Atlanta — March 12, 2003

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia today heard how GALILEO has positioned itself as a nationally recognized statewide virtual library.

GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online (GALILEO) is an example of the University System’s technology initiatives, for which Georgia is recognized as a leader in the application of higher education technology.

Since its September 1995 launch, GALILEO has soared. Initially used only by University System faculty and students, GALILEO is available now to over eight million Georgians. This meteoric rise is exemplified in the number of hits to the GALILEO Web site-from fewer than one million in 1995 to more than 30 million hits in 2002.

Recognized nationally as a model for statewide virtual libraries, GALILEO was awarded the ComputerWorld Smithsonian Institution Award for Technological Innovation. It also has been awarded the National Information Infrastructure Award.

This Web-based virtual library provides online access to information for all Georgians, notably those in rural locations to whom this information might not otherwise be accessible. GALILEO includes databases, periodicals in full text, eBooks, and selected Internet resources. The virtual library counts more than 2,500 user sites statewide including all University System of Georgia libraries, 41 private academic libraries, 26 technical college libraries, 370 public libraries, and 2,066 public K-12 sites.

The presentation to the Board of Regents was delivered by Jayne Williams, assistant vice chancellor of Library and Customer Information Services with the Office of Information and Instructional Technology. An early founder of GALILEO, Williams will retire this spring. The Regents also received a progress report with historical data, user statistics, and achievements which will be distributed to the Georgia General Assembly, the DTAE Board, USG presidents, local school boards, library boards, library directors, and members of the private GALILEO consortium. It will be used as a powerful marketing tool to showcase GALILEO’s success.

“The beauty of GALILEO is not only the technology it embodies, but the partnerships it represents,” said Dr. Thomas C. Meredith, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. “Sharing such vital educational technology is a stellar example of a way to Create a More Educated Georgia.”

GALILEO: http://www.galileo.usg.edu

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