Resources

GOOD READING

Community Networks: Lessons from Blacksburg, Virginia - by Andrew Cohill & Andrea Kavanaugh
New Community Networks: Wired for Change - an online book by Doug Schuler
Community Network Briefing Book - from Blacksburg Electronic Village

TOOLKITS

CTCNet Center Start Up Manual - First published in 1997, the CTC Center Start-Up Manual is widely recognized as a principal guide for establishing CTCs and serves as an organized patchwork of CTC experiences
Community Building Resource Exchange - This web site, a project of the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Comprehensive Community Initiatives for Children and Families, provides a broad array of resources and information about innovative community building efforts to revitalize poor neighborhoods and improve the life circumstances of residents and their families.
Compaq’s TechBuilder
Thumbs Up - Evaluating Community Websites - Thumbs Up is an evaluation tool designed to help community members find what works and doesn't work in the design and planning stages of their websites. By choosing random community websites the user of this tool gets to view other community's attempts at putting their presence on the Internet. Following the look at the site an evaluation form is presented in a modified "Siskel and Ebert" thumbs up or down format.
Good Neighbor's Guide to Community Networking - A series of readings and URLs intended to present a summative guide, and hands-on Web Tour, to the essential lessons and concepts gleaned from the experience of the early community networking pioneers who explored new methods of matching ‘caring and connectivity’ to create social value for their communities.
HUD's Neighborhood Networks Publications - Neighborhood Networks is a community-based program created by HUD in 1995. Through innovative private/public partnerships, Neighborhood Networks establishes multi-service community technology centers (CTCs) that bring digital opportunity and life-long learning to low-and moderate-income residents living in Multifamily assisted and/or insured housing.
Online Community Toolkit -  Thinking about building or hosting an online community? Looking for specific tips, tools and ideas? Start here. The following is a collection of articles by Full Circle Associates Nancy White, Sue Boettcher, Heather Duggan and others.
Telecommunications Infrastructure Readiness Index - The Readiness Index is an inventory and evaluation diagnostic of the Telecommunications Infrastructure in your community. Part A, the telecommunications Quotient helps you analyze individual affinity for using telecommunications technology; Part B, the Infrastructure Index, helps the community document local Internet access and evaluate the community presence on the World Wide Web and Part C, includes an assessment of telecommunications providers in your community.
Wiring Rural Vermont - A recap of the process of wiring rural Vermont.
Community Development Tool -  prepared by the Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board to help communities interested in applying for a TIF community networking grant, this planning aid lays out the steps and requirements for planning and implementing a community-based computer network.

LINKS

America Connects Consortium for CTCs - The America Connects Consortium is a collaboration of eight partners and allied organizations, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, who are working together to bring information, training, technical assistance, public attention, and new resources to community technology centers across the country.
Appalachian Center for Economic Networks - The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) is a community economic development organization located in rural southeastern Ohio. The mission of ACEnet is to build the capacity of local communities to network, innovate, and work together to create a strong, sustainable regional economy that has opportunities for all.
Association for Community Networking - The Association For Community Networking (AFCN) is an educational nonprofit corporation dedicated to fostering and supporting "Community Networking" -- community-based creation & provision of appropriate technology services. AFCN's mission is to improve the visibility, viability and vitality of Community Networking by assisting and connecting people and organizations, building public awareness, identifying best practices, encouraging research, influencing policy, and developing products & services.
Austin Free-Net - A non-profit corporation established in 1995, Austin Free-Net (AFN) helps community organizations launch free Internet access sites for the public. AFN provides technical expertise, services and equipment to community organizations, to build computer labs that are technologically and economically self-sustaining over time.
Blacksburg Electronic Village - An outreach project of Virginia Tech, the Blacksburg Electronic Village serves the local community, as well as providing a resource for information about starting a community network, telecommunications infrastructure planning and developing economic development initiatives.
Community Technology Review
ContentBank
Digital Divide Network
Intel Computer Clubhouse
Lone Eagle Resources (by Frank Odasz)
Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network
PowerUP
Techsoup.orgTechSupports
Texas Rural Development Council
U.S. Department of Education CTC program
WebTeacher
YouthLearn

COMMUNITY NETWORK DIRECTORIES

AFCN Community Network Database
Blacksburg Electronic Village Digital Library
Community Networks and Community Information Systems
TCRC's Directory of Community Networks & Freenets

Copyright © 1997-2001 TeleCommunity Resource Center.
This project is made possible through the cooperation of Metropolitan Austin Interactive Network and the contributions of Broadwing Communications, Microsoft Corporation and Digital Voodoo, Inc..
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED