Collaboration In Action: A Success Story W. Van Straten, NPL Board Chair K. Dubeau, NPL Board WENDY: Hello everyone. My name is Wendy Van Straten, and I am Board Chair of the Newmarket Public Library. My colleague, Karen Dubeau and I are very pleased to be here today to talk about the Shared Digital Infrastructure project that we have undertaken in Newmarket. It is a particularly good fit for the theme of this conference, which is focused on the power of Collaboration. SDI could not have started without a powerful working partnership among community organizations, and it has become a model for ongoing community planning and development. I’d like to share a quote before we begin, one that underlines how important collaboration can be for communities: A man died and appeared before St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. "What," the man asked, "is the difference between Heaven and Hell?" St. Peter led the man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the man saw a large round table in the middle of the room. In the middle of the table was a large pot of delicious-smelling stew. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. St. Peter said, "You have seen Hell." He then opened the second door. The room was exactly the same as the first. There was a large round table with a large pot of mouth-watering stew. The people had the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, talking and laughing. The man said, "I don't understand." "It's simple," said St. Peter. "It requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. The greedy think only of themselves."

Partners The Shared Digital infrastructure program is an exciting and innovative initiative that harnesses the synergies of the partner organizations to develop shared services and programs that accelerate Newmarket’s transformation into a community driven by knowledge. Originally, the partners came together in the spring of 2009 to examine how they could work together to drive economic development opportunities for Newmarket. Each organization, and in particular the Library, identified that major investments in information technology were being planned. The vision that emerged was to amplify the technology acquisitions among partner organizations, and then to build shared programs and services around it, creating new jobs and opportunities in the process. The original founding partners included the Newmarket Public Library, the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce, Southlake Regional Health Centre and Newmarket Hydro, a municipally-owned utility. As the working group developed their ideas, a funding opportunity was announced as part of the Federal Government’s Economic Action plan – the Community Adjustment Fund.

Shared Digital Infrastructure Enable transformation of the community Strategic opportunities to share investments in IT infrastructure, programs and services Spark the development of a knowledge sector Targeted at communities 100,000 people or less, and whose economies had been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn, the Community Adjustment Fund provided an opportunity for not-for-profit organizations to submit projects that would have positive economic benefits in the community – whether by diversifying the local economy or increasing community capacity. Based on the work that the partners had done to date, the Newmarket Public Library lead the development of a proposal to implement the Shared Digital Infrastructure concept. The total project cost was $2.6 Million, with $2.1 being funding by the CAF, and $500,000 contributions from the partner organizations. In most cases, the partners were able to contribute based on budgeted spends for IT forecasted for the year. Approximately half of the budget was for capital expenditures, the other half was for labour. The original project envisioned a team of 25 people for a 10 month period, to develop SDI. One of the first challenges encountered was the way that the federeal funding was announced. The Library received notice of approval at the end of August, and final contracts were signed in mid-September. However, the project had to still be completed by March 31st, the government’s fiscal year end. So, the first significant challenge faced by the partners was figuring out how to take a 10 month project and compress it to 5 months, all the while learning how to work across the partner organizations at an operational level and, ensuring that we established a clear track record for excellence in the eyes of our funders. It is a testament to the commitment of the partners that the project was re-scaled, and in fact, was successfully accomplished in the required time frame. Over 65 people were hired in a period of 2 months, working across four partner locations.

SDI Executive: Leaders Town of Newmarket Mayor CAO Director of IT Economic Development Officer Library Board Chair CEO Deputy CEO Newmarket Hydro President Southlake RHC Vice President CIO Chamber of Commerce Past Chair It was a core principal to have this project position the collaboration as capable, effective and efficient. The partners and the team rose to these challenges and exceeded all expectations - the project was delivered on-time, and under budget. When you think of how many people came together to function as a cohesive team, across multiple partner organizations, in multiple locations, in such a short time, it is truly astounding. It was the multi- level engagement and commitment among the partners, at strategic, executive and operational levels, that was the key to success. I would like to share some quick statistics about the project to convey the scope and scale of what was accomplished:   65 people were employed on the project, with many more from partner staff contributing in kind time, and broad engagement with community organizations such as the Historical Society, York Region Media Group, York Region District School Board, and numerous local companies also participated. $1.5 Million dollars of technology investments were made within Newmarket, enabling an acceleration of the transformation of our community in a way that would not otherwise have been possible. Three competitive tenders worth a combined $600k + were developed, posted, adjudicated and awarded and delivered in the project time frame. The partner organizations realized significant Returns on Investments, with the Library achieving over 450% ROI, SRHC recognizing over 350%, and the Town realizing over 200% ROI. What has emerged from these working relationships is the understanding that by building shared technology infrastructure , programs and resources , the SDI in effect becomes a key differentiator for our community -- enabling the development of a knowledge-based economic sector, and supporting the strategic integration of technology across all other sectors of the economy. It is an enabling platform that supports innovation, employment creation and community transformation.

