Internet2 is an advanced network consortium, led by the research and education community since 1996, whose goals are to provide leading-edge network capabilities and facilitate the development, deployment, and use of revolutionary Internet technologies. The national Internet2 research and education network is different from the commodity Internet is that there are fewer users; and with the backbone made entirely of fiber-optic cables, and infused with advanced-network capabilities, it is capable of moving data thousands of times faster and more efficiently than the commodity Internet.

Getting Connected

• If you are from an academic library at a research university, consult the Internet2 member directory to find out if your institution is a member of the Internet2 consortium http://www.internet2.edu/membership/categories/
  
• If you are from a public or school library in one of the yellow states on the following map, and your institution connects to the Internet via your state education network, then you may already be one of the estimated 50,000 organizations also connected to Internet2! Contact James Werle or Louis Fox if you have any questions.
• See the “Am I connected to Internet2?” sidebar to the right for more information.

As our patrons continue to become more sophisticated users of technology they will need libraries to be more than access points for digital information or the printed page. Libraries are uniquely positioned to help infuse meaningful next-generation technologies into the communities they serve.The most powerful libraries in the future will be technology agnostic, providing access to information and knowledge regardless of format. Print, digital, audio, video, and human expertise all combine to transform the library into a symphony of community learning. By integrating innovative uses of technology into the life of libraries, they become integrated it into the lives of the communities.

How does access to an advanced network compliment existing public library efforts to serve their communities in an increasingly digital world? Internet2 offers three major benefits:

1. Improved performance of the existing applications patrons use every day such as web browsing and email. A listener can more fully enjoy the uncompressed CD quality audio stream offered by Internet2-hosted radio stations such as KEXP.org or watch video programs in high-definition at ResearchChannel.org when they are delivered over Internet2 rather than the commodity Internet.
2. The necessary networking infrastructure to access collections, tools, applications, services, training, and outreach opportunities that were impossible or unreliable before. Perhaps one of the most compelling implications for libraries is how the Internet2 network, coupled with the advanced videoconferencing services it enables, is capable of eliminating the traditional barriers imposed by time and distance to bring people together in revolutionary ways.
3. For all of its ability to move bits and bytes around at the speed of light, what makes Internet2 transformative is not the physical network but the network of innovators it enables. We invite librarians to join this network of innovation as we develop the revolutionary digital content, services, and learning opportunities that will continue to define and shape the future of the Internet and libraries.

Mrs. Annie Busch
Executive Director
Springfield-Greene County Library

Annie Busch leads a library system which serves a quarter million people in the Springfield, MO metropolitan area. She is well connected and knows what is going on in her community. On September 11^th, 2001, when a blasting crew discovered the Riverbluff Cave outside of town she knew this exceptional Ice Age fossil site was going to be very popular with the community.

Annie got to know paleontologist Matt Forir who serves as a naturalist for Springfield-Greene County Parks Department. Since the cave was closed to the public as soon as it was discovered to protect the unique remains, Annie and Matt attempted to satisfy the intense public interest in the cave by hosting low-tech slide shows to packed crowds at the library.

Bill Giddings, who serves as the Director of Education and Library Programs at MOREnet, Missouri’s state education network, learned of the cave’s discovery and had an idea. “Bill wanted to get the cave wired with fiber optics and connected to the network. He is a former elementary school teacher and has a passion for getting the educational message out beyond the local community” explained Busch.

After a couple years of dogged effort and a combination of cost sharing, in-kind labor, and local business donations, the cave wiring project was complete.

Annie said, “When I heard our local author David Harrison was writing a book about the cave, I knew we had to do an event at the library that wrapped the literacy, technology, and science pieces of the cave together. The stars just aligned.”

On April 14, 2007, the library hosted a book-signing for David Harrison, author of Cave Detectives: Unraveling the Mystery of an Ice Age Cave. During the event Harrison and the 175 attendees at the library were able to interact live via videoconference with lead paleontologist, Matt Forir and his assistant, Lisa McCann, from their locations within the clay-coated chambers of the cave. The event was also streamed live over Internet2 so other libraries, schools, museums, and science centers around the country and the world could tune in.

“We see the library as a community gathering place. Technology allows us to reach out to a broader range of patrons all over the world,” remarked Annie, “MOREnet and Internet2 provide a wealth of resources and technical expertise so we don’t have to provide them on site. This is one of the benefits of a great state network. If we had to figure out the video streaming in house, we probably wouldn’t have done it, Bill just said, ‘We’ll take care of it!’”

The IP videoconferencing piece came together relatively easy as the Missouri state library uses federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds to provide videoconferencing equipment and training to public libraries across the state. “The public uses our videoconferencing facilities on a weekly basis. These activities range from paleontologist Matt Forir consulting with scientists on his discoveries in the cave to patrons doing remote job interviews. It is a very popular service with our patrons and our connection to MOREnet and Internet2 increases the quality substantially,” commented Annie, “we also do a lot of staff training and collaboration remotely. Quite a few state agencies have professional meetings at the library using videoconferencing as well.”

The Springfield-Greene County Library system has a well developed marketing machine in place to help publicize their wide range of events. The library system also enjoys tremendous media coverage owing to their consistent production of high quality press releases.

If you would like to learn more about how Springfield-Greene County Library is using Internet2, please contact Annie Busch. She is more than happy to share her experiences.