9603344 Dowlin San Francisco has just completed building a new state-of-the-art Main library. The San Francisco Public Library will be a front line proving ground for how to implement new science and technology in a modern library and then expand it to branch libraries for systemic reform. The Electronic Library project will explore how to integrate important technological advances into librarians' normal routines, inform and involve the local education community, and educate the public, expanding, but not abandoning the societal role libraries have traditionally filled. The Electronic Library Project will focus on the challenges inherent in implementing new computing systems, networking and communications technology to access local multimedia and remote sources of digital materials and explore new ways to create, store, organize, and catalog unique materials and develop user friendly interfaces for searching, retrieval, and dissemination of the information available now and in the future. Within this comprehensive program of transformation and implementation, the Electronic Library project provides and opportunity to focus on and research the unique issues involved in providing electronic resources to children and youth. The project will introduce children to the expanding world of information technology and resources, and provide free and equal access to knowledge materials for use in fulfilling school assignments and independent inquiry. The Library's Electronic Discovery Center, with it's multimedia computers and extensive digital collection has created a place which will provide a collaborative environment for using technology, to enable development of a new kind of creative potential for children, promote the development of electronic literacy, extend access to remote resources, and provide positive mentoring experiences between older and younger children. The project will explore professional development opportunities for librarians and teachers, and involve parents and familie s. The Library will seek appropriate strategies for cataloging, searching evaluating and adding age appropriate electronic materials to the collection. Also, librarians will be helped in learning how to integrate electronic materials with traditional print materials in their reference strategies. An easy to use interface will be developed and provided that enables easy access to electronic materials and on-line resources for pre-schoolers as well as teenagers. Support and instruction in the use of digital materials will be provided for the young users, along with opportunities to explore the maximum capabilities of the computing and communication technologies at their fingertips. Teen volunteers and college interns will help with hands-on training and on-going support for younger patrons. School librarians will participate in professional development presentations and workshops. To educate teachers about available resources and methods to integrate electronic materials into standard curriculum, every elementary classroom in San Francisco will visit the new Main Library and have a demonstration of the new media resources, and special seminars and training opportunities will be developed for teachers. Pre-schoolers will enter school already familiar with technology and high-schoolers will learn skills that can carry them into high growth careers. Special programming for school librarians, teachers and parents will help the community to learn to use and integrate the resources of an Electronic Library as a regular part of a self-sustaining independent learning infrastructure. This should result in better preschool preparation and increased student achievement. Professional development will enable teachers and librarians to become comfortable with utilizing technology based information as a regular resource. San Francisco Public Library's Electronic Library activities will promote educational innovation and systemic reform for librarians and teachers, and a new resource for the community and will create a replaceable model of an Electronic Library. ***
