Chambersburg District Libraries

RELEASE DATE: July 11, 2003

CONTACT PERSON: Ricky Prado 717-709-0282 x216 rprado@fclspa.org

SUBJECT: Faster Internet at Blue Ridge Summit Free Library

Internet access at the Blue Ridge Summit Free Library is faster than ever thanks to a July 1 upgrade of its Internet connection. The library’s patrons have already noticed the difference. “Patrons are very happy with it because it’s faster,” said Nancy Bert, Branch Manager.

Internet access is now four times faster than it used to be. Blue Ridge Summit’s new DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) connection transfers data at a rate of 512Kbps, whereas the old ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) connection transferred data at only 128Kbps. “If you want a comparison, just think that your best dial-up modem at home is only about 56Kbps. So the new DSL connection is almost 10 times as fast as a good dial-up modem,” said Ricky Prado, Chambersburg District Libraries District Consultant. PAdotNET is the Internet service provider for the Franklin County Library System.

The St. Thomas Library in St. Thomas and the Fulton County Library in McConnellsburg were also recently upgraded. The upgrades were all funded in part through the federal E-rate program. E-rate is a federal subsidy program that allows libraries and schools to receive discounted telecommunications services and Internet access.

The Internet computers at Blue Ridge Summit, as well as the Franklin County Library System’s other libraries, will soon be filtered. This is in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). This act requires that libraries receiving certain federal funds for technology use filtering software on their public access computers.

The Franklin County Library System has not used filtering software in the past. “All of our Internet computers throughout the district are monitored by staff,” said Prado, “Our incidents of people accessing inappropriate materials have been negligible.” The Franklin County Library System will begin filtering all public Internet computers after the federal government issues compliance guidelines for CIPA.

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