A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Session II: How USEIN Can Ensure Excellence, Access, and Equity in Services

Plenary with Authors 

- Moderator: Eleanor Jo Rodger; Authors: Donald Ely and John D'Amicantonio

In introducing the authors, moderator Eleanor Jo Rodger said they would "bring us the forest's glory" behind the issues of access and equity.

John D'Amicantonio

Mr. D'Amicantonio began by saying that even though attitudes are changing in the right direction regarding access and equity, there is still a significant group who are not part of the information highway, who are not computer literate, and who are not in the loop at all. He noted that information access is a real challenge for certain such groups, particularly those who are not computer literate. Persons with disabilities, the homeless, elderly, and rural poor, along with ethnic minorities, are not part of the information superhighway, which continues to be dominated by white males, the most included group. Many people in a number of sectors are not information literate.

His objective in his paper was to identify such underserved groups and outline solutions. He noted several worthwhile efforts under way, along with several related gaps that still exist:

• Public libraries are reaching out to underserved populations, providing good models and serving as good potential partners for this effort. But while the many library services and information networks are making important strides, they are not yet inclusive.
• Many traditionally disadvantaged groups are becoming more "connected," yet still lag behind. Students in inner-city schools and girls in general are not being trained to use networks and have not acquired computer literacy skills.
• The role of library media specialists is growing in importance. However, funding is frequently not available to support this important position in the schools. This is a big problem. Are the students attending these schools coming out with the information they need? How will they even know how to access USEIN?

Participant Questions and Comments

C. We must use caution in relying on the big library networks as potential USEIN partners or models, because they have other interests that may compromise their usefulness.

C. I see a great need for user information along educational, cultural, and geographic lines. Perhaps surveys or other instruments could be used to discover the information needed in particular areas and by populations with which we may not be familiar. In other words, look at user groups farther "upstream" to see how they are getting information now.

R. [Mr. D'Amicantonio]: There are some positive strategies taking place that encourage growing use by ethnic minorities.

C. There are a plethora of computer access programs to examine as potential models, some of which reside in the Federal Government, e.g., HUD.

C. Your paper does not reflect how the needs of underserved populations, particularly minority populations, are not being met with regard to their level of access to the network. Your paper should address this issue from the "needs" and not the blame aspect.

R. [Mr. D'Amicantonio]: Issues of equity exist for those in rural as well as inner-city areas.

C. Access and equity must also take into account access to the technology itself. It also must deal with generational disenfranchisement.

C. I would like to see more research studies to document the points in your paper. The gender issue, for example, is beginning to change a bit. Your paper could benefit from the inclusion of more modern studies.

C. Equity must be perceived as the ability to tap into complex data systems (as demonstrated in the lunch presentation). The bottom line is access, which means making the complex attainable.

Donald Ely

Mr. Ely called the issues surrounding access a systemic problem whose various pieces will eventually come together. He advocated redefining library as a function, not a place. He noted the emergence of a hybrid library system, or a combination of traditional and high-tech offerings, adding that it is not necessary to move immediately to the digital library.

He felt the issue of information quality had not been adequately addressed, nor the changing role of the information specialist, who would become more like an "information navigator." However, the issues of which populations should be served and the definition of educational information were fairly well in hand.

ERIC is at the core of this revisioned network, Mr. Ely continued, together with other concepts like the virtual reference desk, 800-numbers, and e-mail. The question is one of organization. Although everything is there technology-wise to see the system through the next several months, several related issues must be discussed and decided as deal with -

• filters;
• alternative access;
• national union catalog implications;
• metadata formats;
• nonprint media and multimedia resources;
• full-text access;
• digital copyright procedures;
• security versus access; and
• paying for information (free or low-cost).

Mr. Ely asked participants to consider the phases needed to see forward progress and how long it would take. He suggested adding two more "A's" to NLE's four goals: Assistance (how to impart new skills to users) and Accountability (what are the internal agendas of our partners?).

