slashgirl writes “The initial story: ‘Information leaked to the chairman of CAP Nova Scotia put Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library in overdrive Wednesday to try and save a popular Canada-wide program.
“CAP is going to be ‘sunsetted,’ ” said Eric Stackhouse, the region’s chief librarian, of the community Internet program.
Rumours that the federal government would cut the 11-year-old Community Access Program were confirmed for him when Industry Canada representatives cancelled a meeting Tuesday to discuss a program review. Industry Canada was supposed to review the program by the end of the month.’
Article is here: herald.ns.ca
In many areas, especially in rural NS, the C@P site is in the local branch library…and most of our branch libraries are small. I’m sure cutting the C@P funding will affect the Regional Libraries’ ability to fund computer access in the future. This will impact rural Nova Scotians the most. I know that I used to use it a lot — before we got internet at home; and I was even using it this past spring & summer, before we got HS internet at home, so I could d/l large files. I think it would be a shame for this program to be lost.
Two follow up articles: herald.ns.cal
and: Here“
CAP Sites
This is an important program. For instance, the training session that Kelli Wooshue and I did for helping people learn Web 2.0 used equipment that was procured from CAP funding.
The spectrum of this program is vast. In some cases, CAP _is_ the a library’s budget for public access computers and training. In other cases, CAP gives libraries an opportunity to experiment and try new things like laptop labs for IT Skills training, Literacy classes, ESL, Youth Engagement and so on.
Also, CAP broadens the digital divide mission to the broader community. We have partners ranging from the Salvation Army to Employment Centres all of whom have the same goal of bringing access to technology to those who need it.
I also think an assumption has been made that access to technology is simply about computers in libraries (or other centres). When I encounter the person who barely knows how to use a mouse, it becomes obvious to me that just placing a computer on a desk is like giving someone a crane and telling them to operate it. Hello? Training is important too!
In a city of 350,000 our library had over 600,000 one hour bookings. Give us more computers (and space to put them in) and we’ll fill them. Guaranteed.
Re:CAP Sites
I know of many rural libraries in Ontario who have a web presence only because they got money through CAP funding. In some cases the funding was for a year and the website was never updated. In more cases, once they got it started, CAP funding kept it going.If this is true, it will be sorely missed.