The Atlantic County Audio-Visual Aids (AVA) Technology Center has been servicing schools with shared educational media resources since 1952 through the establishment of county AVA Commissions by NJ Statute 18A:51. The center began by pooling funds from all county public schools to purchase and share 16 mm films, reel to reel audiotapes and filmstrips and evolved to public and private school members using the VHS standard videotape medium, laser discs, CD-ROMs, DVDs and kits. Teachers can now use our on-line booking for the scheduling of over 6,500 different titles. The current method of distribution being implemented and explored is video-on-demand through IP broadcasting via the AVA Center and media producers directly.

In 1995, in cooperation with the Atlantic County Library, the AVA Center embarked on a county-wide project enabling Atlantic County public and private school students, teachers and administrators to use resources via the Internet. The project is a consortium, whose members can interact with students and teachers from other schools in the county and with the county library. Through the AVA Technology Center, students have Internet access and gain exposure to innumerable educational resources, such as teachers and students at other schools.

The AVA Technology Center provides high speed, dedicated access to the Internet for public and private schools in Atlantic County, NJ. Internet-capable computers in the participating districts are connected to an ATM network based in the Atlantic County Library System in Mays Landing, NJ. The central site 150 Mbps OC-3 fiber optic line allows the schools direct access to the Internet. The OC-3 access and the AVA Technology Center connection enable each district's LAN (local area network) to instantly log on to the Internet without the use of modems or a dial-up service provider.

Some highlights of The AVA Technology Center include:

Also, the connection will allow the following: