"Project MILLIKInet" Becomes "DecaturNet":
A Library-Initiated Community Information Network

Charles Hale

Abstract

Community Information Networks (CINs), library-initiated or library-focused, represent new challenges and opportunities for libraries today. They reflect a commitment and responsibility to the community of users, which libraries of various types (public, college, university) are established to serve. This is a report of such a network, funded by LSCA Title III monies; from the Illinois State Library, to Millikin University, Decatur, IL. This idea and grant proposal was the product of two faculty members at Millikin University, a private, four-year undergraduate institution located in that city. The historical beginnings, the involvement of the community and the establishment of "DecaturNet" (the community information network) is chronicled for the reader.

The Formative Stage: Historical Perspective

In fall 1993, Millikin University's library director, Dr. Charles E. Hale, and the university's Computer Center director, Mr. Jeff Kapp, hosted a meeting of area librarians and community agencies. The purpose of this meeting was to explore cooperative efforts for meeting the information and telecomputing needs of constituencies served by the libraries in the Decatur area. This first meeting and the deliberations from it, were to eventually result in a community information network LSCA Title III grant proposal to the Illinois State Library. The immediate outcome of this meeting was a recognized need for a community information network and a commitment by participants to explore strategies for "connections of a collaborative nature" that would foster its development.

Bi-monthly meetings of this group of Decatur citizens continued throughout 1994, and its charge "to explore possibilities and options for a collaborative community-wide effort that would provide the most cost-effective means for access to the information resources of the community and to Internet" were addressed. From these meetings and input from the various constituencies represented, a smaller "steering committee" was established to deal with questions and specific issues identified. This steering committee formed the nucleus of what was to become the leadership for later standing committees dealing with issues such as: membership, mission and goals, general management and maintenance issues, financial issues, hardware and technical expertise, training/continuing education issues, and public relations efforts.

Putting the Horse before the Cart Planning

It was the contention of the network planners that community involvement and "partnering with community agencies, librarians, governmental representatives, and educational constituencies in planning the network" were essential from the beginning. Such collaboration and collective decision-making, though very time-consuming and personally demanding, were necessary in order to insure the success of the Community Information Network's acceptance by the various constituencies it was being established to serve. Doug Schuler, in his Internet World article titled, "Public Space in Cyberspace," (Dec. 1995 issue), wrote:

"Community networks are not designed to be on-ramps to the Internet at large. While virtually all community network systems do offer access to at least some Internet services (e-mail at a minimum), the focus of a community network is on the local community. To that end, it is important to involve local organizations and individuals in a democratic process that guides both the design and the operation of the network."

There is no doubt in the writer's mind that "timing and external initiatives," which were beginning to emerge in the Decatur community as well as on the

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state level, had significant impact on the success and acceptance by the community as well. Here, I refer to strategic planning and initiatives emerging in the community and elsewhere that "dove-tailed" nicely with the planning that had been accomplished by the community information network's steering committee earlier. Initiatives to which I refer include:

1) Millikin University's own Strategic Planning Document & "Vision 2001", completed May 11, 1994. This document was the outgrowth of a university-wide planning process initiated by President Curtis L. McCray in Oct. 1993. (This document called for the university to act decisively in building a series of "bridges" or mutually beneficial partnerships with its various communities—locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.)

2) Decatur Advantage 20/20 (the city's third community strategic plan) was unveiled on May 11, 1995. almost two years after study & planning. (This plan included an initiative that recommended the Decatur community strengthen the sharing of resources and develop an information access system for public use.)

3) Decatur School District #61 Strategic Planning Document was released on May 17, 1995. This effort culminated two years of deliberation by district school administrators and community leaders. (In the Planning Document, the district's Technology Committee recommended the establishment of partnerships with area businesses, Millikin University and Richland Community College in the technology area.)

4) The Illinois State Library's annual "Long Range Program for Library Development in Illinois Utilizing LSCA Funds" was released. (Its 1995 focus for LSCA funding placed priority on the library's role in establishing cooperative library networks and community information networks.)

All these initiatives, from the university, community, school district and the State Library, provided fertile ground for this project and the involvement of community leaders in this grant proposal that emerged.

Community Planning for Network Infrastructure

Throughout 1994, the Steering Committee addressed infrastructure and organizational questions and recommended a strategy for the network's formation. Below are the three phases of the strategic plan developed and respective action taken:

Phase I: Establishment of network hub at Millikin

It seemed both practical and prudent to the group that because Millikin University had been the initiator of this collaborative project and had played a leadership role in its establishment, the network "hub" should be located there. Similarly, having surveyed the literature on community networks, they felt a model similar to that established at Prairienet in Champaign-Urbana, IL (under the leadership of Dr. Gregory Newby, who served as a consultant to our group) was appropriate for Decatur's network.

The first phase then involved the acquisition and installation of hardware and telecommunication lines for access by libraries, schools, governmental and social service agencies, businesses and health-related providers in the area. The installation of the "network hub" at Millikin necessitated identifying the equipment lines, software and information service provider required to efficiently accommodate various constituents' needs. Hardware and associated considerations included:

— Acquisition of a UNIX host computer capable of providing e-mail accounts, downloading files, etc., and associated software. It also included travel and training for system management personnel with the information provider.

— Acquisition of a multi-port router

— Selection of an Information Service Provider, locally based in Decatur (if possible) and the acquisition of a T-1 line with direct access to a national access point to the Internet.

— Acquisition of modem rack and modems (initial system would include a minimum of 16 lines with an eventual doubling (to 32) within the next three years, depending on traffic and constituent needs.

— Acquisition of a Terminal Server; distant end router; and a local router at Millikin.

— Someone to set up the "connectivity plan" and monitor it locally.

Phase II: Individual Network Member's Hardware/ Software Needs

This phase addressed hardware, personnel and ongoing telecommunication needs of the network's constituent members. This phase could take place concurrently with Phase One or at a later time. We focused on what the individual network member needed in the way of hardware and software to

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connect to the network hub at Millikin. Member considerations in this phase included:

— Acquisition of leased lines (T-1, 56K or dial-access) to the "hub". Costs vary depending upon the "option" selected by the individual site/network member.

— For those sites/members choosing the leased line option, a local router needed to be acquired as well. For those members choosing dial-access, modem(s) needed to be purchased.

— Constituents needed to have their own "interface" to accommodate clients on their own individual network should one exist.

Phase III: Organizational Infrastructure, personnel & training.

A portion of this phase (selecting the information service provider) might be efficiently accomplished in Phase I as well. In this phase, attention is focused on infrastructure (both internal organizational structure and external provider arrangements, training and maintenance of the network) Considerations in this phase included:

— Finalizing contractual arrangements and agreements with selected information service provider;

— Finalizing the organizational infrastructure for the community information network and with the community information network members' approval, attending to such matters as: mission & goals of network; membership criteria and services provided; achieving K 501 (3)(c) not-for-profit status and establishing articles for incorporation; attending to financial matters/budgetary needs in order to sustain economic viability of the network; selecting a board of directors and identifying key personnel in the network hierarchy; training and education of member constituencies in developing home pages and access to network's Web page and use of the network;

On Jan, 9, 1995, Millikin's co-project directors, Dr. Hale and Mr. Kapp, submitted the university's "letter of intent" for an LSCA Title III grant proposal to the Illinois State Library. Titled, "Project MILLIKInet," the grant proposal was approved for funding by the State Library for $75,000 with LSCA Title III monies. News approval of the grant by the State Library in August 95, coupled with a later grant award of $25,000 by the Ameritech Foundation in December 1995 for "Project MILLIKInet" provided the financial basis for ' network. Encouraged by the support and financial resources provided, the Steering Committee, set about
implementing the three phases of the community information network (CIN) identified above.

Implementing Community Information Network Plan

Following the news of the grant proposal award in August 1995, a number of decisions were made that contributed significantly to the network's growth and development. These developments included:

1) The creation of a Community Advisory Board to replace "Project MILLIKInet's" original Steering Committee. Although this Community Advisory Board (C.A.B.) involved a number of Steering Committee members, it became more diverse and representative of the community we were attempting to serve.

2) With this change in structure, the community representatives, appreciative of Millikin University's leadership in this endeavor, felt a name more "inclusive" and identifiable for the community would be "DecaturNet;" thus a name change occurred.

3) Feeling a need to attend to all of the issues the earlier Steering Committee had addressed, C.A.B. established Standing Committees of: Policy & By-Laws; Membership/Training; Technology;

Finance; Publicity/Community Relations and an Executive Committee.

4) As a result of earlier planning and the Standing Committee structure, C.A.B. accomplished a great deal in early 1996 by meeting bi-weekly and having the Standing Committees meet for closure on issues for which they were responsible.

5) They set upon the staged "Three Phase Plan" identified earlier and the next three months, (early 1996) witnessed remarkable progress in network development.

