New Jersey Knowledge Initiative - Information for InnovationNew Jersey Knowledge Initiative - Information for Innovation

 

July 2005

Welcome to the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative!

Last year, through the leadership of the Legislature, particularly Senator Wayne Bryant and Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, and with the support of the Governor, the FY 2005 Appropriations Act included a new appropriation of $6 million to the New Jersey State Library in order to implement the NJ Knowledge Initiative on a statewide basis.

In the coming year, the State Library will administer the Knowledge Initiative by working with small, start-up companies, business incubators, colleges and universities and public libraries. KI was developed to build an information infrastructure in NJ for small businesses, researchers, students and teachers. It was developed with the support of EDA, the Small Business Development Centers, the Business Incubator Association, the League of Municipalities, NJBIA, the Governor’s Commission on Science and Technology, the Southern NJ Development Council and numerous Chambers of Commerce and other business entities.

This new program will spur economic growth and strengthen high tech initiatives by providing free access to high-end, proprietary databases in the fields of science, medicine, technology and business. These databases are very expensive, and the information they provide is not available for free over the Internet or through bookstores. This is cutting-edge information on research and clinical trials. New money will be required to continue and expand these databases in the future. Based on existing statewide database licensing cost avoidance of about $26 million dollars annually, we expect the same efficiencies with this program. KI brings necessary information to the businesses that need it the most and that can least afford it.

We are most grateful to the Legislature for recognizing the impact of access to specialized information on NJ’s business growth and the fact that librarians are best equipped to provide this information efficiently and to train the business community in its use.

I want to specially acknowledge the advocacy and hard work of the NJ Library Association, NJ VALE academic libraries, and the four regional library cooperatives that comprise the NJ Library Network. As lead negotiator and Project Manager for the Knowledge Initiative, Susan Kaplan and this team have done an extraordinary job to license the databases. Susan has created this website as a one-stop shop for the KI databases as well as many other free, convenient services and authoritative resources. Our statewide information services and databases are FREE when you have a public library card. Our public libraries are ready, willing, and able to assist you onsite and at your office or home. If you don’t already have a card, now is the time to get one.

We know you will find this program useful and will consider your library as an important partner in your business success.

Norma E. Blake, State Librarian