ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


550

Launching the national 
Conference inform ation infrastructureCircuit

By P a tric ia  A. W and

G overnm ent task force studies 
inform ation superhighway

During the past year or so, the term “Inter­net” seems to have replaced, in the media, the National Research and Education 
work or NREN. The latest name the federal gov­
ernment is giving the entity we all envision as 
the information superhighway is National In­
formation Infrastructure or NIL Keep your eyes 
peeled for future references everywhere to NIL 

The executive summary of “The National In­
formation Infrastructure: Agenda for Action” 
opens with this forceful, visionary statement:

“All Americans have a stake in the construc­
tion o f an advanced National Information In­
frastructure (Nil), a seamless web o f commu­
nications networks, computers, databases, and 
consumer electronics that will put vast amounts 
o f information at users’ fingertips. Development 
o f the Nil can help unleash an information revo­
lution that will change forever the way people 
live, work, and interact with each other… .

The agenda was issued September 1 5 ,  1993, 
by Ronald H. Brown, Secretary of Commerce 
and chair o f the Information Infrastructure Task 
Force (IITF), serving on behalf of the Clinton 
administration. It sets forth the categories of 
concerns that must be addressed by policy in 
order for the Nil to become an effective infor­
mation tool.

At the same time that the IITF is addressing 
policy issues, Secretary Brown will be appoint­
ing 25 members of the U.S. Advisory Council 
on the Nil whose charge is to advise the secre­
tary on matters related to the development of 
NIL Nil is defined as “the integration o f hard­
ware, software, and skills that will make it easy 
and affordable to connect people with each 
other, with computers, and with a vast array of

N

services and information resources.” (President 
William Clinton, Executive Order: U.S. Advi­
sory Council on the National Information In­
frastructure, September 15, 1993.)

The IITF is wasting no time. On September 
24, 1993, it held a meeting at the Department 
o f Commerce Auditorium where the private 
sete­ctor was invited to voice concerns and issues 
to IITF members. As chair of the ACRL Gov­
ernment Relations Committee and on behalf of 
the ACRL, I attended the meeting, along with 
over 200 representatives from other library and 
education associations, educational institutions, 
software companies, telecommunications com­
panies, information providers, and government 
agencies.

The goal o f the meeting was to bring to­
gether all the stakeholders: business, labor, 
education, libraries, general public, and fed­
eral government. Attendees highlighted to the 
panel the broad range of issues that, not sur­
prisingly, also concern libraries: universal ac­
cess, information rich/information poor popu­
lations, training users, protection o f privacy, 
assuring copyright protection, adequate regu­
lation and enforcement o f policies, develop­
ment of appropriate standards, pricing struc­
tures, special needs o f the nonprofits, and 
adaquate funding for schools and libraries.

The role o f the federal government is that 
of leader, regulator, and customer. Its role as 
leader was apparent when Secretary Brown so 
correctly observed: “Information is the currency 
o f the 21st century.” How well we librarians 
know the truth o f that statement!

To submit comments on “The National In­
formation Infrastructure: Agenda for Action,” 
or to request additional copies o f this package 
write: NTIA Nil Office, 15th St. and Constitu­
tion Ave., Washington, DC 20230; phone: (202) 
4 8 2 -1 8 4 0 ; fax : (2 0 2 ) 4 8 2 -1 6 3 5 ; In te rn e t: 
nii@ntia.doc.gov ■

Patricia A . Wand is chair of the ACRL Government Relations Committee and university librarian at the 
American University, Washington, D C.; e-mail: patwand@american.edu

mailto:nii@ntia.doc.gov
mailto:patwand@american.edu