Additional Activities of Lower Priority
ESSENTIAL STEPS/REQUIREMENTS
Steering Committee
One of the primary steps necessary to creating USEIN is to establish its bylaws and operating procedures. Using those of the U.S. Agricultural Information Network (USAIN) as a model, a similar set of bylaws and operating procedures should be developed. To accomplish that, the first step is to create a provisional working organization to establish a structure and bylaws. This working group should reflect the constituencies that will use the network or serve as partners or coalition members. Issues deserving particular attention are budgetary sources, including dues; executive committee composition; and delegation of duties to the National Library of Education (NLE) staff, other U.S. Department of Education personnel, or to USEIN's committee structure. Before setting up the USEIN structure, it is necessary to know the types of funding available to support the network. If funding is to be provided by government allocations then certain expectations can be met. If funding relies on membership dues and grant awards, then the budget will be erratic and unpredictable. Further, if funding relies extensively on grants, individuals will have to spend a great deal of time preparing and submitting requests for grants. The question arises then as to which structure should be given this responsibility: NLE or USEIN. As an outreach organization within NLE, the USEIN must rely on permanent NLE staff for support and continuity. It is imperative that the structure of USEIN and its interactions with NLE be decided as early as possible, so that progressive steps can be taken to implement the network itself. A solid organizational structure will encourage the growth and development of the network, by providing a firm foundation and process behind the scenes.
Whichever group develops the bylaws and operating procedures should carefully consider the issue of having a Secretary/Treasurer as a member of the Executive Committee and a separate Recorder appointed from among the other directors. While this is the model used by USAIN, it would be more logical to have a separate Secretary and Treasurer with clearly defined responsibilities. Another issue to consider is the disconcerting similarity between the acronyms, USAIN and USEIN. A discussion among participants at the November 1997 USEIN Kick-Off Conference resulted in a recommendation for a name change that emphasizes the connection to education, preferably by using "ED" prominently within the new name. Suggestions included EDNet, EDUNet, EDInfo, EDQuest and others. For the sake of convenience, the term USEIN will be used throughout this paper, with a strong recommendation to alter it as quickly as possible.
Development of Listserv
Another immediate need is to establish a listserv for USEIN, to be called USEIN-L. This electronic vehicle will allow information to be quickly distributed to the members and interested constituents. Further, it will allow interested users to query the list for information and assistance. Once again, the structure needs to be determined prior to creating this list. Shall it be open only to members? Shall it be open to any interested individual? Will it be moderated? If so, who has the responsibility to moderate the list? Will individuals be "unsubscribed" if they fail to meet member status each year, or if they ignore basic electronic courtesies and etiquette? While these issues may seem minor in the overall effort to establish a national network, having clear guidelines that can be articulated to the public will resolve a great many concerns before they become controversial issues. In her paper, Patricia Libutti addresses issues related to best practices and potential models that would be useful in dealing with these and other issues.
Web Site
In order to promote the existence of USEIN, a strong presence on the Web is needed. Creation of a USEIN Web page is necessary in order to begin public awareness efforts. This page will include links to other resources, access to a searchable directory of education information and service providers (described below), and will be integrated with ERIC resources. Due to the high level of visibility of this site, it should be constructed with care and not promoted prematurely.
Education Master Directory
To create a new network of education information providers it is essential to first inventory the current sources of educational information. To a large extent, this has already been done through the ERIC directories of ERIC information service providers and educational organizations. Other directories, such as the Anderson's Directory of Curriculum Materials Centers (1996) provide listings of further resources of educational information. Standard directories, such as the American Library Directory (1997-98) provide additional sources of information. However, this kind of information remains scattered and needs to be synthesized in one useful directory of education information and service providers. An effort has been made to begin this process, but further consolidation of activities coupled with clear guidelines for inclusion and format of entries need to developed. It is particularly important that duplication of current activities within ERIC and OERI not occur. NLE staff need to inventory existing projects and merge them with these recommendations for the most effective use of resources.
To that end, one of the first tasks will be to retrieve these many sources of information and compile them into one directory - both in print and electronic format. Once compiled, this information should be searchable by keyword so that an information seeker might retrieve information about historical textbook collections that include materials from the 1800s or could easily locate lesson plans on Latin American culture through the Internet. It will be necessary to invest a fair amount of funding and time to create this kind of resource. Until such a directory is compiled, however, it will be difficult to establish the kind of network envisioned in Access for All (1997). This master directory should be viewed as a product in constant development that will be enhanced as other sources of information are identified and included.
Identification and Solicitation of Partners
In addition to creating the master directory, the U.S. Department of Education should solicit participation through its many current outreach activities. Some examples would be requesting participation through Department and ERIC publications, including an article on the Department's Web page that encourages self-identification and participation, and continuing its presence at professional education conferences and workshops where direct interaction with representatives from educational organizations could occur.
Each organization identified should be informed of the value of being a participant in USEIN, as outlined in Jo Ann Carr's paper. These benefits include increased exposure, reaching a broader audience through extended outreach mechanisms, and participating in cutting edge research and activities within the field of education. As USEIN participants, clear expectations need to be provided to each organization, institution and agency.
To establish the USEIN, a combination of partnerships and affiliations utilizing technology and traditional forms of communication must be established. These partnerships will encourage outreach to interested constituents through publications, workshops, consultations, and information provision via telephone, the Internet, and site visits. Each partner must commit to maintaining current information on file with the U.S. Department of Education regarding resources and accessibility.
Additional Activities of Lower Priority