Where is the World is Carmen Sandiego?

[C. W. Tazewell]

     Where is it?  How to find it?  Where is the world is Carmen
Sandiego?
     There's something very important missing in the plans for the 
Internet in the 21st century.  It is the local/metropolitan digital 
library.  Each community in the world needs access to one nearby.
     That's a lot of digital libraries - and a lot of computer systems
to operate them!
     The missing links are properly designed metropolitan/community
digital libraries with the info and data organized for point and
click - quick and easy.
     The community digital library is essential so that the world's 
information (and local information) can be organized suitably.  And, 
having all the local-area material in one specific central place where
it can be located is a most important aspect.  Also, archiving for the
22nd century (yes, 22nd century and the future) is essential.
     This must be done so that Jack and Jill Citizen and Little Joey
can get the info and data they need without a hassle - simple and fast - 
point and click.  Dumping all the digital information, data and books
in the world on the typical person and student is not the answer.  It
brings more problems than solutions.  It's gotta be organized.
     Yet, all this stuff on the community digital library (local and
worldwide) will be somewhere else - on somebody else's home page.  It's
just the links - the URLs, man, at the local digital library.
     Rather than try to adapt people to the Internet, we must adapt
the Internet to people.  The Internet should be the servant, tool,
and resource, and not the master.
     We can't train, indoctrinate and orient the general public and
all students to be web surfers.  When "everyone" is on the Internet
through their Oracle-type TV/Internet Appliance, it will have to
be operated like a TV remote.
     There will be new and different circumstances when the general 
public and Good Ole Joe use the 'Net.  The average person will not have 
the time, patience and skill to surf.  It will have to be quick and easy.
     With due consideration to traditional library cataloging methods, we 
require a suitable subject catalog system and alphabetical index for each 
digital library.  But, the tools available now are very different, and we 
are dealing with very different materials.  We must have no-sweat, no-pain 
access to info -  right away, immediately.
     Yahoo, and the present many subject indexes and search engines are 
for the professionals.
     I don't have the answers - just the questions.  We have a long way
to go.  But, the first thing is to recognize the problems and set the
goals.
     There's more on all this at The Hampton Roads Central Library (a 
local/metropolitan/community digital library).  See:
http://users.visi.net/~cwt/inet2000.html
     Happy Internauting,
                             Bill.
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          Will print and libraries survive the Internet?
                 The Hampton Roads Central Library
             (You don't drive to it; you point to it.)
                Your *REASON* to have the Internet
Front Entrance                E A S Y   L I N K S - Your WWW Hotlist
http://wwwp.exis.net/~cwt/    http://www.infi.net/~cwt/easylink.html