For only 45¢ per student in state funding, INFOhio has provided to every school in Ohio a Core Collection of 17 Electronic Resources that includes three online encyclopedias from Encyclopaedia Britannica;  more than 6,000 magazines and newspapers from EBSCO Publishing, most in full text; SIRS Discoverer, an elementary reference resource; an American biography database; and more -- resources selected and reviewed by educators working in the field.
	Without state funding that enables INFOhio to negotiate a collective contract for all Ohio schools, these resources would cost individual districts $45 dollars per student.
	INFOhio provides for equity of access and helps eliminate the haves and have-nots of the Digital Divide.
	INFOhio is a state program that delivers resources to Ohio's educators, students and parents.
	INFOhio's Core Collection of Electronic Resources provides students with valid sources of information resulting in efficient, effective searches, as opposed to finding information by "surfing the net." INFOhio's resources are age-appropriate and curriculum-related.
	INFOhio Core Collection of Electronic Resources provides teachers with research tools for project and classroom planning, and the Collection now provides hundreds of video segments from the Ohio Association of Area Media Centers and other agencies that can be downloaded or streamed without charge.
	INFOhio's Core Collection of Electronic Resources help students learn how to use the types of tools they will use in college and the job market; they support the development of lifelong information literacy.
	Funding in the current version of Ohio's budget (House Bill 119) for Ohio's Area Instruction Media Centers has been eliminated. This funding provides the Ohio Digital Video Collection, more than 1,000 instructional modules that schools can stream or download from INFOhio's Core Collection for free. These high-demand instructional videos are important for schools by providing current materials that support Ohio's Academic Content Standards. In addition, as part of the Core Collection, the videos are available 24/7 to all Ohio students, educators and parents with Internet connectivity.
	INFOhio  provides equitable access to information regardless of school size, location or fiscal resources. The same resources are available from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, in urban, suburban and rural buildings.
	Without continued funding, these resources will disappear from our schools -- leaving students empty handed.
	INFOhio's Core Collection of Electronic Resources are available from any Internet-connected computer in the school library, classroom and computer lab. INFOhio also provides use from home for students, their parents and teachers who have access to the Internet after school hours.
	Statewide, use of INFOhio's Core Collection of Electronic Resources proves the need for the Core Collection by the number of resources made available to Ohio's students and educators. July 2004 through June 2005: 13,570,985 searches and articles downloaded July 2005 through June 2006: 22,734,207 searches and articles downloaded July 2006 through January 2007 (partial year): 12,344,675 searches and articles downloaded
	Public library (OPLIN) resources are not licensed for in-school use, and schools need their own resources that suit curriculum needs rather than the needs of the general public.
	The students/teachers/librarians/administrators/parents of [Insert school district name] encourage you to approve INFOhio's Electronic Resource budget and, if at all possible, expand funding so that even more age-appropriate, curriculum-related resources can be made available equitably to all Ohio students and teachers.
	INFOhio is more than its Electronic Resources. Other components include:
	Library Automation - INFOhio has automated almost 2,500 Ohio K-12 schools, providing online catalogs of school library resources searchable from any Internet-connected computer (CAT and CAT Jr.) and a circulation management system for check in/out, overdues, inventory and reports. Media Resources - INFOhio has automated more than 40 special collections serving Ohio K-12 schools, providing Web-based booking for materials that support instruction. Curriculum Resources Catalog - INFOhio's "union catalog" of bibliographic records from Ohio schools and special collections provides almost 1.5 million records, many enhanced to reflect Ohio curricular objectives. All Ohio schools and agencies are welcome to use the CRC to obtain bibliographic records for their holdings. Instructional Development - INFOhio provides resources and training to better use our Core Collection of Electronic Resources, the World Wide Web and other instructional materials schools acquire. One example that illustrates INFOhio's commitment to incorporating Information Literacy in the K-12 curriculum is the series of IVDL sessions for educators sponsored by INFOhio.

INFOhio participants and visitors to this site are encouraged to submit suggestions to INFOhio about our Legislative Action Plan. Use the SUGGESTIONS link at the top of any page.