www.sdiproject.ca The SDI Project web site is a wonderful window for the community on all aspects of the project. It showcases not only the partnership and accomplishments, but also the diverse skills, knowledge and expertise that came together to make the project a success. The commitment and enthusiasm of the team members, as they embraced the larger vision, enhanced and expanded upon it, created a wealth of connections and opportunities within our community. We would like to invite you to visit the site and explore further the accomplishments under the program. The federal funding for the SDI project was completed in March 2010, but the collaboration with the partners has continued to evolve and develop, and new organizations joining the partnership

Key Components Digitization Lab Community Messaging RFID/Library System New LMS, web site Outreach Programs Video Conferencing Business Education Strategic Planning I’d like to take a few moments to talk about the specific aspects of the SDI project, and some of the wonderful innovations and projects that were developed. There were many components of the SDI project, which provided not only technology infrastructure but also the development of programs and services that were designed to facilitate enhanced services to the community, increased operational efficiencies, and provide resources for residents and businesses to enable the development of an intelligent community. The components included: A digitization lab at the Library, for digitizing microfilm, indexing and storing digital files, and supporting a digital content production process The Integrated Community messaging system is based on a set of screens at different partner locations, accessing shared content libraries and streaming targeted content a new Library Management system and web site - outreach programs to residents to promote availability of digital resources at the Library - video conferencing - outreach to small and medium sized businesses and Strategic planning for the development of intelligent community master plan for Newmarket and area

Newmarket History Digitization Lab at Library Hardware, software, workstations Leading-edge processed and methodologies 125+ Years of ERA Banner Digitized, indexed, publicly available online Rescue Mission: Our History Preserved for Future Generations Arts & Culture: Key Support An advanced Digitization Lab – known as the DLAB – was designed and implemented at the Library, and the staff and expertise provided to set up and execute a significant content digitization program, using leading-edge methodologies and processes, in partnership with Knowledge Ontario   125 years of history from the ERA Banner microfilm collection was digitized, indexed and made accessible online in multiple file formats. This means that a valuable resource otherwise only available to residents, who physically went to the Library, is now searchable and available online to anyone with Internet access, from any location. This project became a rescue mission, as the condition of the microfilm was discovered to have significantly deteriorated in some cases, rolls missing in others. With over 60,000 images preserved, 23,000 images made available online the success of this rescue mission, guarantees our historical culture will be available for future generations. The lab contains scanners to digitize microfilm, workstations with graphics and image manipulation software, large scale file storage on terabyte servers, and a detailed indexing system, along with training documentation and archival systems.

news.ourontario.ca In partnership with Knowledge Ontario, the ERA Banner issues are now accessible via the Internet, and key word searchable. This is a rich resource for our residents and our students, for research and learning. The project has highlighted an ability to engage volunteers in the continuing development of the resource and provide valuable skills development opportunities for the education sector, as well as career transitions and new career development.

news.ourontario.ca The incredible wealth of the resource becomes apparent, when you realize that content pre-dating confederation is now accessible by all. Additional collection development can be accomplished by having video and audio files added – several audio files were recorded, reading aloud letters to the editor from the early 1900s. This brings the resource to life, and provides a wonderful opportunity for people to build on the content, creating mash-ups, linking to personal stories and photographs, related articles and more.

www.archive.org The resources are also available online at the Internet Archive – a secondary source which provides additional tools to increase accessibility – such as Kindle and Daisy formats, and increased opportunities to cross-reference related collections. On a final note, the DLab also digitized over 4,500 subdivision and road construction maps digitized at the Town of Newmarket, in a portable format Work has begun on the development of a robust digital archives for our community, that will only grow and expand as new projects, partners and content sources are identified. We have already identified additional collections such as the local Quaker archives that – while in a climate controlled room, the state of the current storage system leaves it vulnerable to degradation and potential loss. The Library has an important role to play in leading and supporting digitization of historical and cultural content in the community.

