Although Vicnet is blowing up balloons this week, a year after its formal launch by the Premier, Mr Kennet, it actually began life in December 1993 with a joint funding submission from the State Library and the RMIT libraries to the Community Support Fund - inspired by RMIT librarian Gary Hardy. What began with a Macintosh LC on Hardy's desk, acting as the server, and a staff of two has now expanded to 14 full-timers, about 70 volunteers and considerable technical backup, much of it supplied by Sun Microsystems and Dataplex. Back when Vicnet was mooted it was near impossible for ordinary citizens to get access to the Internet if they weren't at a university. Subscribers tend to be at government departments and agencies - including those of Victoria's parliamentarians who have an Internet address.
Access is about to expand rapidly.
Vicnet had already done a deal with the ISP Access One to supply two free access Internet lines to each library service in country Victoria, each one linked to the Melbourne hub by an ISDN line. This deal helps get free Internet access into 21 library services in the country. This week it will be celebrating in style in the foyer of the State Library, with a large screen and free Internet terminals.