The Second Century - The Newark Public Library

Victoria Technology Center Opens

Posing for the ribbon-cutting ceremony are Robert T. Speltz, MCI WorldCom; Saleemah Fleurizard, Victoria Foundation; Dr. Alex Boyd, Library Director; Ron Spadaro, MCI WorldCom.

On April 14, the Library held a grand opening for the new Victoria Technology Center, the most-recent component of our $2,000,000 NEON (NEwark ONline) Project. The Center, funded by grants from the Victoria Foundation and MCI WorldCom’s Library-LINK Program, continues fulfilling the Library’s quest to ensure all patrons have free and convenient access to electronic information. In connection with this project, five Newark Public Library “Hub Sites” are being established at branches—one in each ward of the city. These will be well-equipped facilities at which the staff will offer computer-technology training to students in grades six through twelve.

The Victoria Technology Center (VTC) is located on the third floor of the Main Library. It has eighteen computer stations: five dedicated to word processing, the remainder available for both word processing and the Internet. There also are two ports for patrons to “plug-in” their laptop computers. Six of the workstations are designed for express use: checking e-mail, quick surfing of the Internet, etc.

“This new center keeps us ahead in computer technology,” states Dr. Alex Boyd, Library Director, “when compared with most urban library systems. We are in the vanguard, not only because of the generosity of the State Library, the federal government, and numerous foundations and corporations, but especially because of the continued support of the City of Newark.”

Now that the VTC is open, the existing technology center, which is located opposite the VTC, will be used exclusively for computer training. Since the Technology Training Center opened in 1997, more than 3,000 patrons have attended free computer classes—in English and in Spanish—in a variety of introductory and advanced workshops: word processing, computer literacy, searching the World Wide Web, e-mail, creating a résumé, and job information on the Internet.

A staff of 5 supports the services of the two technology centers.

“The centers’ staff,” explains Marianne K. Avery, Assistant Directory for Central Library Services, “will serve as the necessary link between the user and the technology as they provide expert assistance and instruction.”

For additional information about the computer-technology services of The Newark Public Library, or to register for one of the free workshops, please call (973) 733-3603, visit the Centers, or access the Web site: http://ptc.npl.org.

The Second Century is published by the Development Department of The Newark Public Library, Dr. Alex Boyd, Library Director, and the Board of Trustees: Alberto Coutinho, President; Betty S. Rufalo, Vice President; Trish Morris-Yamba, Secretary; Joseph Yeadon, Treasurer; State District Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Beverly Hall, Marion A. Bolden, Alternate; Mayor Sharpe James, Dolores Henry Metz, Alternate; Felix Cruz, Dr. Clement Alexander Price, Frank Salsano.


Volume 10 Number 2, Summer 1999