,,nren for ,all3 ,insurmountable ,opportunity c4 #aiic ,jean ,armour ,polly ,manager of ,network ,development and ,user ,training ,n,y,s,e,r,net1 ,inc4 jpollynysernet4org ,this was originally published in the ,february #a1 #aiic issue of ,library ,journal 7volume #aah1 n4 #b1 pp #ch-da74 ,it may be freely reprinted for educational use1 please let me know if you are redistributing it1 ,i like to know if it's useful and where it's been4 ,please do not sell it1 and keep this message intact4 ,when ,senator ,al ,gore was evangelizing support for his visionary ,national ,research and ,education ,network bill1 he often pointed to the many benefits of a high-speed1 multi-lane1 multi-level data superhighway4 ,some of these included3 -- collaborating research teams1 physically distant from each other1 working on shared projects via high speed computer networks4 ,some of these grand challenges might model global environmental change1 or new therapeutic drug research1 or the design of a new airplane for inexpensive consumer air travel4 -- a scientist or engineer might design a product1 which could be instantly communicated to a manufacturing plant1 whose robotic machine could turn the drawing-board product into reality4 ,one example of this is the capability to digitally measure a new recruit for an army uniform1 transmit the information to a clothing manufacturer1 and take delivery of a custom-tailored uniform the next day4 -- access to digital libraries of information1 both textual and graphic4 ,besides hundreds of online public access catalogs1 and full text documents1 color illustrations of photographic quality1 full motion videos and digital audio will also be available over the network4 ,in his many articles and speeches touting the bill1 ,gore often used an example of a little girl1 living in a rural area1 at work on a school project4 ,was she information-poor due to her physical location1 far from the resources of large cities8 ,no-- the ,national ,research and ,education ,network would give her the capability to dial into the ,library of ,congress-- to collect information on dinosaurs4 ,now that the ,,nren bill has been signed into law 7#ab_/ia71 and committees are being formed1 and policies are being made1 ,i'm still thinking about that little girl1 and her parents1 for that matter4 ,in fact ,i've got some ,grand ,questions to pose4 #a- ,how will we get access8 ,the ,internet has been called the ,interim ,,nren1 since it's what we have in place now4 ,i'm wondering how the family is going to get to the ,internet dial tone1 let alone the ,,nren1 especially since they live in a rural area4 ,the information superhighway may be miles from their home1 and it may be an expensive long-distance call to the entrance ramp4 ,or1 the superhighway may run right through their front yard1 but they can't make use of it because they have no computer1 no modem1 and no phone line to make the connection4 ,what good is a superhighway if all you've got is a tricycle8 #b- ,what will they be able to gain access to1 and will their privacy be protected8 ,beyond the infrastructure issues1 ,i'm concerned about what kind of things will be available for them once they do get connected1 how the resources will be arranged1 and how they will learn to use these tools to advantage4 ,beyond that1 how authoritative is the information in the digital collection1 and how do we know for sure it came from a legitimate source8 ,how confidential will their information searches be1 and how will it be safeguarded8 #c- ,who will get access8 ,i'm concerned that even if the infrastructure and resource problems are resolved1 that little girl still won't be allowed access1 because a lot of folks don't think the ,internet is a safe place for unaccompanied minors4 #d- ,does the family have any electronic rights8 ,electronic responsibilities8 ,are dinosaurs and a grade-school project too trivial for ,,nren8 ,some people think the ,,nren should be reserved for scientists working on ,grand ,challenges1 not ordinary ones4 ,who will decide what constitutes acceptable use8 #e- ,what is the future of the local public library8 ,worse yet1 ,i'm worried that the reason they are phoning the ,library of ,congress in the first place is that their local public library has shut its doors1 sold off the book stock1 and dismissed the librarian4 ,what can public libraries do to avoid that future8 ,brief ,background3 ,the ,internet ,today ,computers all over the world are linked by high speed telecommunications lines4 ,on the other side of their screens are people of all races and nationalities who