On Libraries and New Media, powered by Library Journal and School Library Journal
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) and Sovernet Communications last month announced the completion of the Vermont FiberConnect Project, bringing gigabit Internet service to 43 of the state’s libraries in the mostly rural counties of Bennington, Caledonia, Orange, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor via a 900-mile network of fiber optic cable. Previously, most of these libraries relied on residential cable broadband service.
The Kansas City Public Library, MO (KCPL) developed its new Software Lending Library, a remote desktop system that will enable patrons to “check out” and use software applications such as Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Excel on their home computers or laptops.
Google’s entry into the Internet provider business in Kansas City, KS, and Kansas City, MO, is moving ahead, thanks to a last-minute rally by community groups earlier this month that will enable about 89 percent of both cities to access the service – including many public libraries and schools.
Libraries in Tennessee, Kansas, Missouri, are close to entering a dizzying space where they will have so much digital horsepower that they will be able to download and upload files on the Internet at speeds up to one gigabit per second.
