The Information Superhighway

“The Information Superhighway” is constantly in the news. What does it mean for libraries? Although there have been assurances that libraries will be seen as equal partners in the new age of electronic communication, there are other indicators that libraries may be bypassed. A high school in Poughkeepsie, N.Y, heralded its “Internet Monarch Butterfly Project,” while another school announced that the Internet was being used to develop a worldwide relationships program. Then USA Today (May 20, 1994) reported that AT&T landed another big one—a contract to construct high tech, digital‐communications systems to transmit phone calls, computer data, TV channels, and interactive video. This deal could give them a lock on data transmission worldwide. Given that many Washington gurus, including the Vice President, have repeatedly assured libraries, schools and other public agencies that they will have an important role to play in developing new means of data transmission, what do these actions portend?