are able to exchange ideas quickly through this network4 ,this brain to brain interface brings both delight and despair1 as evidenced by the following ,true ,tales from the ,internet3 -- ,children all over the world participate in class collaborations1 sharing holiday customs1 local food prices1 proverbs1 acid rain measurements1 and surveys such as a recent one from a fifth grade class in ,argentina who wanted to know 7among other things7 ,can you wear jeans to school84 -- ,during the ,soviet coup in the summer of #aiia1 hundreds read eyewitness accounts of developments posted to the net by computer users in ,moscow and other ,soviet cities with network connectivity4 ,a literal hush fell over this side of the network after a plea came across from the ,soviet side4 ,we appreciate your messages of encouragement and offers of help1 it said1 but please save the bandwidth for our outgoing reports6 - ,proliferation of discussion groups on the ,internet means one can find a niche to discuss everything from cats to ,camelot1 from library administration to lovers of mysteries1 from ,monty ,python to ,medieval ,history4 -- ,predictably1 ,elvis has been sighted on the ,internet4 ,besides electronic mail1 full text resources may be downloaded from many ,internet host computers4 ,some of these are religious materials1 such as the ,bible1 and the ,koran1 others are the complete works of ,shakespeare1 ,peter ,pan1 and ,far ,from the ,madding ,crowd4 ,searchable resources include lyrics from popular songs1 chord tablature for guitar1 recipes1 news articles1 government information1 ,supreme ,court ,opinions1 census data1 current and historical weather information1 dictionaries1 thesauri1 the ,,cia ,world ,fact ,book1 and much more4 ,hundreds of library ,,opacs may be searched1 and those with accounts set up at ,,carl may use ,un,cover to find articles of interest1 which then may be faxed on demand4 ,the richness of the ,internet changes on a daily basis as more data resources1 computer resources1 and human resources join those already active on the net4 ,but1 back to that little girl4 ,how will she get access8 ,she'll need a plain old telephone line1 a modem1 a computer1 and some communications software4 ,will her family be able to afford it8 ,if not1 will she be able to dial in from her school8 ,her ,post ,office8 ,the local feed store8 ,a kiosk at ,k-,mart8 ,at the ,american ,library ,association's #aiib convention in ,san ,francisco1 ,gloria ,steinem said the public library is the last refuge of those without modems4 ,i'm sure she meant that the library will act as information provider for those unable to get their information using a home computer's telecommunications connections4 ,but it could be taken another way4 ,couldn't the public library act as electronic information access centers1 providing public modems and telecommunications alongside the books and videos8 ,why the ,public ,library is a good place for ,,nren access ,the public library is an institution based on long-standing beliefs in intellectual freedom and the individual's right to know4 ,let's revisit ,,ala's ,,library ,,bill ,,of ,,rights1 ,adopted ,june #ah1 #aidh2 amended ,february #b1 #aifa1 and ,january #bc1 #aihj1 by the ,,ala ,council4 ,the ,american ,library ,association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas1 and that the following basic policies should guide their services4 #a4 ,books and other library resources should be provided for the interest1 information1 and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves4 ,materials should not be excluded because of the origin1 background1 or views of those contributing to their creation4 ,no problem here4 ,the ,internet's resources are as diverse as their creators1 from nations all over the world4 ,every community can find something of interest on the ,internet4 #b4 ,libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues4 ,materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval4 #c4 ,libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment4 #d4 ,libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas4 ,again1 global electronic communication allows discussion and debate in an instant electronic forum4 ,there is no better reality check than this4 #e4 ,a person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin1 age1 background1 or views4 ,in a public library1 the little girl won't be barred from using the ,internet because of her age4 ,the ,,ala interpretation of the above right states3 ,librarians and governing bodies should not resort to age restrictions on access to library