Phase I of the Steering Committee's Strategic Plan involved untold hours of work for the Co-Project Director Mr. Kapp in dealing with information service providers (ISPs) and telecommunications and networking specialists. Following the submission of proposals by several vendors relating to hardware, software and necessary networking capabilities, a final decision on our ISP, hardware and telecommunication needs was made. As expected, delays in equipment delivery and technical problems required an extension of the Advisory Board's timetable for implementation. Fortunately, a Technology Task Force working with the co-project director, had dealt with hardware and software compatibility issues and continued to keep the Community Advisory Board informed of progress.

The network hub is now operational on Millikin University's campus. Two sites have been established

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and are operational, Roosevelt Middle School and Decatur Public Library. Other sites are now being added with priority given to libraries, schools and other community agencies/organizations, in that order. As part of the Technology Task Force's planning, a "connectivity plan" has emerged and emphasis is being given to loading local informational databases and keeping that information current and up-to-date. A unique "partnering plan" is also being devised in which Millikin students in computer information science and human services are being used by community agencies in an "in-service/internship" partnering experience. E-mail addresses, network security issues and an agency accounts directory are being formulated with agency "contacts" responsible for maintaining and updating the network. This task force also wrestled with a "software philosophy;" identifying methods and ways users would connect and cost associated with the kind of connectivity they desired; technical support and personnel needed to make the network function efficiently.

Phase II (relating to individual site and IP hardware and network connectivity) was not, and need not be, a distinct and separate phase by itself. As discovered by the technical and computer information systems/ networking specialists who assisted in establishing DecaturNet, collaboration with the technical staff at the member sites is essential. Issues relating to hardware/software compatibility and the site's telecommunication needs for access to the network were very important topics to be addressed. This particular phase demands planning and visioning on the part of the information provider as to client and user needs and the information provided.

Phase III (establishing the organizational infrastructure and the community information network's purpose, policies, and image) primarily dealt with "people-networking." The network's mission, goals and objectives, governance and funding were addressed.

DecaturNet's mission statement, simple but empowering, reads:

"The mission of DecaturNet is to build a better community by fostering the development of high quality, community-based information, sharing a sustainable community-based electronic network and providing a gateway to worldwide information resources."

With the mission statement in mind, the goals for the network were as follows:

— To develop an information base that is current and relevant to the community;

— To provide access to a free community-based information system available to everyone through a community-based partnership of local schools, public, special and college libraries;

— To provide a community-based information system for individuals and other community agencies that creates and offers value to those users and is financially sustainable.

A Board of Directors for the network was elected by the membership, and officers for the 1996-97 year were appointed by the board. Standing committees were appointed in the following areas: Executive Committee;

Policy; Finance; Membership/Training; Technology;

and Publicity/Community Relations. Articles of incorporation were formalized, by-laws were established and policies of "Acceptable and Commercial Use" were written. Each of the standing committees were given charges and network connections established with two test sites, Roosevelt Middle School and the Decatur Public Library, completed and operational. Membership application forms and criteria for membership in the network have been devised. A training schedule has been established for familiarizing libraries, schools, social service agencies and others with the network. Two training workshops have already been conducted and more are scheduled. Web and home pages have been designed and training sessions in the design and development of such pages are being offered as needed. The 1996-97 DecaturNet budget has been approved and funding sources identified. The Publicity/Community Relations Committee has developed a Public Relations Calendar, and press releases and television/radio interviews have been done. A DecaturNet brochure is being designed for community-wide distribution.

Conclusions and "Lesson Learned" from our Networking Experience

Frank Odasz, from Western Montana College and founder of the Big Sky Community Network, writes:

"The term 'community networking' does not appear in the literature prior to 1992. Though the term has immediate appeal, many misconceptions exist. For example, most activity on community networks is independent browsing by individuals, not purposeful group activities that help build community relationships and produce benefits. Despite 250 recorded public access networks, no community can boast even 15% community participation. Most community networks are more communities of net-workers rather than networked communities."¹

It is our hope that DecaturNet does emerge as a community network engaged in "purposeful group activities that help build community relationships and produce benefits" for its community of users. We have seen fit to establish a community information network

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that focuses first on Decatur community information and the identification of information databases that already exist in the community. We are interested, as the mission statement dictates, in assuring quality-control measures are in place to provide consistency, accuracy and timeliness of information, which DecaturNet contains and provides to its users. We also are working to access whether the goals and objectives of the network are being met. Developing an assessment instrument and identifying evaluation measures are "charges" the Executive Committee (with the help of the Membership/Training Committee) faces. Finally, we are concerned about financial sustainability and ultimately, finding a reliable form of funding for the network. This is a concern for most, if not all, of the community networks that have been established.

As for "lessons learned," I recommend following the suggestions and considerations relevant to our experience in community information networking. The intent of these rather "common sense" suggestions is to aid other individuals and groups considering a similar project.

