ANN ARBOR—Faculty and students of the University of Michigan School of Information have received a $189,026 grant to explore how people use networked community information and how public libraries can capitalize on this way of spreading information. The grant is one of 41 awarded nationwide by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) of Washington, D.C., to fund “Help-Seeking in an Electronic World.”

Community networks typically include such services as dial-in access, e-mail, newsgroups, mailing lists, and Web access, all designed to link residents with one another and allow them to share information. Public access to such networks often is available at local libraries and schools.

In their two-year study, Prof. Joan C. Durrance and research fellow Karen E. Pettigrew are investigating the role librarians play in helping users find community information over the Internet. Working with a team of graduate students, Durrance and Pettigrew are surveying U.S. public libraries on their involvement in community networks and the provision of community information through these networks. They are also conducting extensive case studies of public library and community networking systems in selected communities in Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

The research team is working closely with librarians to identify the best practices for providing networked community information. This project will ultimately result in a suite of tools that librarians can use to evaluate benefits from local community information services.

“In a world characterized by rapidly advancing technology, America’s public libraries are championing the rights of the individual to equitable access to information over the Internet by providing public access,” noted Gary M. Olson, interim dean of the School of Information.

Added Pettigrew, “We are excited by the opportunity to explore how citizens use networked community information and to identify how libraries can best use this powerful new tool. A challenge of our research is to learn how different people use community information as they interact online.”

The project ties in with the mission of the School of Information, which includes investigating the fundamental role of information in society.

The School is the home of the “Community Connector” Web site (www.si.umich.edu/Community/), an electronic gateway of digital information resources which showcase ways community networks serve and engage their communities. The Community Connector serves as a searchable library of useful information available to librarians, community networking developers, and others who build and improve the quality of life within geographic communities. Considered by many to be the most comprehensive online resource to focus on community networking and community information systems, the Connector is developed and maintained by a team of graduate students led by Durrance.

The IMLS fosters leadership, innovation, and lifetime learning by supporting museums and libraries.

www.si.umich.edu/Community/