Archives CAP Site Offers Specialized Assistance
A new Community Access Program or CAP site at the Public Archives of Nova Scotia will meet genealogists' specialized needs of the Internet. In addition to providing free public access to the Internet, it will help those searching for ancestors and other relatives find and access Web sites from around the world that are devoted to genealogy.
The new CAP site also offers access to the genealogical software Family Tree Maker and other historical resources.
"The unique feature of this CAP site is the package of resource guides created specifically to take users to an extensive number of authoritative genealogical, historical and tourism Web sites," said board patron, Lt.-Gov. Myra Freeman.
Tourism and Culture Minister Rodney MacDonald said a program like CAP helps make the archives' vast holdings of Canadian content far more accessible to everyone.
"The new site increases the connection to heritage and culture for Nova Scotians and tourists alike," he said. The site's tourist resource guide will help visitors learn about local attractions and accommodations.
Tourism and heritage are a natural link at this CAP site. In addition to local researchers, people from across the United States, other parts of Canada and elsewhere use the archives' resources. About 70 per cent of visitors are interested in tracing their roots. And the resource is heavily used: the National Archives in Ottawa is the only single-site archives in Canada that is busier.
The Nova Scotia Technology and Science Secretariat manages the development of CAP sites in the province under the federal/provincial Information Economy Initiative.
Education Minister Jane Purves, who is responsible for the Secretariat, is proud of the initiative's growth and its contribution to the province.
"Three years ago, we had about 100 CAP sites in Nova Scotia. Now we have 244 sites and more than 340 locations where people can access information technology. Nova Scotia's schools and communities are wired for the Internet and the knowledge economy," she said.
The storefront access offered by this CAP site gives Nova Scotia's Public Archives an additional way to deliver public programs and extend services to more people.
"As a member of an urban cluster of five CAP sites providing specialty content, we feel we're well on our way to reaching a wider community," said Nova Scotia Chief Justice Constance Glube, who chairs the Public Archives' Board of Trustees.
Other sites in the cluster of CAP sites include: the Dalhousie Consumer Health Information CAP site, Dentistry Building, which helps people find reliable Web-based medical information; the Spencer House CAP site on Morris St. which helps seniors; the Khyber Arts Centre CAP Site, Barrington St., which provides multimedia equipment at low cost to people making the transition from student to graphic artist; and the Spring Garden Rd. Library CAP site.
The Community Access Program is designed to help communities set up public Internet access sites. The federal/provincial partners in the program are Industry Canada, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Human Resources Development Canada, Nova Scotia Economic Development, the Nova Scotia Department of Education, and the Nova Scotia Technology and Science Secretariat.