General information

CALEA Research in Progress

The ALA’s Office of Information and Technology Policy (OITP) has been reviewing the possible impact on public libraries of the federal Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, CALEA. ( See ALA’s CALEA site for background information.)

As part of its work in this area, OITP wants to get a better idea on how public libraries in your state connect to the Internet. Thus, I hope you will take a few minutes and answer the following questions. Even estimated numbers will be useful and appreciated. Please consult with any networking staff as needed.

For the public libraries in your state *not* still on dial-up Internet access:

1) Approximately what percentage of those libraries connect to the Internet via a non-library managed wide area network (WAN)? (This includes WANs managed by municipal or county governments and statewide WANs. The latter are often managed by state government or a not-for-profit entity that may include K-12 and higher education.)

2) Approximately what percentage of those libraries connect to the Internet via a library managed WAN? (This includes WANs managed by a regional library consortium or cooperative. Such WANs are also often used to link libraries that are part of shared integrated library systems. These WANS may include non-public libraries too.)

3) Approximately what percentage of those libraries do not connect to the Internet via a WAN, but connect via a circuit going directly to an Internet Service Provider, ISP? (This includes a library with a DSL or other type of telecommunication circuit going to the ISP or a library that gets Internet access via a local cable company.)

There may be circumstances in which your libraries do not fit easily in the above scenarios. Thus, feel free to add any other information you think will be helpful. (Let Bob know if information on this subject is also on the Web.)

Responses received by COB Tuesday, August 2, will be most useful but responses after this date will be appreciated too.

* Please send responses to: robert.bocher@REMOVECAPS.dpi.state.wi.us

Please let Bob know if you have any questions. Thanks for your cooperation.

-Posted for
Bob Bocher, Member, ALA OITP Advisory Committee