Video Conferencing

The Derbyshire experience

Robert GentAssistant Director of Libraries &

HeritageDerbyshire County Council

The programme

About Derbyshire About Derbyshire libraries DELTA Our experience with video

conferencing Some lessons Our plans for the future

Introducing Derbyshire

Population 739,000 City of Derby a separate unitary

authority Varied mix of urban, coalfield,

market towns and isolated rural communities

A large county roughly in the centre of the country

About Derbyshire libraries

45 libraries 170,000 active library users 1.5 million bookstock 5 million issues 20% of issues through 13 mobile

libraries Many part-time libraries in rural areas

The way we were

Libraries part of Education Dept Budget reductions in late 1980s Impact on bookstock, buildings, staff

and opening hours Local Government Reorganisation

1995 Libraries & Heritage Department 1997

What is DELTA?

Derbyshire Learning and Technology Access

Broadband network linking 46 static libraries 3 mobile libraries: 21 communities

315 public access computers

DELTA’s objectives

Improve access Broaden appeal and relevance of library Offer opportunities for lifelong learning Improve facilities for visually-impaired Improve information about public services Improve access to specialist services

DELTA’s target users

Children and young people Learners of all ages Job seekers Small businesses People without easy access to ICT

DELTA: timescale

1997 Nil 1998 9 libraries; 30 PCs 1999 20 libraries; 74 PCs 2000 Mobile libraries added 2002 45 libraries; 315 PCs;

broadband links via BT Learning Stream

Where the money came from

DCMS/Wolfson Challenge Fund Derbyshire County Council British Telecom TECs; University for Industry Single Regeneration Budget NOF Public Service Agreement

What does DELTA offer?

A managed gateway to the Internet Personal computing facilities Personal storage space on the server Services for visually-impaired users Link to Learndirect Video conferencing in 20 libraries

Video Conferencing

How it all started… Funding from Rural Community

Council Five libraries included Used an early version of the software Marketed to small businesses Low take-up

Then came DELTA…

ISDN2 in 20 libraries and County Hall Intel Proshare the most recent Committee Room installation (ISDN6)

Programmable camera with pre-sets Wide angle and zoom Omni-directional microphone

Working in partnership

Trading Standards Service Inland Revenue Welfare Rights Service Derby Society for the Deaf

The evidence so far

Little use by individuals Little use by small businesses Increasing use by hearing-impaired

people Significant use for advice services,

but only when actively promoted

Drawbacks - technical

Bandwidth Synchronisation Pixellation The beauty of Blu-tak! Penetration

Drawbacks - marketing

Penetration Coverage of libraries Public acceptance and

understanding Familiarity Visibility Limited resources for promotion

Drawbacks - operational

Staff familiarity Cumbersome set-up Reliability Privacy

Let’s stay positive!

High quality interpersonal communication

Improved access to specialist resources

Improved choice, especially to hearing-impaired people

Potential to enhance learning experiences

What we have learned

Visibility Continuing promotion Staff familiarity Effective partnerships Push, not pull

Looking to the future

People’s Network Excellence Fund Addressing technical and operational

issues: All libraries are included Existing broadband connections will be

used Equipment will be simple to use

Addressing operational issues

Recognisably a different service Privacy enhanced by sound-proofing Regular use of video conferencing as

a staff communications tool Renewed emphasis on marketing

and promotion

Modernising government

Libraries leading the way for Derbyshire

A major programme of change management

Flexible ways of working New ways of reaching out to service

users Engaging more local people