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Indiana State Library Selects ENA as Statewide Internet Access Service Provider
[March 02, 2010]

Indiana State Library Selects ENA as Statewide Internet Access Service Provider


INDIANAPOLIS --(Business Wire)-- The Indiana State Library has selected Education Networks of America, Inc., (ENA (News - Alert)) for a four-year contract to provide Internet access and managed network and telecommunication services for members of the Indiana Public Library Internet Consortium. Through competitive selection processes, ENA has provided these services to the State Library since 2006.



According to Deputy State Librarian Jim Corridan, the role of the community library has changed in recent years, growing from primarily a book-lending institution to a full-service community center that meets the educational, professional and entertainment needs of their patrons. From researching medical issues and filing taxes and unemployment documents to searching for jobs and improving professional skills, libraries connect patrons to information that can improve the quality of their lives. This expanded role of the library demands ever-increasing bandwidth and network management expertise.

Since ENA was first awarded the statewide contract, total Internet access available to Indiana libraries has increased by nearly 250 percent. The amount of funding libraries received from the federal E-Rate program also doubled during this time, equating to nearly $1 million in additional savings. In addition to compelling price advantages, the Indiana State Library selected ENA because of the high level of service and support provided to Consortium members.


The State Library can rely on ENA to be their single point of contact and accountability for network services as well as provide continuous technology improvements over the life of the contract. ENA also takes the lead in ensuring that libraries have access to the latest advancements in technology, such as security services and Internet2, an advanced networking consortium led by the research and education community.

"Many Hoosiers rely on Indiana's public libraries to bridge the digital divide through equal and equitable access to digital-age information and technologies," said Deputy State Librarian Jim Corridan. "ENA's robust, scalable and cost-effective statewide network is essential for Indiana's public libraries to meet their communities' growing information needs." Like the corporate world, libraries have transitioned to digital content and media searchable through electronic databases - oftentimes remotely accessible for their convenience - rather than card catalogs. To further this transition, nearly 75 Indiana library districts to date have joined the Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium, a statewide resource-sharing project, said Catherine Lemmer, project coordinator for Evergreen Indiana. Member libraries enjoy access to other members' collections and use an enterprise-class software program for managing, cataloging and circulating those materials. ENA's network has been instrumental in making this statewide resource-sharing initiative, too, a success. As outlined in the State Library's letter of selection memorandum, ENA's "level of proactive customer care sets ENA apart from other companies … The needs of the public libraries of Indiana would be [best] addressed by ENA because of extensive customer service and support solutions." "We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to continue serving Indiana's library patrons and librarians," said David Pierce, president and CEO of ENA. "ENA endeavors to embody the motto ‘service is the solution' in every touchpoint we have with customers. This high level of customer care has become the hallmark of ENA's service delivery and we look forward to another four years of providing exceptional network service and solutions to Indiana's Library Internet Consortium." ABOUT EDUCATION NETWORKS OF AMERICA ENA provides managed network and communication services to customers in the education, library and government sectors. Their scalable solutions facilitate collaboration, increase productivity and decrease the cost of information management through the convergence of data, voice and video technologies. ENA currently manages multiple statewide and district-wide education and library networks successfully serving over 5,000 end sites, 560 school districts, 230 libraries, more than 2.5 million students, teachers and administrators and more than 6.2 million librarians and patrons. Empowered by their networks, ENA's customers can focus on what matters most: preparing students, strengthening communities and leading enterprises into the 21st century. For more information, please visit www.ena.com.

ABOUT THE INDIANA STATE LIBRARY The Indiana State Library was established in 1835 to provide library services to Indiana's state governmental officials and employees. Since that time, the responsibilities of the State Library have expanded to provide services to all the citizens of Indiana. Just as the Library of Congress serves as the historical repository for our nation, the State Library is responsible for collecting and preserving all types of information and data about the state of Indiana. For more information, visit www.in.gov/library.

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