Project Videonet

Survey of Videoconferencing Use Among U.S. Public Libraries

Survey Conducted - March and April, 2003

Findings Published -- July 2003

I.  Background

Over the past five years, videoconferencing has become an important communications technology in many American public libraries.  However, many of those libraries, at least in California, have said they could benefit from more information regarding how their peer institutions are purchasing, using, and promoting the technology.

In response, Project Videonet recently surveyed nearly 200 equipped public libraries across the country regarding a variety of videoconferencing issues. After analyzing survey findings, we are pleased to publish this "snapshot" of how public libraries are using videoconferencing to better serve their patrons and support their staffs.

Major findings, conclusions, and recommendations are below. For more details, please see:

• Summary matrix of survey results, All States
• Detailed Findings from California Libraries
• Detailed Findings from Libraries Outside California

II.  Major Findings:

• Most public libraries purchase videoconferencing equipment with the help of grant funding or other assistance. Some receive equipment as part of a statewide or regional deployment.

• Most public libraries cover ongoing videoconferencing expenses out of their regular operating budgets. In a minority of cases, libraries receive full or partial subsidy for ongoing expenses as members of a statewide or regional videoconferencing consortium.

• A number of other states approach videoconferencing deployment and utilization very differently from California.  Outside California, more than 60 percent of public libraries belong to a videoconferencing consortium, characterized by a shared vision, strategy, action plan, and administrative support for maximizing the technology's utility.  In some consortia, members share a set of common practices and procedures pertaining to videoconferencing, as well as policies and pricing for use by outside groups.  (Interestingly, most consortia include members of multiple library jurisdictions; only 2 percent of respondents reported that their consortium consists of only a main library and its branches.)

• Within California, only about 10 percent of equipped libraries are involved in a videoconferencing consortium. Adoption of the technology tends to be on a site-by-site basis, and there is no "master plan" for using it within or between libraries.

• ISDN remains the major telecommunications technology for public library videoconferencing - almost exclusively so in California.  However, another type of platform known as IP (for "Internet protocol") is coming on strong in other states, due to flat-rate pricing and/or improved reliability.  Outside California, nearly half of equipped libraries are using an IP platform, either the Internet or a proprietary network.  (See issue 2 of Videonet Vibrations! for more information on IP-based videoconferencing.)

• Across all states, the two most common public library videoconferencing applications are staff training and administrative meetings.   However, frequency of use is much higher among libraries outside California, with 41 percent using it more than 20 times a year, vs. only eight percent in California.

• California libraries cited the top three barriers to use as (1) lack of time/interest on the part of library staff, (2) telecommunications expenses and/or or technical difficulties, and (3) room scheduling conflicts. 

• Although about two-thirds of U.S. public libraries make their equipment available to community groups and businesses, only 14 percent do any marketing.  Consequently, frequency of use by outside groups is generally low.

• Among California libraries, the top three videoconferencing needs are (1) more programming, (2) lower telecommunications costs, and (3) availability of more technical assistance (including troubleshooting for chronic problems, mini-guides, and training).

III.  Conclusions:

A major predictor of videoconferencing frequency-of-use appears to be membership in a videoconferencing consortium.   Forty-four percent of consortia members use their equipment more than 20 times a year, vs. just 9 percent of unaligned libraries.

There is also an apparent correlation between frequency of use and the type of underlying telecommunications network, with 61 percent of proprietary network users using videoconferencing 20 or more times a year, vs. only 18 percent of ISDN users who report that many instances of use.

Many consortia members are also proprietary network users, so it's unclear which, if either, characteristic has a greater impact on frequency of use.  But even in the ISDN world, consortium members are more frequent users than their unaligned peers (45% vs. 9% reporting 20 or more instances of use per year).   This suggests that collaboration and cooperation can boost usage frequency even in the absence of a shared telecommunications network.  

IV.  Recommendations:

An analysis of survey results suggests the following steps for helping make videoconferencing a more useful and effective communications technology among California public libraries:

• Eliminate telecommunications usage charges by migrating from ISDN to IP.  ISDN usage charges are a fiscal Sword of Damocles overhanging many budget-strapped public libraries, particularly rural libraries which stand to benefit the most from this technology.

• Increase technical reliability and ease-of-use by migrating to proprietary networks which offer enhanced customer support, such as WireOne's GlowPoint or public sector alternatives such as CALREN-2 (which serves the UC System) or 4Cnet (serving the CSU system and the California community colleges).  Note:  the California State Library's Rural Initiative will conduct a test using WireOne this year, with a handful of rural public libraries. 

• Provide easy-to-find and easy-to-use tools to facilitate ease-of-operation, including how-to guides, tip sheets, and an online directory of other public library and educational institutions with the technology.  Note:  Concurrent with the survey distribution, Project Videonet began offering several sessions of "Videoconferencing Fundamentals," a class for staff members having hands-on involvement with videoconferencing equipment.  The class provides many helpful tip sheets. 

• Encourage the State Library and regional systems to lead in developing a shared vision, strategy, and action plan for videoconferencing deployment and use among public libraries. These are the elements that distinguish those out-of-state consortia which have been most successful in institutionalizing videoconferencing among member institutions (as measured by frequency-of-use.)  Note:  One action item for Project Videonet action item is to work with the California State Library, Library of California, and the regional systems to enable expanded meeting and training participation through the use of videoconferencing and other virtual meeting technologies.  

• Provide training on the human factors involved with videoconferencing, which have a huge impact on user comfort and meeting/training effectiveness.  These range from participants sitting too far from the microphone, resulting in other sites having difficulty hearing, to failing to provide advance handouts, resulting in participant disgruntlement with the time lost in last-minute faxing.   Note:  These issues are addressed in the aforementioned "Videoconferencing Fundamentals" class.

• Encourage libraries to market videoconferencing as a public meeting room enhancement, but only after analyzing their individual circumstances and developing an appropriate policies and fees.   Note:  Project Videonet is developing a guide to setting videoconferencing use policies and fees, as well as generic marketing materials which public libraries can localize and use to promote their videoconferencing capability within their community.

This research project is a component of Project Videonet, which is working to build a framework for cooperation among the more than 40 California public libraries equipped with interactive videoconferencing.  Project Videonet is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.   For more information about Project Videonet, contact project manager Dan Theobald of i2i Communications at 415-431-0329 or via email at dtheobald@i2icom.com. Last updated July 11, 2003.