Funding For FY1999-2000, the State appropriated $3,000,000 for the Alabama Virtual Library in the budget of the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS). APLS was the unanimous choice of the representatives of all the educational sectors as the state agency to oversee the development and management of the AVL. The groups seeking funding for the AVL promised the legislators that: The AVL will serve constituents of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (NAAL), Alabama Dept. of Postsecondary Education (public two-year colleges), Alabama Public Library Service (public libraries), Alabama State Department of Education (k-12 school systems). A board representing these state agencies and the Alabama Supercomputer Authority will be appointed to oversee the AVL. The Alabama Public Library Service is the state agency legally responsible to manage the AVL and will serve as the fiscal agent. The Alabama Supercomputer Authority will provide technical expertise. Dr. Lamar Veatch, director of APLS, has invited the 5 educational agencies to make three appointments to an AVL board/steering committee/advisory committee. Of these appointments, one should represent the agency and at least one should represent its constituents. Agencies to be represented are: - Alabama Commission on Higher Education - Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education - Alabama State Department of Education - Alabama Public Library Service - Alabama Supercomputer Authority The appointed board will be the body that makes the decisions about the AVL including selection of the databases, how these will be accessed, etc. Funds for the AVL will not be available until October 1, 1999. Under state law, agencies cannot contract for services until the funds available. For the past year, a Steering Committee for the AVL (an informal group representing the state agencies described above along with representatives of the constituent groups) has been working to achieve funding and develop an AVL implementation plan. For the first official meeting of the AVL Board, this committee will recommend that the Board license several databases for Phase I of the AVL. Vendors will be asked to make these available immediately so that some AVL resources can be made available when school starts in August 1999. Point to stress: this will be a temporary implementation and will not represent the entire AVL databases that will be available. | |
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