Digital Art Collections http://www.ourontario.ca Search: Newmarket Another very exciting accomplishment has been the digitization of important art collections in Newmarket. With the expertise of the SDI DLab team and the resources of the DLab, high quality digital images were taken of the entire Bowman Art Collection at the Library, as well as the Fred Hagan Lithograph Collection held by the Town of Newmarket. The virtual art gallery makes the art work more accessible – searchable by artist, medium, subject and location. It also serves as a digital record of the work, preserving it and recording it. This is the genesis for Newmarket’s Virtual Art Gallery. This initiative directly supports the objectives of the Town’s Master Cultural Plan, as well as the focus on Arts and Culture identified by the Newmarket Economic Development Advisory Committee for future economic development. 3/27/2017 The Shared Digital Infrastructure Project

www.ourontario.ca OurOntario.ca, the hosting site for the collection, provides thumbnail views of the work, the title, description, as well as information regarding the overall collection. There is so much potential to add additional collections, extend it to support student art work, and develop a virtual gallery of works related to Newmarket artists and art located in our community. We have been pleased to see the downloads increase as the availability of the resource becomes more widely known.

Community Messaging: Information Content sharing between SRHC & NPL Ability to target content Content library for community Potential to integrate with other systems Future: available to Police & EMS The community messaging system is a set of screens located at Southlake and NPL, with common content management. This allows not only the sharing of content between screens at these locations, but also the ability to target the content to specific audiences. NPL has promoted author readings relating to health issues on Southlake screens, and the system was leveraged by Newmarket Hydro to promote Earth Hour this past April. Several opportunities are now being explored – the ability to extend and integrate with other systems in Newmarket, such as the town’s screens, private systems such as SNAP TV and the new outdoor digital sign from Telecast Canada. An editorial and technological framework is being developed to enable this collaboration, as well as investigating if the system could be made available to police and EMS in the event of a community emergency. These technologies are enhancing our partners’ abilities to engage the Public and deliver timely information to the community.

RFID & Self Checkout Streamlined Inventory Control Management Self-service Radio frequency identification tags, or RFID, provides the ability to track and manage inventory easily without having to scan bar codes. This technology, along with a state-of-the-art Library management system, has been implemented at the Library, greatly facilitating self-checkout and introducing opportunities for efficiencies and increased customer service. In June of this year, the Library hosted the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Gary Goodyear, for a tour of the facilities created as a result of the CAF funding. He was given an “honourary” library card, which he used to quickly and easily check out a stack of more than 10 books, and the receipt sent to him by e-mail. The RFID component, coupled with the new Library Management system, is a significant investment which puts NPL at the forefront of Library innovation and process optimization. The technology is also of interest to Southlake for both their medical professional library as well as the patient resource centre in the new cancer centre. Discussions with SRHC have begun to explore how the organizations could strategically take advantage of this investment to support the SRHC resource management. We have been fascinated to observe how young children ages 8 and up, immediately use the system with great ease, and in fact, help their parents and caregivers figure out how to use it.

Video Conferencing & Presentation Centres NPL, Chamber, SRHC Video conferencing, webcasts/webinars Document Imagers, Digital Panels SRHC, the chamber and the Library now boast advanced video conferencing and presentation facilities that are based on common platforms. These will enable remote telelearning, the ability to bring in webcasts/webinars, generate new revenues, and integrate across the partner organizations. With high speed, broadband and wireless access, the suites also boast document cameras, media players, sound systems, and digital panels to mark up presentations. These suites will allow us to bring revolutionary ideas to Newmarket and export exciting, Newmarket-grown ideas to the world. The Chamber used the facilities recently to live stream Don Tapscott’s key note address to the YRDSB Quest Education conference, the only non school board site included in the stream. The virtual event was attended by over 20 of the community’s top business leaders, who engaged in a conversation with educators about the future of education, and the needs of businesses in terms of critical skills development. It was a unique dialogue that transcended traditional boundaries in very positive ways. Similar events are planned for the future.

