Informationskiosk made in USA

[Oliver Obst <obsto _at__ uni-muenster.de>]

Wie einige von Ihnen vielleicht schon gehrt haben, beabsichtigt
Al Gore ein US-Weites Informations-Kiosk aufzubauen. Als Standort
hat er dabei an die Postaemter(!) gedacht. Ich weiss nicht, was eine
derartige Ankuendigung hierzulande ausloesen wuerde, in den USA
jedenfalls laufen die Bibliotheken Sturm dagegen. Die Stellungnahme
der American Library Association will ich Ihnen nicht vorenthalten
(aus PUBLIB):

Oliver Obst
------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 20:34:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: George Needham <U22540 _at__ UICVM.UIC.EDU>
To: publib _at__ nysernet.ORG
Subject: ALA Responds to Postal Service Kiosk Proposal
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9410282030.N28725-0100000 _at__ nysernet.org>

Many people have called, e-mailed and written ALA, both here in Chicago
and at the Washington Office, about a response to last week's
announcement of the Postal Service kiosks. Here is Arthur Curley's
response, as delineated in an ALA press release issued Thursday.For
For Immediate Release:                 From: Pamela Goodes
October 26, 1994                             Linda Wallace
                                             312-280-5042,5043

Library Association Calls for Libraries to be "Citizen Kiosk"
                        Test Sites

(Chicago) -- The American Library Association (ALA)
proposes that public libraries be designated as trial sites for
new electronic information kiosks to be developed by the U.S.
Postal Service.

The "Citizen Kiosk" Pilot Program, announced this week by
the U.S. Postal Service, would provide basic information about
postal and governmental services such as stamps by mail, zip
codes, commemorative stamps, job bank information, applications
for local, state and federal services.

"It's a great concept but a wasteful one if they don't take
advantage of what's already there," said Arthur Curley,
president of the 55,000 member American Library Association.
The executive board of the Association is meeting this week
in Chicago.

"Public libraries collect, organize and distribute
information at more than 16,000 sites.  We have more outlets
than McDonald's. And we have staff who are professionally
trained to assist the public with their information needs."

Curley noted that 773 million people turn to public
libraries each year for the information they need. Some 1,400
libraries across the country already serve as government
depositories for a wide range of documents. Many offer a wide
range of electronic information services, including government
information through the Internet, to the public.

"Libraries are where people are used to getting the
information they need.  We're optimistic that the Clinton
Administration and Postal Service will recognize it makes good
sense to build on the system that's already there."

Curley said the ALA supports the Administration's goal of
connecting every library to the National Information
Infrastructure by the year 2000 and has proposed preferential
telecommunication rates, federal legislation and other
strategies to help achieve this goal.

"Our nation's libraries are the foundation of our nation's
information infrastructure. They make information affordable,
available and accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.
In the Information Age, that means providing information online
as well as in print. As librarians, we are concerned that
public's right to know be guaranteed through their public
libraries."

   Oliver Obst (obsto _at__ uni-muenster.de)    Medical & Computing Department
   ********MEDIBIB-L Listowner********    Univ. & State Library, Pf 8029
   phone/fax +49.251.834004/251.838398    48043 Muenster |^|^|^| Germany