Public Libraries introduced books, reading, and in some case literarcy itself to whole classes of people who would otherwise not have been exposed. These people then became customers of the commercial bookstores, which made for a very healthy publishing industry, which allowed the libraries to offer an incredibly rich and diverse mixture of materials to their patrons, who then went out and purchased more books, etc. There are some very tricky balances to be achieved. For example, we could easily spend all our time demonstrating and none of it building the system, but if we don't put enough effort into spreading the word, we won't attract enough information providers to build an attractively rich information environment. The more successful we are at attracting groups who want to put information on the server, the more work we make for ourselves, and the less effort we can put into attracting groups who want to put information onto the server.
Ongoing feedback is sought via a forms window, reached via a link from the top level menu.
It is clear that the project will exhaust the original grant within the year. The experience of the first year of operation will enable the ongoing costs and levels of volume to be determined with more accuracy. In line with its access and equity objectives, the Goverment will ensure the maximum public access to the information services becoming available. The Government is aware of the potential of networked information services to improve the quality of life both in cities and in remote areas of Australia. It is clear that it will be some years before all Australian homes have the interactive facilites needed to receive many electronic services.