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Iowa Library Technology Grant Application
Application Deadline: November 1, 2013
Read through this application and instructions before you begin the application. Provide answers to all
questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Provide as much detail as you can.
1.
Name of Library or Group:
Sioux-Plymouth Consortium: Le Mars, Hawarden and Sioux Center Public
Libraries
2.
Name of Library that will serve as fiscal agent if a group is applying:
Le Mars Public Library
3.
Contact Name:
Sue Kroesche
4.
Contact Telephone number:
712-546-5004
5.
Contact e-mail address:
[email protected]
6.
Contact Address:
46 1st St SW
7.
City/Zip:
Le Mars, Iowa 51031
8.
Project title:
Smart TVs at the Library
9.
Grant amount requested:
$4500
10. Do you have local funding for this project? If so, how much?
Local Library contributions: $750 @ 3=$2,250
11. Describe your project. Include information about implementation, goals and objectives, project
schedule and budget.
This project seeks to equip three community libraries, Hawarden Public
Library, Sioux Center Public Library, and the Le Mars Public Library with
Smart TVs to encourage project sharing among the libraries and community
exposure to Web 2.0 capabilities. In the past, these three libraries have
blurred county lines by forming a consortium to share Zinio online
magazines, and to share One-Click Digital downloadable audiobooks. This
history of collaboration lends itself to this project using current
technology with a Smart TV. The Smart TV will contribute to our libraries
being places where communities grows and flourish.
A Smart TV, sometimes referred to as a connected TV or hybrid TV,
(not to be confused with IPTV, Internet TV, or with Web TV), describes a
trend of integration of the Internet and Web 2.0 features into television
sets and set-top boxes, as well as the technological convergence between
computers and these television sets / set-top boxes. The devices have a
higher focus on online interactive media, Internet TV, over-the-top
content, as well as on-demand streaming media, and home networking access,
with much less focus on traditional broadcast media than traditional
television sets and set-top boxes. Similar to how the Internet, Web
widgets, and software applications are integrated in modern smartphones,
the name "smart TV" is similar to "smart phone". The technology that
enables smart TVs is also incorporated in devices such as DVRs, Blu-ray
players, game consoles, hotel television systems, and other devices. These
devices allow viewers to search and find videos, movies, photos and other
content on the Web, on a local cable TV channel, on a satellite TV
channel, or on a local storage drive.
With funding for this project, each library will purchase a large
(70”) Smart TV for their library. Each library plans to purchase from a
local vendor to promote the local economy and to have service readily
available. Once the Smart TV is installed, the technology will be used
for a variety of shared experiences. A local author will be chosen with
his or her book being read by all three libraries and conclude with a
discussion over Skype. We would also like to repeat this occurrence among
the libraries at a children’s level during “Read Across America” Week or
the summer reading program.
Story hours and early literacy programs will be prime candidates for
using the Smart TV capabilities. Stories can be shown on the screen using
digital, interactive books or tied in with other Ipad games and programs.
Also, libraries can connect with the many resources available through IPTV
to promote early literacy. These resources can be shared during story
times and toddler times with parents and caregivers.
Since the Smart TV will be placed in libraries’ meeting rooms, the
use broadens on a far larger scale – showing movies with the streaming
capabilities, showing video clips for programs, using the internet for
program, and more. When providing technology programs, each library will
be able to demonstrate using their online resources with the advantage of
a large screen that all can see. This is a much better avenue for our
patrons than the small TV or grainy projector that many of us currently
use.
The technology of the Smart TV will also be shared with our local
businesses – they may partner and use the library for webinar events,
training, or meetings that can be viewed on the larger screen.
Each of the libraries involved will develop a tech talk which will be
shared and presented via Skype for the staff and patrons of the other
libraries named in this grant application. Possible subjects could
include setting up an email account, using Google Drive, or downloading
books. The possibilities are endless. However, we save time and staff by
partnering in the development of the tech talks. Rather than developing
three, each library will develop one.
The Smart TV’s will also be used by each library for staff training
and demonstrations to patrons of databases including but not limited to
Wilbor, Freegal, EbscoHost, and Library Express. The larger images should
help patrons learn and digest the materials. The demonstrations via the
Smart TV are a means to see, to learn, and to ask questions of the
presenter.
