1. VICNET:A brief overview Brendan Fitzgerald VICNET Projects Coordinator

2. INTRODUCTION VICNET FIRST 10 YEARS How did we get here? VICNET TODAY What do we do now? VICNET FUTURE Where to from here?

3. VICNET: First 10 years The Big Idea –State Library of Victoria & RMIT

4. VICNET: First 10 years CONCEPTION & BIRTH 1994: CSF Grant allocated ($340,000), –ISP and website established 1995: VICNET launch –$1.2 million "Connecting all Victorians" from CSF Public Library partnership 1996/97: –Online Public Access funding for Rural Libraries –Skills.net developed. Target to train 50,000 Victorians

5. VICNET: First 10 years

7. CONSOLIDATION & GROWTH 1998: Broadband technologies and big ICT projects –Libraries online funding from MMV ($1.8 million) 1999 Rural Libraries Online Grant from Networking the Nation. ($3.47 million) 2000: Satellite roll out to rural libraries & over 1000 public access workstations operational –Skills.net 2 - train and additional 40,000 Victorian

8. VICNET: Cheap, Easy & Useful?

9. VICNET Touchstone ACCESS CONTENT & APPS SKILLS & SUPPORT Can I get access? Can I afford it? Can I use it? Can those around me use it? What can I do when I get online?

10. VICNET: First 10 years CONSOLIDATION & GROWTH 2001-3 More growth –My Connected Community program, egaps - public access –Expand service provision to other community sectors and other states? –Community Networking project –2004 Review & Reassessment –Chief Information Officer – Dept of Premier & Cabinet – Kindergartens project ( DHS) – Connect 1300 –- State Library is focussing more on community engagement.

11. VICNET: First 10 years CONSOLIDATION & GROWTH 2005 New Programmes & relationships - State Library is focussing more on community engagement. - VOMA WoVG Multilingual Website - Bandwidth survey- NBSIG - Multilingual Senior Surfers (OSV) - Vicnet/DHS ICT disability working group (DHS) - Skills.net roadshow (MMV) - PIAP (MMV)

12. VICNET:First 10 years The 10 year summary –VICNET Technical Crisis –VICNET Liquidity Crisis

13. VICNET TODAY VICNET is: A division of the State Library of Victoria A business unit of the State Library of Victoria VICNET does: Community Web publishing ISP services and products – not for profit & Commercial Public Library projects Government ICT project deliverer

14. DRAFT VICNET TODAY

15. Vicnet.net.auVicnet.net.au

16. Pic vic vvlPic vic vvl

17. Open roadOpen road http://www.openroad.net.au/conferences/2006/

18. www.mylanguage.gov.au

20. VICNET FUTURE

21. Content & Applications AccessSkills More Online Engagement More UsageMore Demand VICNET FUTURE

22. VICNET What sort of information are they looking for? “libraries building community research”

23. VICNET FUTURE Isolation at all levels On-going government support role The role that public libraries play in reaching the “digitally divided” E-democracy versus E-government http://www.victorianedemocracy.info) Digital Divide : Eternal issues in society

24. VICNET FUTURE VICNET has proved to be an extremely useful development and delivery arm for Government Info Society programs. If VICNET didn’t exist it would have to be invented Recurrent vs Project vs Trading balance A changed and changing environment? Consortiums and collaboration Online expectations and growth and skills Digitising growth & Content management needs