Business Education: Knowledge Over 100 companies assisted Strategic support for local businesses www.teambki.ca The Chamber launched an innovative program for businesses, aimed at assisting them to take full advantage of the opportunities created by the digital economy, and helping them to reposition for a global, competitive market. With advice, support and guidance for funding opportunities, brokered referrals to innovation and commercialization organizations such as MaRS and the Ontario Centres of Excellence, and hands-on, tactical advice on key business issues, the BKI program directly assisted over 100 local companies. Working in partnership with the York Region small business enterprise centre, the bki program was widely recognized as addressing key needs for businesses in Newmarket.   Our local economy has been based primarily on resource and sunset industries which are unlikely to remain into the next generation.  As noted by Dr. Richard Florida, there are new rules of engagement in today’s economy. Entrepreneurs require considerable community support focused on the creation of sustainable business models for innovation to truly become a factor in achieving economic growth, and to secure the talent necessary to sustain it.  It is a hallmark of the program’s success, and of the leadership of the Chamber Board, that the program has integrated nto their strategic plan going forward, and is providing funding to continue some elements of the program. CCC report – Cdn co’s lagging behind global competitors, largely due to slower adoption of ICT by SMEs Chamber positioning bki program as a strategic differentiator for our community, attracting companies, entrepreneurs; making our local companies more successful, and providing support/context for business transformation in digital economy

BKI Activities = Engagement Recognizing the opportunity with the grant funding to directly address the needs and challenges facing small and medium sized businesses, the BKI program was carefully designed to adhere to specific criteria, namely: To not duplicate or replicate any existing programs and services offered by other organizations To ensure that the programs and services were targeted at existing “gaps” in the services available to businesses To work in partnership with other Chambers, business organizations at various levels to ensure that the services provided strategic, relevant, timely and actionable information for our businesses With the grant funding, the BKI program included an intake and assessment process as part of an overall case management system, directing clients to one-one-one consultation services with subject matter experts, hosting twice-weekly information sessions on various strategic topics, including funding opportunities and the support to pursue them as well as ICT for small and medium-sized businesses, the development of a knowledge base, communications vehicles, and branding. Businesses indicating that having access to vendor-neutral advice and guidance, particularly on issues relating to ICT, was of significant benefit. Many identified the amount of time required for them to undertake research on technology, and appreciated being able to receive information and resources about ICT, tailored to the small and medium business needs.

BKI Activities Chamber Board – in April, after reviewing the program and its achievements, as well as how it was received by the business community across the region, made the decision to invest in a full time position of Business Development Manager to continue the core services of the BKI program. Primarily focused on technology and business-specific information sessions, the Power Learning program is comprised of business education, events and information, still keeping to the four program criteria: relevant and timely, no duplication, collaboration. This slide gives an overview of some of the topics that have been addressed to date, as well as those planned for the next few months. Beyond the technology nuts and bolts, however, the sessions are focused on how businesses can leverage their ICT investments, and how to plan for the next wave of technology innovations. The Board recognized the potential of the program to act as a catalyst for change for the businesses, assisting them through the transition to a digital economy, brokering new partnerships and relationships, and fostering increased prosperity for communities as businesses are successful. The needs were clear, as earlier identified through the Cdn Chamber of Commerce report and by others – the question of how best to address these needs is still evolving. However, we have the BKI experience to underscore that Chambers of Commerce have relationships, history, standing, credibility to help drive innovative leadership initiatives in the business community, and can do so effectively in partnership with each other, with municipal economic development offices, and with regional programs. If fact, BKI demonstrated that it has the potential to act as a differentiator for our region – to help attract businesses and retain current ones – that the close collaboration with EDO, YSBEC and other business service programs in effect, becomes our key asset.

