Terry Weech: Public Computing: Libraries and Volunteers

Public Computing, Libraries and
Volunteers
Terry Weech
Graduate School of Library and Information
Science
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
USA
October 18, 2010

Public Computing
• Content:
– Early Public Computing Projects:
• Project Gutenberg
• Free-Nets
– More Recent Activities
• European Efforts
• Community Informatics movement
• CyberNavigators at Chicago Public Library
– Volunteers
– Future

Public Computing
There are some barriers and limits to the
successful application of the Project
Gutenberg model internationally
To explore these barriers and limits, some
specific examples will be examined.

Public Computing
Project Gutenberg DE
http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/
One example in Europe is the German “Project Gutenberg.” The
website is hosted by the German magazine “Der Spiegel”
The project is managed by a publisher, Hille Partner.
Project Gutenberg DE has claimed copyright on all its postings,
although this has been disputed by the courts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projekt_Gutenberg-DE

Public Computing
Definition: The provision of free or low cost
access to resources on the internet often to
overcome the digital divide.
Project Gutenberg (1971-) is seen as the first
digital library and thus a role model for public
access to e-books world-wide and one of the
oldest examples of public computing.

Public Computing
Project Gutenberg Europe
http://pge.rastko.net/ (Last updated in 2005)
Distributed Proofreaders Europe
http://dp.rastko.net/
Project Rastko
http://www.rastko.net/

Public Computing
Project Rastko
http://www.rastko.net/
“ Project Rastko - Internet Library of Serb Culture (
Serbian: Пројекат Растко - Електронска
библиотека српске културе, Projekat Rastko -
Elektronska biblioteka srpske kulture) is a non-
profit and non-governmental publishing, cultural
and educational project dedicated to Serb and
Serb-related arts and humanities. It is named after
Rastko Nemanjić.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Rastko

Public Computing
Other e-book efforts based on public domain
e-materials:
La BitBlioteca (Venezuela)
L'Association des bibliophiles Universels (ABU)
(France)

Public Computing
Liber Liber (Italy)
• Liber Liber is a non-profit cultural association
whose aim is the promotion of any kind of artistic
and intellectual expression. In particular, it is an
attempt to draw humanistic and scientific culture
together thanks to the qualified use of informatic
technologies in the humanistic field

Public Computing
Liber Liber (Italy)
• The Manuzio project (named after the famous publisher
who in the XVI century improved the printing techniques
created by Gutenberg) has the ambition to make a noble
idea real: the idea of culture available to everybody. How?
Making books, graduation theses, articles, or tales available
all over the world, any minute and free. Via modem, or
using CDROM, it is already possible to get hundreds of
books. And the Manuzio project needs only few people to
make such a masterpiece as Dante Alighieri's Divina
Commedia available to millions of people.
http://www.liberliber.it/comunicare/english/index.htm

Public Computing in Czech Republic
From the March, 1997 Project Gutenberg Newsletter
(http://sci.informika.ru/text/books/gutenb/gutind/TEMP/9703.html)
“… our newest site in Europe:
• ftp://ftp.pinknet.cz/pub/etext/gutenberg/ in the
Czech Republic.
• No further mention of the Gutenberg site in the Czech
Republic could be found after 1997.

Public Computing
Free-nets
• A free-net originally referred to a computer system which
provides public access to a large number of resources
including community information through text-based dialup.
Once registered, users can typically access e-mail, Usenet
newsgroups, chat rooms, and often other services.
• In 1989 a non-profit organization called the National Public
Telecomputing Network (NPTN) was founded to promote
the creation of free-nets. It distributed the FreePort software
from Case Western Reserve University.
• Free-net - From Wikipedia

Public Computing
Free-nets
• Unlike most modern ISPs, free-nets originally provided direct
terminal-based dialup. The increased availability/affordability
of cable and DSL has largely obsoleted the original free-net
community, and so a number of the free-nets, including the
original Cleveland Free-Net, have shut down or changed their
focus. Free-nets have always been locally governed, so
interpretation of their mission to remove barriers to access
and provide a forum for community information, as well as
services offered, can vary widely. User education was an
important part of early free-net missions.
• Free-net - From Wikipedia

Public Computing
• Cyber Navigators
(The following slides are based on research by
a colleague, Kate Williams on the use of
Cyber Navigators at the Chicago Public
Library
– “The CyberNavigators of Chicago Public Library and the ‘Informatics
Moment: On a budget, democratizing information flows in low-income
neighborhoods”

Tracking the arrival of public computing in
US public libraries (Bertot and McClure)

Libraries
are helping
patrons
in new ways
at Chicago
Public Lib.

History of Chicago Public Library
1833-1871, Social libraries: 48+ libraries created by
elites of an emerging global city … most
destroyed by 1871 Great Chicago Fire, others
continue today
1872-present, Public library: After these elites
mobilize support from state capital and UK, CPL
opens; decades of institution-building follow
1981-present, Public computing library:
Librarians, patrons collaborate in
introducing computers for public use;
computer provision becomes central in
each branch
1981 1
1986 2
1992 3
1994 7
1996 9
1997 79 (all)
Locations with
public computers

1872-present: The reference interview
1981-present: The informatics moment

Terry Weech: Public Computing: Libraries and Volunteers

Structure
and process:
Computers
and user
support
began
together

History of CyberNavigator program
1999-2002, Experimentation: 30 Chicago-area engineering
students hired as part time summer workers, funded by
telecom ATT, managed by part time librarian
2003-2007, Affirmation: In response to branch needs,
foundation raises funds to keep 5-7 part timers on year
round
2008-present, Expansion: Fundraising supports 40+
CyberNavigators, managed by community computing
professional
CNs today: 78% Afro/Latino/Asian … 82% Chicago
born/raised … 95% non-engineers … adept at infotech,
helping-oriented

A leap across the digital divide, involving
four kinds of literacy
• Basic literacy: reading or writing
• Computer literacy: managing passwords;
using a browser; purchasing equipment
• Library literacy: using the print or reservation
system; searching the catalog
• Domain literacy: looking for work online, filing
for government benefits

Social ties are important…
…CNs are local, peer helpers

Comments of users on Cybernavigators
in a branch
“They look at you more like a friend”
“Technology is very awkward for people: It
requires a lot of patience for this job”
“She started schooling me”

Public Computing and Volunteers
The Role of Volunteers in Public Computing
in the U.S.
Volunteering part of U.S. Culture
One report (World Values Survey-2002) placed
U.S. volunteering at 66% of population
Challenge of finding and sustaining volunteers

Role of Volunteers in other
countries and cultures?
The same report places volunteering in
Europe between 7 % in Russia and 54 % in
Sweden

Role of Volunteers in the Czech Republic:
In the Czech Republic – 30%

One author (Knechtlova, 2007) suggests that
Czech citizens still have a wariness about
volunteering. They are becoming more
receptive to volunteering as the civil society
becomes stronger in the Czech Republic
according to this author. Czechs still favor
political volunteerism as opposed to social
volunteerism.

Community Informatics
“Community informatics (CI), also known as
community networking, electronic
community networking, community-based
technologies or community technology,
refers to an emerging field of investigation
and practice concerned with principles and
norms related to information and
communication technology (ICT)”
(From Wikipedia, accessed August, 2010)

Community Informatics Initiative
(CII)
The Community Informatics Initiative (CII) is a
research and teaching center at the University
of Illinois focused on working with communities
to address their information and technology
needs.
• http://www.cii.uiuc.edu/
• http://www.communityinformaticsprojects.com/

Terry Weech: Public Computing: Libraries and Volunteers

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