Participant Questions and Comments

C. Full text on ERIC is hindered by a lack of funds. The market will not pay enough to justify this investment. Where is the funding going to come from to help us achieve our goals - the Federal Government, USEIN, grants, X? More money could accomplish so much more. USEIN should not have to depend on the vagaries of whatever Administration is in power.

R. [Mr. Ely]: What about exploring alternatives to lower the dollar requirement?

C. What about USEIN linking with the organizations that are putting out the documents and letting that organization be responsible for providing full-text versions of them, with USEIN acting as the gateway.

R. [Mr. Ely]: That is too simple (facetiously).

C. ERIC has not had the advocacy effort behind it, as have other organizational initiatives. We need to use our collective representational strength to be stronger advocates. To make another point, digital + libraries + users should be the proper equation for the new paradigm we are helping to shape. This arena is not just a computer science one.

C. Little mention has been made of universal service funds. USEIN could help libraries and schools across the country shake loose funds for systems, given that $2.5 billion is available.

R. People are doing what is necessary to comply with those service fund requirements, but they will merely address the "pipes," not the infrastructure-building that must occur on top of that, such as for training, etc.

Assignment for Breakouts

Mr. Dessy gave participants two questions to consider as they adjourned into breakout sessions: (1) Should our efforts go more toward helping those from a technical services angle, or helping those who do not have access? and (2) What new electronic products or service enhancements should be made available in terms of increasing electronic access?

Breakout Group Reports

Blue Group: Session II

The Blue Group addressed the equity versus efficiency question, calling it a moot question if the legislative language mandates that access be provided for all. Their discussion points are summarized below.

• The equity issue. The group felt that the NLE decision-making process was not addressing the lack of dual-gender representation and ethnic diversity, and that this is a big concern.
• Content of materials. Library and other collections should be inclusive with regard to gender and ethnicity.
• Incentives. If NLE is to be collaborative in its approach, participants must have incentives so that their particular involvement engenders enlightened self-interest.
• Reinventing the wheel. It is not necessary or productive to supplant established procedures that have been proven effective with new ones, e.g., training.

Green Group: Session II

The Green Group shared the following overarching ideas from its discussion:

• Equity is not about people having technology, it is about having the skills to use it.
• Ensuring equal access is an appropriate use of technology.
• Expanded access creates more demand for information and shifts costs.
• A needed federal role would be to educate state and local entities about library value added.
• Technology versus access/equity may be a misnomer, as both can occur simultaneously. Equity must be part of the foundation.
• As technology becomes more complex, we must change the way we serve our constituency or customer base, providing greater synthesis and analysis services.
• We must translate research into user models and develop synthesis.
• What is the ultimate good that can come from this technology? Are we improving teaching and learning, etc.?

Yellow Group: Session II

The Yellow Group suggested a focus on mid-range technology to bring as much information as possible to as large a group as possible in as many formats as possible. Other recommendations are given below:

• The emphasis should be on the electronic versions of materials.
• There should be a quality assurance system that is part of all the information mounted; sites should be validated in terms of quality.
• Regarding search engines, a natural rather than controlled language capability should dominate, to avoid the user having to first find the valid search words before conducting the search - which would be the case if USEIN mounted a subject-specific vocabulary.
• Interactive software for AI/knowledge based systems.

Orange Group: Session II

The group rephrased the first of Mr. Dessy's starter questions to be the following: "Should efforts be technology-based, or should USEIN attempt to serve those with limited access? The group attempted to answer the question by first noting NLE's strengths, to include -

• The ability to provide policy materials.
• Connections with many educational entities, which creates good networking opportunities.
• NLE's connections creates opportunities to enlist informational and educational structures. Well-developed library networks are needed in all states.

Other discussion points included the following:

• Output could be technology-based; input could be any form.
• How can we build on what states are already doing?
• Quality control would become an important component.
• Could we impress decision-makers by using them as a pilot group to deliver customized information?

Red Group: Session II

Calling its discussion "dramatic," the Red Group made the following points:

• A technological approach should be used to achieve equity and access.
• USEIN will be "any-stop" shopping to the end user.
• Quality control and repackaging of information for other providers were additional topics.

[Session I]

[Day 2]