Strategic Planning Exploring: SDI as a key tactical strategy supporting economic development As an enabling foundation for Knowledge Sector Create a knowledge-rich environment & facilities Create a digital infrastructure for competitive advantage The recognition that what SDI has begun can directly contribute to the long term goals of the partners, has resulted in a significant outcome of the project: the partner organizations have committed to continuing the dialogue and shared strategic planning with respect to building an intelligent community in Newmarket; What that is and what shape it will take is still being discussed, but the core value proposition is there: the SDI model is an enabling foundation for building knowledge-based industries, engaging businesses, residents and community organizations.

“Community, Powered by Knowledge” Vision “Community, Powered by Knowledge” Collaboration + Innovation = Opportunities Community + Opportunities = Prosperity The vision that has begun to take shape the working committee level is that of a Community, Powered by Knowledge. What SDI has demonstrated is that cross-sectoral collaboration, combined with innovation, will produce opportunities, and many of them. Engaging and connecting residents and businesses with opportunities, results in a dynamic and prosperous community. The unique partnership that generated the SDI project, has resulted in a working prototype of a technology-enabled, community-approach to innovation and economic development. As was referenced in the Miller-Dickinson-Blair report, the SDI project “ represents an important step towards Newmarket positioning itself within the emerging knowledge-based economy. It also addresses two core recommendations from the implementation report:   Initiate an Intelligent Community strategy to highlight way in which knowledge-based industries and infrastructure anchor the local economy • Create a community-based organization (with Waterloo’s Communitech as a model) to spearhead local KBI initiatives and smart infrastructure development Newmarket: powered by Knowledge Build on shared digital infrastructure to focus on how to build “Knowledge” in an Intelligent Community: knowledge development, knowledge extension and delivery, knowledge empowerment Drive local economic development for SMEs Improve access to local community information and enrich content Extend delivery infrastructures, build public access channels Our own Moonshot

SDI Project: Summary Project exceeded expectations: significant benefits Harnessed collective leadership: Key Asset Foundation for future collaboration Post project review – Lessons Learned Catalyst for community transformation Many new opportunities Aligns with Town’s Strategic Goals Aligns with Federal and Provincial Priorities: Canada’s “MoonShot” This project demonstrates the power and potential of strong collaboration between community partners to undertake significant, transformative initiatives It significantly advances the evolution of the public Library towards digitization and online services, helping to lay the foundation of the knowledge-based economy Provides the resources for the Chamber of Commerce to work with local businesses to leverage technology to become more efficient, support innovation, open new markets and to maintain a competitive edge.   Project furthers leadership role of Southlake in digital technology, telemedicine and e-health initiatives, while expanding on community programming Project will spur economic development and position Newmarket for prosperity, attracting new talent and investment to the community. At the Canada 3.0 conference, attendees identified the need for Canada to regain our leadership in the digital economy, and set 2017, our 150th anniversary, as our target date to do so. Our “Moonshot”, requiring focused efforts and partnerships among academia, industry, government and social organizations. Our SDI collaboration, coupled with the leadership from NEDAC and Council, puts Newmarket at the forefront of these efforts.

Factors for Success Shared goals and vision – macro and project-based "The purpose of life is to collaborate for a common cause; the problem is nobody seems to know what it is." - Gerhard Gschwandtner Library as the Lead: “Switzerland” Mutual benefits understood by all Multiple levels of engagement Clear roles and responsibilities Dedicated Project Management Office Transparency, collaborative online workspace The reason that the SDI collaboration was successful was due to several key factors; the most important one was the shared goals at different levels within the project. The top or macro level, was based on a recognized and understood need by all parties to leverage their IT investments and digital transition strategies, and that by working together, we could advance the whole community towards becoming an Intelligent Community. The common vision was developed through leadership and proactive outreach and engagement at the Board level within the organizations, along with the support of management and staff. A broker or common connector, someone who is familiar with at least two of the organizations, is an ideal person to initiate the dialogue. In our case, the Library had the necessary connections to both the Town and the business community through the Chamber, to establish the common ground. As the project got underway, there were several key goals adopted by the partners: this governing vision was to ensure that the project was a success, and that we established a track record for excellence in execution (on time, under budget), as well as demonstrating the power of a working collaboration. From these principles, all other discussions and decisions flowed. It served as a good reference point throughout the project. Because of the number of people and organizations involved in disparate projects, it was vital that each team understood the scope of their project and how it fit into the greater whole. We accomplished this by using Project Charters – each one was developed by the team and identified the goal of the project, the resources available, the team involved, budget and timeframe. The charter was the reference point for the progression of the individual project, and problems or deviations were raised immediately to the project management office for resolution. Having multiple levels of engagement within each of the stakeholder organizations was critical to the overall success of the project. There was Board-level participation, executive/management, and staff level involvement. It meant that there was buy-in by the entire organization to the success of the project, and an escalation mechanism to resolve problems quickly and efficiently. It greatly facilitated communications, especially the “what are we doing and why are we doing it” aspects. A dedicated project management office played a key role in the project execution as well – although reporting to the lead contract partner, in this case the Library, the PMO was responsible also to the SDI Executive, which included representation from each partner. Cross-organizational working teams reported in to the PMO using common reporting templates and established timelines. These reports were shared at a management team level, so all partners were aware of the overall progress of the project. In some cases, resource “trading” occurred between project teams, to address issues that arose. It was this willingness to share that really enabled us to achieve our goals.

