[Advisors] CAP news item

Gareth Shearman Shearman at victoria.tc.ca
Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:12:13 -0700 

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Greater Victoria libraries' Internet access safe, for now



By Roszan Holmen - Victoria News
Published: June 07, 2012 10:00 AM

Despite losing a $26,000 grant for Internet service, the Greater =
Victoria Public Library will not be cutting any of the coveted computer =
stations at its branches.

"Because we are a larger system, it does impact our operating budget, =
but we are in the fortunate position that we can absorb the reduction," =
said Maureen Sawa, CEO of GVPL. "But (for) many of our colleagues on the =
Island, in some of the smaller library systems on Vancouver Island, this =
is really going to be a blow."

Sawa was speaking out in solidarity with these smaller libraries, which =
stand to lose their only public computer stations.

On March 31, the federal government cut its Community Access Program, =
which has helped to fund computers and Internet technologies in =
libraries since 1995.

According to Industry Canada, the program met its objective to make =
Internet accessible. It launched in an age when only 10 per cent of =
Canadian households had Internet service at home. As of 2010, that =
proportion had grown to 79 per cent.

But from the perspective of GVPL's manager of public service, the need =
for computers at the library has not changed over time.

"We see no sign of that diminishing, in spite of statistics that say =
that a huge number of Canadians have access to Internet in their own =
home," said Patricia Eaton.

The computer stations are well used and often have a queue, she said.

A wide cross-section of people use the stations, including those of =
limited means, students and seniors without the knowledge to set up a =
home computer.

The issue of the cut came to the attention of Victoria city council this =
week.

"All Canadians, regardless of economic status or location, should have =
the ability to access information and services through broadband =
connection to the Internet," Coun. Pam Madoff wrote in a report. She =
recommended that city council write to local Members of Parliament =
requesting their support in reinstating the federal program. Council is =
due to vote on the matter today (June 7).

GVPL's management are now looking at ways to absorb the $26,000 cut =
without affecting service

"A lot of the funding that we received helped to do the upgrades to our =
computers," Sawa said. "It will mean that in some of our locations, that =
won't happen as quickly."

Whether the library will ask area municipalities for an increase in its =
annual budget request to compensate for the cut is yet to be seen.

"We're going to adjust some other areas," Sawa said.

For more information, visit www.saveCAP.ca

rholmen@vicnews.com




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<html><head></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
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">Greater Victoria libraries' Internet access safe, for now</h1><div =
class=3D"media" style=3D"float: right; text-align: center; padding-left: =
10px; width: 364px; "><div id=3D"CasaleDIV0.07349764020182192" =
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"><br></div><div style=3D"text-align: left;"><font =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" color=3D"#333333" face=3D"Georgia, Times, =
'Times New Roman', serif" size=3D"4"><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"line-height: 20px;"><br></span></font></div></div><div =
class=3D"byline" style=3D"line-height: 1.48em; color: rgb(102, 102, =
102); font-size: 0.69em; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, =
sans-serif; ">By&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"mailto:rholmen@saanichnews.com?subject=3DVictoria%20News%20-%20Gre=
ater%20Victoria%20libraries'%20Internet%20access%20safe,%20for%20now" =
style=3D"line-height: 1.48em; color: rgb(0, 102, 153); font-weight: =
bold; ">Roszan Holmen - Victoria News</a><br style=3D"line-height: =
1.48em; ">Published:&nbsp;<strong style=3D"line-height: 1.48em; ">June =
07, 2012 10:00 AM</strong></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); =
font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: =
1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; "><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, =
51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: =
1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">Despite losing a $26,000 grant for Internet =
service, the Greater Victoria Public Library will not be cutting any of =
the coveted computer stations at its branches.</p><p style=3D"color: =
rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; =
line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">"Because we are a larger =
system, it does impact our operating budget, but we are in the fortunate =
position that we can absorb the reduction," said Maureen Sawa, CEO of =
GVPL. "But (for) many of our colleagues on the Island, in some of the =
smaller library systems on Vancouver Island, this is really going to be =
a blow."</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, =
Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; =
">Sawa was speaking out in solidarity with these smaller libraries, =
which stand to lose their only public computer stations.</p><p =
style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New =
Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">On March 31, =
the federal government cut its Community Access Program, which has =
helped to fund computers and Internet technologies in libraries since =
1995.</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, =
Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; =
">According to Industry Canada, the program met its objective to make =
Internet accessible. It launched in an age when only 10 per cent of =
Canadian households had Internet service at home. As of 2010, that =
proportion had grown to 79 per cent.</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, =
51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: =
1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">But from the perspective of GVPL's manager =
of public service, the need for computers at the library has not changed =
over time.</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, =
Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; =
">"We see no sign of that diminishing, in spite of statistics that say =
that a huge number of Canadians have access to Internet in their own =
home," said Patricia Eaton.</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); =
font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: =
1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">The computer stations are well used and =
often have a queue, she said.</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); =
font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: =
1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">A wide cross-section of people use the =
stations, including those of limited means, students and seniors without =
the knowledge to set up a home computer.</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, =
51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; =
line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">The issue of the cut came to =
the attention of Victoria city council this week.</p><p style=3D"color: =
rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; =
line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">"All Canadians, regardless of =
economic status or location, should have the ability to access =
information and services through broadband connection to the Internet," =
Coun. Pam Madoff wrote in a report. She recommended that city council =
write to local Members of Parliament requesting their support in =
reinstating the federal program. Council is due to vote on the matter =
today (June 7).</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: =
Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; =
font-size: 0.88em; ">GVPL's management are now looking at ways to absorb =
the $26,000 cut without affecting service</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, =
51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; =
line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">"A lot of the funding that we =
received helped to do the upgrades to our computers," Sawa said. "It =
will mean that in some of our locations, that won't happen as =
quickly."</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, =
Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; =
">Whether the library will ask area municipalities for an increase in =
its annual budget request to compensate for the cut is yet to be =
seen.</p><p style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, =
Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; =
">"We're going to adjust some other areas," Sawa said.</p><p =
style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New =
Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; ">For more =
information, visit&nbsp;<a title=3D"Save Community Access Program" =
href=3D"http://www.saveCAP.ca/" target=3D"_blank" style=3D"line-height: =
1.48em; color: rgb(0, 102, 153); ">www.saveCAP.ca</a></p><p =
style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New =
Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; "><em =
style=3D"line-height: 1.48em; "><a =
href=3D"mailto:rholmen@vicnews.com">rholmen@vicnews.com</a></em></p><div =
style=3D"color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New =
Roman', serif; line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; "><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(51, =
51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; =
line-height: 1.48em; font-size: 0.88em; "><br =
class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div></body></html>=

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