1) The inception of the community information network idea should be as "inclusive" as possible, involving as many community agencies, community leaders, and citizens of the area the network is intended to serve. Err on the side of inclusiveness rather exclusiveness, since a community information network should be representative of the various constituencies it is intended to serve.

2) Establishing a community information network is a "learning experience" for all involved. If it is your idea, or the idea of a group of interested citizens, agencies, or educational bodies, do your "homework" and make certain you "facilitate" that educational process with research and reading the literature related to other community networks.

3) "Don't re-invent the wheel." Use and solicit input from others who have established such networks and include, if possible, a consultant or someone who has been instrumental in establishing a community information network in your geographical area or state. Use "on-line sources" such as: CommuNet; the Center for Civic Networking; and the WWW Guide to Community Networking.

4) Make certain the institution, agency or organization you represent is as committed to the project as you are and that they encourage and support you in the endeavor. The investment of time, financial resources and facilities for meetings of the network group will necessitate their support of the project.

5) Based on our experience, we would advise the use of co-project directors. One individual needs to be well-acquainted with the "people-sided" of the network for contacts, public relations work and dealing with the human side of the enterprise. The other co-director should have the technical expertise and computer information science background needed to deal with hardware, software and networking issues. Responsibilities need to be clearly defined and communication is paramount.

6) In selecting your information service provider for the network, be certain that written proposals are carefully compared and scrutinized. Information service providers are popping up in local communities daily, offering all kinds of Internet access at various financial costs. Like any enlightened consumer, know what you are buying and what the actual terms are of the agreement to finally sign.

7) Encourage and invite participation in the community information network from undergraduate and graduate institutions in your community or your regional network service area. These institutions might be the source of several collaborative projects involving faculty, students and community agencies in various "in-service, practicum, internship projects" that could benefit the student's educational experience and the agency's need for volunteer help in the net-working area. Examples of such interest, in our case, resulted in class projects focusing on Web page design (with an Online Procedures Manual, HTML Code to the Manual and Helpful Web Sites) and another class focusing on the legality of electronic information distribution and liabilities for the university associated with community-wide access. Both projects proved extremely useful in the deliberations of DecaturNet policies for the Standing Committee on Policy.

8) Engage the leadership of the community network with opportunities for continuing education workshops and training as well. Six members of the Community Advisory Board for DecaturNet shared in a learning experience called "Illinois Community Networks Conference: Moving Your Community Online" at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Attended by more than 200 individuals, this workshop experience provided an excellent framework for enlightened and mutual exchange of information on networking throughout Illinois.

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9) As community information networks are established in the state, a "linking and regional networking emphasis" needs to be built into statewide planning as well. Emerging networks and community networks just getting started need the capability to link with established community information networks in the state. This regional/statewide community networking system needs to be addressed and publicized. Similar work has been done by Alaina G. Kanfer, NCSA Education & Outreach Division, (NSCA, Champaign, IL) identifying "Illinois Communities Online" needs to be systematized and widely circulated.

10) Public relations efforts and dissemination of community networking news needs to be widely disseminated throughout various media channels [newspapers, radio, television) and speaking engagements at social service clubs and other public forums. The attached list of such activities and media releases provides the user community with information and contact individuals should they be interested further.

We are grateful to the Illinois State Library for this opportunity, with funding from LSCA Title III monies, to build bridges within our community of Decatur. The collaborative efforts of Decatur citizens, community leaders, librarians, educators and others in helping to establish this community information network are deserving of recognition as well. When you provide information of value to individuals, you empower them and help them become all that they can be. It is incumbent upon all involved in such networking enterprises to move from this first step of personal information access to the next natural step, public problem-solving. We consider "DecaturNet" to be another "Decatur advantage," and it is our hope that the community will use it and find it of value to them as well.

"DecaturNet"
Mission Statement

The mission of DecaturNet is to build a better community by fostering the development of high quality, community-based information, sharing a sustainable community-based electronic network, and providing a gateway to worldwide information resources.

Goals

1. To develop an information base which is current and relevant to the community;

2. To provide access to a free community-based information system that is available to everyone through a community-based partnership of local schools, public, special and college libraries;

3. To provide a community-based information system for individuals and other community agencies that creates and offers value to those users and is financially sustainable.

Footnote

1 Odasz, Frank. "Community Networking: An Implementation Planning Guide," (Paper prepared for the NIE/NSF Planning Grant: NETWORK MONTANA). [Dillon, Montana: Western Montana College, August 15, 1995]. 7 pages.

*Dr. Charles Hale, Library Director, Staley Library, Millikin University, Decatur.

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