Context: Why SDI The Context The economic impacts The Opportunity: Canada’s trending behind other nations on access and affordability The Opportunity: Only 6% of SME’s use e-commerce  The Council of Canadian Academies has identified new media as having the greatest momentum and the highest growth potential for Canada, second only to the oilsands. The Digital Media sector globally is one of the fastest growing industries in the knowledge economy, with a projected valuation of US $2.2 trillion over the next five years. Key: How to differentiate our community Since October, 2008, Ontario has experienced dramatic unemployment due to the global economic downturn. The industry most affected by the economic downturn is the manufacturing sector which has seen a 9.2% decline or a loss of 186 000 jobs.  In York Region the unemployment rate is currently at 9.0% and EI assistance continues to increase, with a 1.4% increase in April overt he previous month and a 17.5% increase since last November. Forecast to reach 11 % by 2010 The Town of Newmarket, with a population of 80,000 has been deeply affected by the global recession, due to the large number of residents working within the manufacturing sector and related industries (20%). Creative, knowledge-based industries are more suited to the geographical constraints of the Town. Such industries build on a small core of existing companies, and leverage the broadband and fibre-based network infrastructure developed and implemented by the Regional Municipality and the Town

The Future of SDI: The Challenges Ongoing Challenges Communications Leadership changes Governance framework – expanding participation Engagement of private sector Long terms sustainability planning Community awareness Partnership takes ongoing efforts by all at the table, and a strong set of connectors between organizations There is a need to balance expansion with keeping group small but effective Must continue to work communications within partner organizations

SDI: The Future DLab expansion Medical simulation and training lab Shared data analytics Integrated Library systems (NPL & SRHC) Shared GIS Integrated e-commerce/service kiosks; single sign-on Shared IT Infrastructure Coordinated planning, IT investments Open access, high speed networks  ubiquitous access Intelligent Community Master Plan Defining how to build Knowledge in an Intelligent Community The number and variety of the potential opportunities to further develop SDI continues to grow the more the partners engage in joint planning and discussions, and as it continues to attract significant degrees of interest from a variety of organizations. We have, so to speak, the potential to “go viral” – unlimited potential, limited only by our imagination. And yet, there is the need to move deliberately forward, as other communities around the world begin to invest in their own knowledge economy strategies. The key differentiator, for us, is the strength of the partnership.

Partnership: Collaboration Portfolio A closer look at the model of a potential Collaboration Portfolio reinforces that the SDI project is modeled exactly in this manner, with many of the key foundation elements already in place as a result of the project. The key is to continue the forward progress, to expand and strengthen the collaboration, and to ensure that our key asset: our ability to work together, across organizational boundaries, is preserved and enhanced. We have heard from others, including Matt Wenger, who has undertaken many intelligent community development projects around the world, that neither he, nor his colleagues, have ever seen a community with more natural assets geared towards achieving the end goal of an Intelligent Community.

Collaboration Learn to see the public library in a new light, and re-define advantages and resources that it can contribute Board-led engagement to ensure focus on innovation, partner engagement and incorporation to strategic planning wvanstraten@yahoo.ca kwdubeau@yahoo.com We thank you for your time and hope that you found our presentation interesting. We would be pleased to answer any questions.