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Local library educates the public about Internet safety and security CHICAGO (23 July 2001) - Type A Learning Agency and the Ela Area Public Library are pleased to announce the launch of the Internet Safety Awareness website (www.internet-safety.org), a unique collaboration between the library, the North Suburban Library System, and the police departments of Lake Zurich and Hawthorn Woods. Internet Safety Awareness is a website designed to educate the public about topics such as online crime, computer privacy, and children’s awareness. The project was funded by a grant from the Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State. “We were quite enthusiastic to take on this project,” explained Anna Belyaev, Type A’s managing member. “There is so little reliable information available on the web about Internet safety in general, and even less written specifically for an adult audience. We like working on almost any educational project at Type A, but this site is one-of-a-kind.” George Kalinka, the Electronic Resources Specialist for the Ela Area Public Library, echoed Belyaev’s sentiment about the special nature of the Internet Safety Awareness web site. “This project represents a unique collaboration between law enforcement and public libraries,” said Kalinka. “As far as we know, no other site like it exists anywhere in the world.” Besides offering guides to the public on crime awareness, children’s issues, and the law, the Internet Safety Awareness website also features a glossary, a section on online etiquette, and an ‘Ask an Expert’ feature allowing members of the public to pose questions directly to volunteer law enforcement personnel. “ ‘Ask an Expert’ is one of the cornerstones of the website,” commented Kalinka. “Members of the public can post questions on any of the topics covered by the site. When a law enforcement volunteer answers their question, they will receive an email notifying them to go back to the site and read the response.” Deputy Chief Pat Finlon of the Lake Zurich Police Department was similarly enthusiastic. “As a police officer, I don’t always get as many opportunities to help educate the public as I would like. This is a chance for me and other police officers to respond to the public’s questions about online safety in a comfortable and non-intimidating forum.” Although parts of the site focus on the United States in general, and Illinois in particular, Kalinka emphasizes that the Internet Safety Awareness website is accessible to a worldwide audience. “Absolutely, our first priority is to the population we serve,” said Kalinka, “but most of the information on this site is relevant to all Internet users, whether they’re from Lake Zurich, or Zurich, Switzerland.” Belyaev also stressed some of the other unique features of this project for Type A. “It’s unusual for a firm like ours to coordinate a project between multiple public agencies,” said Belyaev, “but we worked with the Ela Area Public Library to ensure that we had a streamlined process.” “One of the most interesting aspects of working on this site was the accessibility component,” continued Belyaev. “Ensuring that the website would perform well for people using ADA-compliant workstations was a fun challenge for us, and a terrific opportunity for Type A’s staff to sharpen its accessibility skill set.” The Internet Safety Awareness website officially went live on June 28, 2001, and can be found at http://www.internet-safety.org. CONTACTS: Anna Belyaev George Kalinka
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© 2010 Type A Learning Agency LLC. All rights reserved.
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