LORI Grant Part 1

LORI GRANT APPLICATION

Block Island School Library Connection (RILINK)

• Establishing or enhancing electronic linkages among or between libraries

The Town of New Shoreham is a community with 1010 residents¹ on Block Island RI. The island is located twelve miles off the coast of Rhode Island. The Block Island School library serves the education and information needs of students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. 137 students, as well as the 19 Teachers and administrators, are the primary library user group.  Because of the school’s small size and the Island’s location, remote access to information resources will greatly benefit students’ education. As the American Library Association states in Access to Electronic Information, Services and Networks states "Electronic resources provide unprecedented opportunities to expand the scope of information to users." 2  Stephen Baumann and Karen Elinich suggest that networks and advanced technology offer teachers not only more resources, but  more current and more "dynamic" resources and services than they would otherwise have available. These  include museums, government agencies and other educational resources. ³   The Block Island School teachers and librarian believe that RILINK membership will improve students’ assignments and enhance learning. Conversely, the Block Island school library maintains collections that will benefit students from other schools. For example, the school library’s seashore environment and migratory bird collections may benefit students in more urban settings.

Grant funds will be used to connect the Block Island School library to the Rhode Island Library Information Network (RILINK) and convert the school library’s card catalog to machine readable format. RILINK is a web-based union catalog of Rhode Island school library materials. 28 public and private schools belong to the RILINK consortium. RILINK membership will greatly enhance the resources available to students.

 The school choose to apply for a LORI grant to fund this project because The Block Island School Library Connection met  the following LORI grant program goals:

• Establishing or enhancing electronic linkages among or between libraries;

• Assisting libraries in accessing information through electronic networks;

• Encouraging libraries in different areas, and encouraging different types of libraries to establish consortia and share resources;

• Paying costs for libraries to acquire or share computer systems and telecommunications technologies.

    http://www.lori.state.ri.us/grants/lsta.php (accessed June 19, 2003.)

Library/Libraries Participating in the Grant: Block Island School, Box 249 Block Island RI 02807. (401) 466-5600

Grant Administrator: Beth Gaffett Tengwall, MLIS

Enter Name, Title: Beth Gaffett Tengwall, MLIS

School Librarian: Beth Gaffett Tengwall

Signature Beth Gaffett Tengwall

Name Beth Gaffett Tengwall

Phone: (401) 437-2223

Email: bamgt@juno.com

Notes

1. Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. Town of New Shoreham "Block Island." http://www.riedc.com/mcds/rimcdrame.html

2. American Library Association. Access to Electronic Information, Services and Networks: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of    Rights. http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=Interpretations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8514

3. Bauman, Stephen and Karen Elinich. "The Science Learning Network: Partnerships, Technology and Teacher Change. T.H.E.    (Technical Horizons in Education) Journal 25.1 (1997) : 48 (4). http://web2.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/642/275/38255126w2/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A19765756&dyn=9!xrn_2_0_A19765756&bkm_9_2?sw_aep=ripl1

4. Rhode Island Department of Administration, Office of Library and Information Services, Library Programs. About LSTA Grants. http://www.lori.state.ri.us/grants/lsta.php