resources in an effort to avoid actual or anticipated objections from parents or anyone else4 ,the mission1 goals1 and objectives of libraries do not authorize librarians or governing bodies to assume1 abrogate1 or overrule the rights and responsibilities of parents or legal guardians4 ,librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents - and only parents - have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children - and only their children - to library resources4 ,parents or legal guardians who do not want their children to have access to certain library services1 materials or facilities1 should so advise their children4 ,librarians and governing bodies cannot assume the role of parents or the functions of parental authority in the private relationship between parent and child4 ,librarians and governing bodies have a public and professional obligation to provide equal access to all library resources for all library users4 #f4 ,libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis1 regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use4 ,the ,internet provides the equivalent of electronic meeting rooms and virtual exhibit spaces4 ,public libraries will offer access to all comers1 regardless of their status4 ,further1 as part of the ,interpretation of the ,library ,bill of ,rights1 this statement appears3 ,the ,u4,s4 ,supreme ,court has recognized that the right to receive ideas follows ineluctably from the sender's ,first ,amendment right to send them4 4 4 4 ,more importantly1 the right to receive ideas is a necessary predicate to the recipient's meaningful exercise of his own rights such as speech1 press1 and political freedom' ,board of ,education1 ,island ,trees ,union ,free ,school ,district ,no4 #bf v4 ,pico1 #deg ,u4,s4 #hec1 #hff-fg 7#aihb7 7plurality opinion74 ,clearly1 reception and sending of ideas is a ,first ,amendment issue4 ,oral1 written1 and electronic speech must be equally protected so that democracy may flourish4 ,public libraries also provide free services1 though in fact the costs are just deferred4 ,taxes1 state aid derived from taxes1 federal aid derived from taxes1 and private funds all pay for the free services at public libraries4 ,public libraries may be thought of as ,information ,management ,organizations 7,,imo's71 similar to ,health ,management ,organizations1 where patrons_/patients contribute before they need information_/health care1 so that when they do need it1 librarians_/doctors are available to render aid4 ,why ,,nren in the ,public ,library is a bad idea ,on the surface1 the public library looks like an excellent place to drop ,internet_/,,nren connectivity4 ,libraries are veritable temples of learning1 intellectual freedom1 and confidentiality4 ,however1 most public libraries lack what computer experts call infrastructure4 ,if there are computers1 they may be out of date4 ,staff may not have had time to learn to operate them1 and the computers may literally be collecting dust4 ,there may be no modems1 no phone line to share1 no staff with time to learn about the ,internet and its many resources4 ,money to update equipment1 hire staff1 and buy training is out of the question4 ,public libraries face slashed budgets1 staff layoffs1 reduced hours1 and cutbacks in services4 ,many of these drawbacks are noted in the recent study by ,dr4 ,charles ,r4 ,mc,clure1 called ,public ,libraries and the ,internet_/,,nren3 ,new ,challenges1 ,new ,opportunities4 ,public librarians were surveyed about their attitudes toward ,,nren in interviews and focus groups4 ,according to the study1 public librarians thought that the public had a right to the ,internet1 and its availability in their libraries would provide a safety net for the electronic-poor4 ,on the other hand they felt that they could not commit resources to this initiative until they knew better what the costs were and the benefits might be4 ,they longed for someone else to create a pilot project to demonstrate the ,internet's usefulness1 or lack thereof1 for public library users4 ,the study describes several scenarios for public libraries as the ,,nren evolves4 ,some may simply choose to ignore the sweeping technological changes in information transfer4 ,they may continue to exist by purveying high-demand items and traditional services1 but they may find it increasingly difficult to maintain funding levels as the rest of the world looks elsewhere for their information and reference needs4 ,the public library may find itself servicing only the information disenfranchised1 while the rest of the community finds1 and