Contact Information (press inquiries only) The New York Public Library Public Relations Office 188 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 phone: 212.592.7700 fax: 212.592.7729 
|
Fact SheetTraining Center Fact SheetHarrison S. Kravis Electronic Training CenterA state-of-the-art training center designed to develop research skills for the new era of electronic information retrieval has been created to help visitors use the vast resources of The New York Public Library's new Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL), located at 34th Street and Madison Avenue. The facility has 15 seats equipped with individual Gateway 2000 computer workstations in each of two rooms. Another two rooms of 15 seats each with Macintosh computers and connections for laptops, respectively, can be devoted to training as needed. Free Instruction Experienced instructors will offer daily classes free of charge. Although the schedule will vary, a general introduction to SIBL's holdings, electronic and print, will be available frequently, with about 30 minutes of lecture and questions and answers. Instruction will also be offered periodically on a variety of topics such as how to search databases, how to locate patents, how to research trademarks, and how to gain access to the library's treasure-trove of government information. While the general introductory class requires no computer skills, the other classes assume familiarity with a mouse and keyboard. Individuals can walk in off the street, consult one of SIBL's interactive kiosks for the day's class offerings and register for a class. Interested groups should call in advance to reserve space. Using SIBL A library customer can use one of the terminals at the Online Catalog Center to consult the CATNYP-computerized catalog of The Research Libraries or the LEO catalog of The Branch Libraries. And the researcher can use one of the work stations in the Electronic Information Center to gain access to Internet sites or databases, both online and CD-ROM. The more traditional reading rooms seat 500, but these spaces are all wired for laptop computer connections to SIBL's server. This allows the user to reach The New York Public Library's World Wide Web site (http://www.nypl.org), including the catalogs, SIBL research guides and other sites on the Internet. The library includes a research-level collection of l.2 million volumes, a circulating collection of 50,000 books, and 110,000 business and scientific periodical and journal titles. SIBL, the nation's largest public information center devoted solely to busi-ness and science, is a l60,000-square-foot facility located in the former B. Altman building. Gwathmey Siegel & Associates designed the $l00 million project, the largest undertaking in the history of The New York Public Library since the landmark Center for the Humanities at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street opened in 1911. The project is notable for its public/private partnership with funding from a combination of federal, state, city and private sources. Return to Press Releases Page PRO:ls:5/2/96 thoerenz, pro, 5/17/96 |