[177] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Virginia Tech Electronic Village
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Wed May 6 11:18:16 1992
Date: Wed, 6 May 1992 10:11:10 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.BITNET>
From: Bernie Sloan
Subject: Virginia Tech "Electronic Village"
There's an article in the May 6 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Educa-
tion about a partnership between Virginia Tech and the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Company (a Bell Atlantic Company) to study the feasi-
bility of creating an "electronic village" in Blacksburg, Virginia
(home of Virginia Tech). To quote the article: "If such an undertaking
proves feasible, all homes, businesses, and schools in the town will be
connected on a high speed electronic network....Those on the network
will be able to use electronic mail, join online discussion groups,
and take advantage of a wide range of business, educational, financial,
and general communications services. They may also use the Internet..."
It doesn't say exactly how this would be accomplished, but the involve-
ment of the phone company makes it sound as if ISDN may be playing a
role. Don't know if the concept is based on the Free-Net model, but
it sounds like it could be similar.
Granted this is in the feasibility-study stage, but a project like
this could have very interesting implications for library and informa-
tion services. The article, written by Beverly Watkins, does not
specifically mention libraries, so it's not clear what roles the
community's libraries are playing in this project.
Bernie Sloan, Director
Illinois Library Computer Systems Office
axpbbgs@uicvmc