pays for1 other solutions4 ,as the study explains3 ,while embracing and exploiting networked information and services1 successfully transitioned libraries also maintain high visibility and high demand traditional services4 ,but resources will be reallocated from collections and less-visible services to support their involvement in the network4 ,all services will be more client-centered and demand-based1 and the library will consciously seek opportunities to deliver new types of information resources and services electronically4 ,in this scenario1 the public library will develop and mount services over the ,,nren1 provide for public access to the ,,nren1 and will compete successfully against other information providers4 ,in its networked role1 the library can serve as a central point of contact as an electronic navigator and intermediary in linking individuals to electronic information resources- regardless of type or physical location4 ,the public library in this second scenario will define a future for itself in the ,,nren and develop a strategic plan to insure its successful participation as an information provider in the networked environment4 ,what ,should ,happen ,senator ,gore has proposed what has been variously called ,son of ,,nren or ,gore ,,ii1 which should help address many of these infrastructure problems4 ,unfortunately1 the ,bill was not passed and the closing of the last ,congress4 ,there is hope1 however1 that it will be reintroduced this ,spring4 ,specifically1 ,gore's bill would have ensured that the technology developed by the ,high-,performance ,computing ,act of #aiia is applied widely in ,k-#ab education1 libraries1 health care and industry1 particularly manufacturing4 ,it would have authorized a total of #a4ae billion over the next five years4 ,according to a press release from ,senator ,gore's office1 ,the ,information ,infrastructure and ,technology ,act charges the ,white ,house ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy 7,,ostp7 with coordinating efforts to develop applications for high-performance computing networking and assigns specific responsibilities to the ,national ,science ,foundation1 the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,agency1 the ,national ,institute of ,standards and ,technology1 and the ,national ,institutes of ,health4 ,it would expand the role of ,,ostp in overseeing federal efforts to disseminate scientific and technical information4 ,the bill provides funding to both ,,nsf and ,,nasa to develop technology for 'digital libraries'-- huge data bases that store text1 imagery1 video1 and sound and are accessible over computer networks like ,,nsfnet4 ,the bill also funds development of prototype 'digital libraries' around the country4 ,the public needs ,,nren because #cjj baud used to be fast and low- resolution graphics used to be pretty4 ,now we get impatient waiting for fax machines to print out a document from half a continent away1 when a few years ago we would have been content to wait days or weeks for the same article to arrive by mail4 ,we are satisfied with technology until it starts to impede our lives in some way4 ,we wait impatiently1 sure that we spend half our lives waiting for printers1 and the other half waiting for disk drives4 ,time is a commodity4 ,i can envision that little girl walking into the public library with the following request3 ,i'm doing a school report on the ,challenger disaster4 ,i need a video clip of the explosion1 a sound bite of ,richard ,feynman explaining the ,o-ring problem1 some neat graphics from ,,nasa1 oh1 and maybe some virtual reality mock-ups of the shuttle interior4 ,can you put it all on this floppy disk for me1 ,i know it's only #ae minutes before you close but1 gee1 ,i had band practice4 ,this is why public libraries need ,,nren4 ,we would do well to remember the words of ,ranganathan1 whose basic tenets of good librarianship need just a little updating from #aica3 ,information is for use4 ,every bit of information1 its user4 ,every user1 his_/her bit of information4 ,save the time of the user4 ,a network is a growing organism4 ,and so is the public library4 ,a promising future awaits the public library that can be proactive rather than reactive to technology4 ,information technology is driving the future1 librarians should be at the wheel4 ,it is hoped that the new ,administration in ,washington will provide the fuel to get us going4 ,,sidebar ---------------------------------------- --------------- ,excerpts from ,s4#bicg as introduced ,july #a1 #aiib #ajbnd ,congress #bnd ,session ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,mr4 ,,gore 7for himself1 ,rockefeller 7,d-,,wv71 ,kerry 7,d-,,ma71 ,prestler 7,r-,,sd71 ,riegle 7,d-,,mi71 ,robb 7,d-,,va71 ,lieberman 7,d-,,ct71 ,kerrey 7,d-,,ne7 and ,burns 7,r-,,mt77 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science and ,transportation4 ,a ,,bill ,to expand ,federal efforts to develop technologies for applications of high-performance computing and high-speed networking1 to provide for a coordinated ,federal program to accelerate development and deployment of an advanced information infrastructure1 and for other purposes4 ,be it enacted by the ,senate and ,house of ,representatives of the ,united ,states of ,america in ,congress assembled1 ,,section #a4 ,,short ,,title4 ,this ,act may be cited as the ,information ,infrastructure and ,technology ,act of #aiib4 ,,sec4 #g4 ,,applications ,,for ,,libraries4 7a7 ,,digital ,,libraries4--,in accordance with the ,plan developed under section #gja of the ,national ,science and ,technology ,policy1 ,organization and ,priorities ,act of #aigf 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ffja et seq471 as added by section #c of this ,act1 the ,national ,science ,foundation1 the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration1 the ,defense ,advanced ,research ,projects ,agency1 and other appropriate agencies shall develop technologies for digital libraries of electronic information4 ,development of digital libraries shall include the following3 7#a7 ,development of advanced data storage systems capable of storing hundreds of trillions of bits of data and giving thousands of users nearly instantaneous access to that information4 7#b7 ,development of high-speed1 highly accurate systems for converting printed text1 page images1 graphics1 and photographic images into electronic form4 7#c7 ,development of database software capable of quickly searching1 filtering1 and summarizing large volumes of text1 imagery1 data1 and sound4 7#d7 ,encouragement of development and adoption of standards for electronic data4 7#e7 ,development of computer technology to categorize and organize electronic information in a variety of formats4 7#f7 ,training of database users and librarians in the use of and development of electronic databases4 7#g7 ,development of technology for simplifying the utilization of networked databases distributed around the ,nation and around the world4 7#h7 ,development of visualization technology for quickly browsing large volumes of imagery4 7b7 ,,development ,,of ,,prototypes4--,the ,national ,science ,foundation1 working with the supercomputer centers it supports1 shall develop prototype digital libraries of scientific data available over the ,internet and the ,national ,research and ,education ,network4 7c7 ,,development ,,of ,,databases ,,of ,,remote- ,,sensing ,,images4--,the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration shall develop databases of software and remote-sensing images to be made available over computer networks like the ,internet4 7d7 ,,authorization ,,of ,,appropriations4-- 7#a7 ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,national ,science ,foundation for the purposes of this section1 #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiic1 #bj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiid1 #cj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiie1 #dj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiif1 and #ej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiig4 7#b7 ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration for the purposes of this section1 #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiic1 #bj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiid1 #cj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiie1 #dj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiif1 and #ej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #aiig4 ,,sidebar ,resources ,mc,clure1 ,charles ,r41 ,joe ,ryan1 ,diana ,lauterbach and ,william ,e4 ,moen ,public ,libraries and the ,,internet_/,,nren3 ,new ,challenges1 ,new ,opportunities4 #aiib4 ,copies of this #ch-page study may be ordered at #ae each from the ,publication ,office1 ,school of ,information ,studies1 ,syracuse ,university1 ,syracuse1 ,,ny #acbdd-dajj #cae_/ddc-biaa4 ,the ,u4,s4 ,national ,commission on ,libraries and ,information ,science 7,,nclis7 has issued a ,report to the ,office of ,science and ,technology ,policy on ,library and ,information ,services' ,roles in the ,national ,research and ,education ,network4 ,the #be-page document1 released in late ,november1 #aiib1 summarizes the results of an open forum held in ,washington during the previous summer4 ,topics addressed include funding ,,nren1 charging for use1 commercial access1 protection of intellectual property1 and security and privacy4 ,the report focuses on fulfilling the potential for extending the services and effectiveness of libraries and information services for all ,americans through high-speed networks and electronic databases4 ,a limited number of copies are available from ,,nclis at #aaa #ahth ,st41 ,,nw1 ,suite #caj1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 #bjjcf #bjb_/bed-cajj4 ,grand ,challenges #aiic3 ,high ,performance ,computing and ,communications4 ,the ,teal ,book 7because of its color7 provides a far-sighted vision for investment in technology but also recognizes the importance of human resources and applications that serve major national needs4 ,this investment will bring both economic and social dividends1 including advances in education1 productivity1 basic science1 and technological innovation4 ,requests for copies of this #fh-page document should go to3 ,federal ,coordinating ,council for ,science1 ,engineering and ,technology1 ,committee on ,physical1 ,mathematical1 and ,engineering ,sciences c_/o ,national ,science ,foundation1 ,computer and ,information ,science and ,engineering ,directorate1 #ahjj ,g ,st4 ,,nw1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 #bjeej ,carl ,kadie operates an excellent electronic resource of documents pertaining to academic freedom1 the ,library ,bill of ,rights1 and similar policy statements4 ,those with ,internet access may use ,file ,transfer ,protocol 7,,ftp7 to ftp4eff4org 7#aib4hh4add4d7 ,login as anonymous1 use your network address as the password4 ,the documents are in the _/pub_/academic directory4 ,further ,reading ,kehoe1 ,brendan4 7#aiic74 ,zen and the ,art of the ,internet3 a ,beginner's ,guide 7#bnd ed474 ,englewood ,cliffs1 ,,nj3 ,prentice-,hall4 ,the first edition is available for free from many ,,ftp sites4 7see below7 ,this version has about #cj pages of new material and corrects various minor errors in the first edition4 ,includes the story of the ,coke ,machine on the ,internet4 ,for much of late #aiia and the first half of #aiib1 this was the document of choice for learning about the ,internet4 ,,isbn #j-ac-jajggh-f4 ,index4 #bb4jj ,to ftp ,zen3 ftp4uu4net #acg4ci4a4i in _/inet_/doc ftp4cs4toronto4edu #abh4ajj4c4f in pub_/zen ftp4cs4widener4edu #adg4ca4bed4acb in pub_/zen as zen-#a4j4tar4,z1 zen-#a4j4;dvi1 and zen-#a4j4,,ps ftp4sura4net #abh4afg4bed4agi in pub_/nic as zen-#a4j4,,ps ,krol1 ,ed4 7#aiib74 ,the ,whole ,internet ,user's ,guide ,catalog4 ,sebastopol1 ,,ca3 ,o',reilly ,associates4 ,comprehensive guide to how the network works1 the domain name system1 acceptable use1 security1 and other issues4 ,chapters on telnet_/remote login1 ,file ,transfer ,protocol1 and electronic mail explain error messages1 special situations1 and other arcana4 ,archie1 ,gopher1 ,net,news1 ,,wais1 ,,www1 and troubleshooting each enjoy a chapter in this well-written book4 ,appendices contain info on how to get connected in addition to a glossary4 ,,isbn #a-efeib-jbe-b4 #bd4ie ,la,quey1 ,tracy1 ,ryer1 ,j4 ,c4 7#aiic74 ,the ,internet ,companion3 a ,beginner's ,guide to ,global ,networking4 ,reading1 ,,ma3 ,addison-,wesley4 ,beginning with a foreword by ,vice-,president ,elect ,al ,gore1 this book provides an often- humorous explanation of the origins of the ,internet1 acceptable use1 basics of electronic mail1 netiquette1 online resources1 transferring information1 and finding email addresses4 ,the ,in the ,know guide provides background on ,internet legends 7,elvis sightings is one71 organizations1 security issues1 and how to get connected4 ,bibliography4 ,index4 ,,isbn #j-bja-fbbbd-f #aj4ie ,polly1 ,jean ,armour4 ,surfing the ,internet #b4j4 ,an enthusiastic tour of selected ,internet resources1 electronic serials1 listserv discussion groups1 service providers1 manuals and guides and more4 ,available via anonymous ,,ftp from ,,nysernet4org 7#aib4gg4agc4b7 in the directory _/pub_/resources_/guides surfing4#b4j4txt4 ,tennant1 ,roy1 ,ober1 ,j41 ,lipow1 ,a4 ,g4 7#aiic74 ,crossing the ,internet ,threshold3 ,an ,instructional ,handbook4 ,berkeley1 ,,ca3 ,library ,solutions ,press4 ,a cookbook to run your own ,internet training sessions4 ,real-world examples4 ,foreword by ,cliff ,lynch4 ,library ,solutions ,institute and ,press #bacg ,oregon ,street ,berkeley1 ,,ca #idgje ,phone37#eaj7 #hda-bfcf ,fax3 7#eaj7 #hda-bibf ,,isbn3 #a-hhbbjh-ja-c #de4jj