Browse archives: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995

Published on 11/02/1998 All articles from this issue

Vision 21 money being put to good use, librarians say

printer friendly version

By Clyde Noel

Special to the Town Crier

It's been two years since Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents and the Packard Foundation, donated $300,000 to upgrade the library's science and technology department.

How have they done? Graham Wallace, chairman of the Library Commission, said he is pleased.

"We are extremely satisfied the way things worked out. We are exceeding our goals in spending the $330,000 (interest and investments) over eight years the way we said we would," Wallace said. "We are right on target and would like to establish an endowment with some of the money to be used year after year."

Catherine Fouts, head librarian, is working on a number of projects that will make Vision 21 more visible to the public. One of the projects is marking the cover of each Vision 21 book purchased with an overlay of the Vision 21 logo.

"We have purchased 1,972 science and technology titles during the past year. Half of the money came from Vision 21, and the rest is from a continuation of the level of spending we maintained in the past," Fouts said. "We are also purchasing a group of non-technical books on science and technology for the non-technical person. You can't live in our society without a knowledge of the many advancements in technology."

Librarian Karen Pranger is in charge of purchasing books and ordering material for Vision 21 expenditures.

"I'm into computers, and they help me keep track of all the Vision 21 items we purchase," she said. "In the lobby, there is a rack with current purchases in science and technology, and I keep the information posted on our Web page.

"We have also purchased CD-ROMS and videos on science and technology. There are instructional videos on Word 97, Excel 97, Photoshop 4.0, Powerpoint and Windows NT. The databases include ComputerSelect, DISCovering Science and ProQuest Applied Science and Technology plus."

For more information about the Vision 21 program, access the Los Altos library Web page: http://www.lib.co.santa-clara.ca.us/losaltos.