Innovative practices in Bulgaria
Sharing innovations for improving local self-government
Development of a School Library Information System with Internet Access
Municipality of Blagoevgrad
Background
The development of a school network with Internet access is consistent with the National Educational Strategy on Information and Communications Technology. The strategy was developed by a team of the Ministry of Education and Science and the National Institute of Education and was adopted by a minister s order on July 14, 2000. The National Strategy calls for the development of the infrastructure for the National Automated Library Information Network (NALIN). The infrastructure is to be developed on a territorial principle. As a part of the project, a NALIN hub was established in Blagoevgrad. The key player in the project was the Blagoevgrad Regional Library.
The development of a school network with Internet access is consistent with the National Educational Strategy on Information and Communications Technology. The strategy was developed by a team of the Ministry of Education and Science and the National Institute of Education and was adopted by a minister s order on July 14, 2000. The National Strategy calls for the development of the infrastructure for the National Automated Library Information Network (NALIN). The infrastructure is to be developed on a territorial principle. As a part of the project, a NALIN hub was established in Blagoevgrad. The key player in the project was the Blagoevgrad Regional Library.
Practice
The project had the following stages:
Preliminary stage
A study of the motivation and the changed ideology of the delivery of library services for the local school system, with regard to the implementation of modern information and communications technology in school libraries staffed by a full-time librarian;
Development of a strategy for gradual development of an automated school network;
Stage 1, Phase 1
Hardware and software delivery;
On-the-job training;
Development of a database of automated catalogues with shared responsibility;
School libraries begin to look like library media centers.
Stage 1, Phase 2
At this stage a procedure for the establishment of a territorial consortium was initiated. The purpose of the consortium is to develop mechanisms for:
linking the Regional Library with primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, community centers;
revenue generation and the involvement of businesses and industries, local governments, associations, technical unions and community leaders;
the development of a regional network in which the Blagoevgrad Regional Library will be the key actor;
the development and maintenance of a web-server with web-pages of the Regional Library and the school libraries.
A part of the project was a study of the functioning of the existing local network in the Regional Library. The local network has 15 workstations, full Internet access and a cable link to the network of the American University in Blagoevgrad. The leased line connection is used both for information searches and for downloading the software needed to test and run the network. The server that will be located at the Regional Library will provide the school networks databases which could be copied and would be accessible from every computer in the city. Getting support from the Ministry of Education would prove that the corporate principle is a working model that is feasible and applicable both in the region and countrywide.
The project had the following stages:
Preliminary stage
A study of the motivation and the changed ideology of the delivery of library services for the local school system, with regard to the implementation of modern information and communications technology in school libraries staffed by a full-time librarian;
Development of a strategy for gradual development of an automated school network;
Stage 1, Phase 1
Hardware and software delivery;
On-the-job training;
Development of a database of automated catalogues with shared responsibility;
School libraries begin to look like library media centers.
Stage 1, Phase 2
At this stage a procedure for the establishment of a territorial consortium was initiated. The purpose of the consortium is to develop mechanisms for:
linking the Regional Library with primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, community centers;
revenue generation and the involvement of businesses and industries, local governments, associations, technical unions and community leaders;
the development of a regional network in which the Blagoevgrad Regional Library will be the key actor;
the development and maintenance of a web-server with web-pages of the Regional Library and the school libraries.
A part of the project was a study of the functioning of the existing local network in the Regional Library. The local network has 15 workstations, full Internet access and a cable link to the network of the American University in Blagoevgrad. The leased line connection is used both for information searches and for downloading the software needed to test and run the network. The server that will be located at the Regional Library will provide the school networks databases which could be copied and would be accessible from every computer in the city. Getting support from the Ministry of Education would prove that the corporate principle is a working model that is feasible and applicable both in the region and countrywide.
Results
The network s advantages: access to common databases; data re-entry is avoided; quality library collections are established without being dubbed; the economic benefits of optimized library processes and shared resources; a common library tool based on classified cataloguing; international exchange of information. The advantages of the electronic search of information: different views of a given topic are made available to the students; the students are enabled to select solutions, to evaluate the information for relevancy, reliability and authenticity; saves time for editing, clarifying and evaluating the information.
The network s advantages: access to common databases; data re-entry is avoided; quality library collections are established without being dubbed; the economic benefits of optimized library processes and shared resources; a common library tool based on classified cataloguing; international exchange of information. The advantages of the electronic search of information: different views of a given topic are made available to the students; the students are enabled to select solutions, to evaluate the information for relevancy, reliability and authenticity; saves time for editing, clarifying and evaluating the information.
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