[536] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
sum 2 of 4 pubs & cost
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Smith Richard J)
Fri Jun 19 15:32:49 1992
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1992 10:12:14 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
From: Smith Richard J <rjs4808@usl.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Richard,
We are currently putting together a big conference on just this topic
for the public libraries in the state of Michigan. We are working with
MichNet (formerly Merit), our statewide telecommunication network people.
They're helping out with funding - you may want to get in touch with your
local net if you have one.
I did a workshop for a small set of librarians who are served by my
project (we provide research & information to businesses & communities
in the state through local public libraries). The big hits were
CARL, Cleveland Freenet, UM Weather Underground. And now withg gopher
servers popping up like mushrooms, you could take them into one of
those, too. We have one called um-ulibrary that has census, EBB data
and electronic journals on it.
There are some commercial services that librarians could buy into:
CLASS has been advertising heavily in the library literature. Our
statewide network offers connection, but no e-mail. One fairly
inexpensive way to connect is to buy an account on a local university's
system. The Freenet will give out mailboxes to registered users for
free. Options are appearing every day.
The EPA online catalog is now on the net. They are the only accessible
agency available right now. I have an address for them from a workshop
they did here last week, but I'll have to message you back with that
later.
Do whatever you can to get your state library interested & involved! As
you can tell, this is one of my favorite soapboxes to stand on and I
think people greatly underestimate the need for public libraries to
get connected!
Sue Davidsen
M-Link
The University of Michigan Library
Ann Arbor, Michigan
davidsen@asa.ugl.lib.cc.umich.edu
weather underground: telnet um-weather@hermes.merit.edu
UM-ULIBRARY gopher: telnet um-ulibrary@hermes.merit.edu
Freenet: telnet freenet-in-a@cwru.edu (or in-b or in-c)
--------------
From: Dan Lester <ALILESTE@idbsu.idbsu.edu>
Ask your own university computer folks about access to the nets. How do
they do it, through what costs to what regional network, etc.
I have attached below a msg that I wrote to pacs-l on this very issue
about an hour ago. It will presumably appear soon, but you now have an
advance copy. Hope it helps. Good luck.
dan (who also does workshops/lectures of this type....and just did
one in north Idaho [look up Post Falls in your atlas 8-) ] last week)
------------
I have given a similr workshop and showed them Cleveland Freenet and the
Weather service, called
Weather Underground I think. The Freenets should be of
interest to public librarians.
In California the state dept of educ and the Calif State Univ system create
a system for k-12 teachers and other educators (including school and public
librarians) to provide a bulletin board, email, and access to Internet.
Another possibility is to contact a local Univ and ask for an account, maybe
easier in Calif. than Louisiana.
Bev Ryan
CSU, San Bernardino
------------
Richard,
A couple of suggestions for your Internet workshop - The Cleveland
Free Net might make a good demo of a "National Public Network" to come.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, most state libraries have electronic (I-net?)
access to the Lib. of Congress. At some point, public libraries might be
able to tap into this. Jean Armour Polly in Liverpool, New York is one
of the reigning experts at public access to the I-net. Her E-mail
address is ?. I can't find it now, but will look around for it.
On another note, do you have any prepackaged handouts on Library
catalogs on the Internet? I'm beginning to work up a handout to
our faculty and grad students on accessing remote catalogs through the
Internet.
Thanks,
Bill Strickland
Reference Librarian
Tulane University
------------
Richard
All they need is a UNIX account in near by university or other research
institute
that is on the internet. Astate univ. could give such an account as a service
to
to the community. The charges for such a service vary from thousands to few
dollars a month because nobody realy knows what is the charge for.
Once the library has an account they can use it with modem from any Mac or PC
in the library. If the host is near by the calls will be local and they wont h
ave to pay for communication. So the key is some kind of good connection
between a librarian in the public library and a person in the computer center
near
near by.
Other possibility is an account in a place like the WELL in San Francisco ask
Jack Kessler kessler@well.sf.ca.us how to do it.
Noam Kaminer
School of Library and Information Studie U.C. Berkeley
noam@info.berkeley.edu
------------
One of the items included in the Wisconsin sessions - which have been
directed at multi-type systems has been a look at the Freenets. The
public libraries were especially interested in the Heartland Freenet,
which is accessible via a modem or through the Internet. The
"founders" of this freenet have a videotape entitled "If it plays in
Peoria" which is really good; and very much directed at the public. I
also think that the Freenets are a possible answer to access. They
usually provide a window out to the rest of the Internet for all
registered users; and registration is typically nonrestricted. I
really enjoy exploring the Cleveland Freenet out of Case Western Reserve
University.
Hope this is of some help. If you are interested in the video it is
probably available via ILL. We have a copy which was free from the
producers.
Terri Muraski
Special Services Librarian
University of Wisconsin-Stout
TMURASKI@UWSTOUT
------------
I have been trying to find FTP sites and documents that will intrique my
staff so that they will be more willing to try using the Internet. One
site that has been particularly successful is the Lyric Server at
cs.uwp.edu. This is an anonymous site. The readme file is very useful.
Actual lyrics are in /pub/music/lyrics/files. A dir at that point gets a
huge list of singers and groups whose lyrics are represented. I had to
print out the list before we could do any selections. We have downloaded
lyrics to nearly everyone's favorite songs - lots of fun.
Angela K. Williams
Systems Librarian
Colorado College
