"Today technology is delivering the knowledge of mankind to our computer desktops and the 'digital divide' is closing. The driving force behind these trends is libraries. The caretakers of this vast and ever-growing information universe are librarians."
 
—Dr. James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress
 

During the past decade, there has been a profound change in the nature of information delivery. The Los Angeles Public Library has stayed abreast of these changes, transforming itself into a state-of-the-art institution that is now the City's primary resource for free access to information sources essential for education and personal growth.
 
Over the next three years, to help the Los Angeles Public Library remain at the forefront, the Library Foundation is raising $8 million to support critically needed advanced information technologies.
 
Gifts to the Foundation's Fund for New Information Technologies will provide support in the following areas:

To Help Bridge the Digital Divide

• Expand wireless access service to all 71 branch libraries, making it possible for travelers, business people, students, researchers and others to access LAPL's wealth of online information sources using their own laptop or PDAs.
• Provide specially trained after-school computer aides to help the thousands of students who go to the library each afternoon and on weekends.
• Replace computers and servers. Because of the constant use and the rapidly changing nature of electronic resources, the equipment that supports every aspect of LAPL's information delivery system must be kept at an optimum level.
• Over the next three years, provide additional T-1 dataline connections or fiber optics to accommodate demands on the system. The increased number of computers and the complexity of new information sources are pushing the limits of current dataline bandwidth beyond its capabilities.
   
  

Web Services and Database Enhancements

• Add new features to LAPL's online catalog to enable patrons to create their own book lists, receive notification when a new book is added to the collection, or pay fines online.
• Add more information-rich subscription databases. Public demand for on-site and remote access to these resources is growing daily.
   
  

Digitization Program

• LAPL has digitized and cataloged more than 50,000 historic photographs, documents, and rare books. However, this only scratches the surface. Specialized staff and sophisticated equipment are needed to add another 100,000 images.
   
  

Learn more about the library's online resources by clicking on the following links

• Digitized photographs from the Library's own collections
• "Guide to the Web," a carefully researched compilation of web sites recommended by the library's professional staff
• "Electronic Neighborhood," a collection of indexes and images documenting the history of Southern California
• More than 150 subscription databases
• Online catalog of books, featuring excerpts, bibliographies and annotations

 
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During the 1950s, a number of technological advancements put the Los Angeles Public Library at the national forefront. Innovations included: An audio-visual department to make films and recordings available to the public for the first time; photo-lending equipment to make book-borrowing and record-keeping simpler and more accurate; and, new collections of reference materials in microfilm, microfiche, and microprint formats.
 
Fast-forward to the present and you can't help but notice what a difference 50 years makes. Today's state-of-the-art libraries bear little resemblance to those of the past. One can only imagine what the future will bring!
 

How to Make a Donation to the Fund:
 
ONLINE through the Library Foundation Store