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The Statewide Internet Library
(This is an HTML version of the PowerPoint
slide show.)
The foundation of New York's Information Infrastructure
- We live in an information-driven society.
- Everything from good health care, to higher learning levels in K-16, and
advanced research and development requires quick access to reliable, quality
information.
What is the Statewide Internet Library?
- The Statewide Internet Library is an online library that provides all New
Yorkers with quality information not freely available on the general Internet.
These are some of the thousands of reputable publications that you can find
full-text via The Statewide Internet Library. You can find professional,
health, science, and business publications – even the New York
Times!
- The Statewide Internet Library has been tried and tested via the NOVELNY
pilot project.
- Some think that all the information anyone needs is freely available on
the Internet.
- But the general Internet has many shortcomings.

This is an example of what we find with a search for ‘Statins’ on the General
Internet.
- This is an advertisement for Crestor from Astrazeneca – producers and
sellers of Crestor.
- It provides an illustration of the shortcomings of the General Internet.
- Ads proliferate – no matter what you search for. Sellers pay search
engines for top placement of their links or alter the code of their web pages
to fool search engines into putting them at the top of the lists.
- There are no standards of quality and anyone can publish on the
Internet. When you search for important information, you could be
reading an ad, something from a disgruntled employee or consumer, or something
written by a 6th grader.
- The General Internet is on the World Wide Web – everyone and anyone can be
on the Internet with you – or with your child or grandchild is.
Users are subject to information that may be erroneous, bogus, incorrect,
offensive, or even predatory.
- You will only find information on the general Internet that is
publicly available. Copyright laws and other realities prohibit much
valuable information from being made freely available on the general Internet.
Articles or other information from private proprietary sources, like those
required for academic and other research, cannot be retrieved or require
payment by the user.
The Statewide Internet
LIBRARY does what libraries have always done - provide reliable
information that meets standards of quality :
- Here’s what you find if you search the Statewide Internet Library for
‘Statins.’
- This is a full-text article is from a known and reliable source
- the magazine American Family Physician. There are no ads, you
know it’s quality information.
- All of the information provided by the Statewide Internet Library has been
peer reviewed, reviewed by editorial boards, or evaluated in other ways by
experts. You know you are getting relevant, quality information.
- The Statewide Internet Library is not open to the World Wide Web – users
are within a safe environment of reliable information and are not subject to
other users or inappropriate material.
The Statewide Internet Library!
- The Statewide Internet Library provides all New Yorkers with 24/7 online
access to full text of thousands of newspapers and magazines, plus general
reference, business, consumer health, and age-appropriate materials for
students.
- It can be accessed via more than 5000 libraries statewide–
including public, school, and college libraries – as well as remotely
from home, school, or office.
- Even as a pilot project, the Statewide Internet Library has become an
important resource for schools and local communities.
- The average elementary school library has 25 magazine subscriptions –the
Statewide Internet Library gives them over 300, as well as age appropriate
research resources, and e-books.
- For many school libraries – particularly those in high need communities
–the Statewide Internet Library is the only source they have of current
electronic and Internet resources.
- Communities benefit from the cost-effectiveness of the program. For
every dollar invested at the state level in the Statewide Internet Library , a
local library would have to pay $35 to receive the same resources
individually.
Who can use the Statewide Internet Library?
All New Yorkers can access the Statewide Internet Library via the NOVELNY
pilot project using a library card or a New York State Driver license or valid
non-driver ID.
How many people use the Statewide Internet Library?
(Text
version of chart is available.)
New York ranks 35th behind other states in per capita spending on
an Internet library.
The Statewide Internet Library
The foundation of New York's Information Infrastructure