For spaces that are supposed to be quiet, there was a lot of talking going on at the library on Tuesday.
The occasion was a news conference, held in five different libraries around the state but brought together in a virtual space
Fourteen libraries have installed new videoconferencing technology that will allow their patrons to connect to their community and the world beyond Vermont.
The new video service is being offered thanks to a donation from Google. Matt Dunne, Google’s head of community affairs, kicked off the event from the Norman Williams Library in Woodstock.
He said that videoconferencing used to be confined to corporate boardrooms or government agencies that could afford the equipment and the monthly charges. But now software such as Skype or Google Hangout has put the technology within reach of everyone.
“By doing it this way, and by testing the cutting edge of what’s out there we’re able to provide this kind of videoconferencing capability without that kind of ongoing cost, as well as the ability to have it evolve,” he said.
A $77,000 donation from Google helped pay for equipment – large computer monitors, cameras and microphones – as well as training for library personnel.
As Dunne spoke, the images of participants from Rutland, Brattleboro, Burlington and Montpelier were displayed at the bottom of a large screen. There was a bit of warble in the audio and sometimes the picture paused as a person was speaking, but otherwise the technology worked smoothly.
Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, live from Montpelier, said videoconferencing makes the world at large more accessible and affordable for those who may not have broadband service or even basic Internet at home.
“We talk about the affordability of Vermont, and we have folks that are working two or three jobs that don’t have this kind of capability in their homes, who have to make a choice between filling their fuel tank or buying an iPhone,” he said. “So having the libraries provide the service to remain connected is going to be very important.”
From Burlington, library director Rubi Simon said the city’s libraries are adapting to serve a growing population for whom English is a second language. She said the videoconferencing could be used to help people improve their language skills.
“We’re hoping to connect them with other big cities that also have conversation groups and using this as a potential opportunity to kind of go beyond Burlington,” she said.
State librarian Marty Reid said the videoconferencing is a continuation of the public libraries’ mission to provide free Internet and computer access. She sees potential uses ranging from school groups meeting with scientists to military families talking to loved ones stationed overseas.
“I think of the individuals,” she said. “When we started to select where we were going to put this equipment, one of the questions we asked is do you have a space that is private, that somebody could go in and close the door and do a distance job interview, for example, or a conference with a medical specialist.”
Reid said if funding is available she’d like to expand the project beyond the 14 libraries. She said by the end of the year, 45 libraries around Vermont will have fiber optic broadband service.
