each library outlet (main library, branch, system headquarters, system member, bookmobile, etc.).  This way, we’ll understand how fast (or slow) each site’s connection to the Internet is.

Also, please complete the survey during your library’s busiest Internet connectivity hours.

Free Site Visits to Evaluate Broadband Connectivity

Also, if you complete the survey by May 17, 2019, your library will be eligible for a FREE site visit from KINBER’s network engineers to help you evaluate your library’s network infrastructure and broadband connectivity.  Thirty public library locations will be selected for site visits this year.  In addition, for those thirty locations, any recommendations made by KINBER for network equipment upgrades will be eligible for funding to purchase and install the equipment.

Training and Education Available to Libraries
Finally, please be watching for forthcoming announcements about workshops and virtual training that will help your staff understand and improve your library’s broadband connectivity.  Details will be available soon.

More Information
For any questions about the Toward Gigabit Libraries in Pennsylvania survey, please contact Jennifer Oxenford, Director of Community Engagement at joxenford@kinber.org.

Remember the survey deadline is Friday, May 17, 2019.

Project Funding

This project is made possible in part by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Commonwealth Libraries.

Glenn

Glenn R. Miller | Deputy Secretary & Commissioner for Libraries
Pennsylvania Department of Education | Office of Commonwealth Libraries
Room 200 Forum Building
607 South Drive | Harrisburg, PA  17120-0600
Phone:  717-783-2646  |  www.statelibrary.pa.gov   |  @PaDeptofEd
www.facebook.com/PADepartmentofEducation  |  pinterest.com/PADeptOfEd

This communication is issued on the Deputy Secretary’s behalf by Jonelle Darr (jodarr@pa.gov; 717-783-5725)