The following was published in The News (of Périgueux, France), April 2002:

Rhônes-Alpes News Briefs

9.5 Million Euros for Textbooks

The Rhône-Alpes Regional Council has approved a grant of 9.5 million Euros to the region’s secondary-school students for the purchase of textbooks. This fall, the 52,000 students entering into seconde class in general and technological schools will each be given 50 Euros, while those going into première and terminale in these schools— and students in all classes in professional schools— will receive 35 Euros. The credits will be given by way of a debit card which can be used in around 200 bookstores, as well as some 500 other approved points of sale, in the region.

The initiative comes at a cost of 11.5 million Euros, including adminstrative costs. The debit cards will be distributed upon students’ enrollment in the schools at the beginning of the summer.

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Rhône-Alpes Libraries Offer “Electronic Books”

Libraries in five Rhône-Alpes cities have gone high-tech by offering readers “electronic books.” The libraries in Annecy, Bourg-En-Bresse, Grenoble, Lyon, and Valence are participating in a pilot program entitled “Contrats de lecture,” by which readers can borrow an electronic device capable of storing the texts of ten to 50 books. The devices— roughly two to three times the size of a pocket dictionary, and weighing from one to two pounds, depending on the model— may be checked out by library patrons who are over 18. The so-called “e-books” may be kept for a maximum of two weeks.

The program, underway since January, will continue through June. It is supported by the Ministry of Industry, and researchers at the Institut des Sciences du Document Numérique will examen usage habits and borrower demographics, according to the Ecole National Supérieure des Sciences de l’Information et des Bibliothèques.

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Feedback on Valence’s Boulevards

The period for giving input via questionnaire to city officials on the future of Valance’s boulevards has passed. However, residents still have two means of sharing their thoughts: Going in person to the former Office de Tourisme by the LeClerc bus station (from Tuesday to Friday, between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., or on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon); or by writing to Service Urbanisme, rue Cugas, 26000 Valence. Comments will be welcomed for at least two years to come, says an official at Service Urbanisme.

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A New Web Site for Grenoble Buses and Trams

Internet users can find a host of practical information on Grenoble’s bus and tram system at a new Web site, www.semitag.com. This sleek site, run by SEMITAG, the company in charge of Grenoble’s public-transportation system, offers route maps and timetables and lists fares and stores that sell tickets.

The site’s French version has been up since January, and an English equivalent should have been added by the end of March, according to Philippe Crochard, Webmaster at SEMITAG. Mr. Crochard expects there to be by September an interactive trip planner, which would allow users to enter starting and end points and be given routes and departure times.

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Decrease in Region’s Net Revenue

Rhône-Alpes independent retailers saw a decrease of 1 percent in net revenue between the months of January 2001 and January 2002, according to the Rhône-Alpes Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The figure is in contrast to a .5 percent increase in inflation over the same period.

Food sales increased by 3 percent, and sales of health and beauty products, by 5.5 percent. Spending on personal items, including clothes, decreased by 2.6 percent, and that of cultural events, leisure activities, and gifts, by 1.2 percent. Sales of household items were down by 2.5 percent— with the exception of “Linge de maison, arts de la table et decoration,” whose sales jumped 9.4 percent, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mr. Courtemarcher, in charge of the commerce sector at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, points out that consumer hesitation followed the terrorist attacks of September 11th and does not attribute a decline in spending to the changeover to the Euro.

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Archaeological Findings at Valence’s Musée des Beaux-Arts

Through May 5th, the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Valence will display findings from archaeological digs along the TGV Mediterrannée high-speed rail line.

The museum is located at 4 place des Ormeaux and is open from Tuesday to Sunday (excluding holidays), from 2 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. For further information, call 04 75 79 20 80. ◼