Goal 1: To promote technology and resource sharing among our library
communities and staff
Objective 1 – Purchase a large Smart TV which can be wall-mounted for
each library
Objective 2-- Develop a policy for use of the Smart TV technology
with our library for staff and patrons
Objective 3-- Joint library staff training on uses of Smart TV –
examples such as Skype, various apps, streaming videos and other
technology
Objective 4-- Prepare press release about shared activities for area
media
Objective 5-- Jointly develop a general evaluation survey
Goal 2:
To introduce a higher level of technology to our communities.
Objective 1 - Meet as a group of three libraries to plan shared
activities for patrons aimed at one shared activity per calendar quarter
Objective 2 – Each library will hold additional tech training classes
for their own patrons six times a year
Objective 3 – Staff will be able to train patrons for future use.
Project Schedule:
January 2014
Purchase Smart TV and install at each library
Begin work on policy for each library
Begin planning via a wiki for the shared activities of the
three libraries
February
Staff training on use of the Smart TV
March
Finalize shared activities plans
Submit status report to State Library of Iowa
April
Kickoff for Smart TV
Week
3 tech programs held
library will present
for National Library
activities
activities during National Library
via Skype during that week—each
one. Each library plans an open house
Week with Smart TV as part of the
June
First week of June—Book/Author Skype with Local Author with
all three having read the same book
July
Submit Final Report/ Evaluation of Project
Project Budget:
3 Smart TV’s
(Amount received through grant)
$4,500 ($1500 per library)
Local Library Contributions
Each library will contribute this amount to
Be applied to the following:
Wall mount
Sound bar
Installation costs
$750 @ 3 =
Total cost of completed project:
$6,750
$2,250
12. What is the economic need of your library or group of libraries?
Our three communities average a 70% qualification for free and
reduced meals. All of our communities have community dinners for those in
need, as well as food banks. This proves that often those who are
distressed or hurting may be hidden in our community. Our communities
also feel that there is a need for weekend meals and, therefore, weekend
backpack meals have been provided for those in need. One of our
communities has a twenty-five percent Hispanic population. In addition,
we are all classified as “rural” which often means that some residents do
not have the benefit of the technology that those living in an urban area
would have. The library is where they can come for instruction,
evaluation, and help! In addition, each of the libraries has seen budget
cuts; or budgets have remained the same during the last few years. Our
dollars are buying more formats, with limited capability to fund “new”
technology.
13. How will this project improve the lives of the citizens in your community?
We introduce our citizens to new technology. We train them on its uses
and benefits in their lives. Our libraries are the go-to places for
information on technology in our small communities. We furnish our patrons
with the tools they do not have at home or cannot afford thereby enabling
them to be competent in their workplace or personal lives. This
technology will allow us to bring in programs that may not be available to
all citizens, such as author visits, webinars, and training modules. We
would be bringing the world of Web 2.0 to our citizens
14. How is your project unique or how does it demonstrate an innovative use of technology?
The three libraries involved in this grant, Hawarden, Sioux Center and
Le Mars, are sharing equipment, programs, staff and ideas across county
lines. We are sharing resources and staff as we better each other’s
communities. We are opening our libraries to growth by sharing planning
processes as well as equipment. This is the beginning of the future of
our collaboration. We are not bound by city or county lines. We are only
limited in our future by what we fail to discover among ourselves and our
communities. Our programs with the Smart TV will bring citizens of
different communities together as they acquire the knowledge of new
technology. It is a win-win program aimed at growth
15. Describe how the project will be evaluated. What are the results you are hoping for with this
project?
How will you know if the goals and objectives are achieved?
 After each joint program, participants will be asked to complete a
short survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and the use
of the Smart TV as a tool.
 We will also track attendance at each of the programs which use the
Smart TV. Without this project, it would be difficult to expose our
patrons to new technology.
 Our success or failure depends on: 1) the capability to reproduce
our programs for use by others, 2) the ability to expand programs to
include other libraries, and 3) active involvement and impact to our
communities.
 We will track how many businesses make use of the library’s Smart TV
for webinars or other training.
 We will survey each library’s staff to determine the success of the
teaching techniques and the learning that took place.
The planned programming will be a springboard for lifelong learning. We
strongly feel that lifelong learning is one of the cornerstones in today’s
community library. The citizen responses to the survey will allow us to
plan for the future and to know the direction needed to deliver technology
and information.
Send hardcopies to:
Iowa Library Technology Grants
Iowa Library Services
1112 East Grand Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Send e-mail attachments to:
[email protected]
Fax to:
515-281-6191