ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


J a n u a ry  1 9 9 3 / 2 9

NREN Policy W o rksh op
ALA, represented by the au­
thor of this column, partici­
pated in a policy w orkshop 
on the National Research and 
Education Network (NREN) 
designed to explore the is­
sues surrounding six ques­
tions in th e  H igh P erfo r­
m ance C o m p u tin g  Act o f 
1991 (HPCA) on w hich Con­
gress requested a report. The 
workshop, held in Monterey,
California, on September 16- 
18, 1992, received support from the National 
Science Foundation. It was sponsored by the 
Institute for Electrical Engineering and Electron­
ics (IEEE) U.S. Activities Board, EDUCOM, and 
the Computing Research Association.

More than 80 attendees including represen­
tatives from higher education, the library com ­
munity, the com puting industiy, federal agen­
cies, telecommunications companies, network 
service providers, and K-12 education, met for 
two days to review the congressional questions 
and other key issues in the evolution o f the 
NREN. The 225-page Proceedings o f  the NREN 
Workshop was presented to the Office o f Sci­
ence and Technology Policy to assist it in de­
veloping the report on the following questions 
requested in the HPCA (PL 102-194):

1) effective mechanisms for providing o per­
ating funds for m aintenance and use of the 
Network, including user fees, industry support, 
and continued Federal investment;

2) the future operation and evolution of the 
Network;

3) how  commercial information service p ro­
viders could be charged for access to the Net­
work and how  Network users could be charged 
for such commercial information services;

4) the technological feasibility of allowing 
commercial information service providers to use 
the Network and other federally funded research 
networks;

5) how  to protect the copyrights o f material 
distributed over the Network;

6) appropriate policies to ensure the secu­
rity of resources available on the Network and 
to protect the privacy o f users of networks.

The report highlights the key policy issues 
discussed at the w orkshop and includes copies

W ash in gton
H o tlin e

C aro l C. H end erso n

o f the 18 position papers 
submitted. Because o f the 
w ide range of know ledge­
able attendees, the w o rk ­
shop and report provide a 
unique opportunity for sig­
nificant discussion o f the 
policy issues w hich will af­
fect the developm ent of the 
NREN, and eventually, the 
national information infra­
structure. The report sum ­
marizes the discussions and 
key issues that will affect 

achievement o f a congress intent to “prom ote 
the more rapid developm ent of an information 
infrastructure.”

Among the conclusions shared widely by the 
participants w ere that the NREN should be more 
than a program supporting high-performance 
computing. The NREN has the potential to fa­
cilitate developm ent of the National Informa­
tion Infrastructure; provide tools for increasing 
the effectiveness o f research, education, and 
technology transfer at all levels; and dem on­
strate network applications and technologies 
which can aid in addressing critical social needs. 
Among the other possible congressional actions 
identified by w orkshop participants w ere es­
tablishment of a national commission to develop, 
with involved constituencies, a detailed NREN 
plan and program; inclusion o f additional fed­
eral agencies in the NREN; creation of a public- 
sector governing body for the NREN; reaffirm­
ing and further defining the federal role in the 
development of the NREN system; and support­
ing NREN applications such as medical care and 
lifelong learning.

Background papers prepared by the author 
of this column for ALA and by Patricia Wand 
for ACRL are included in the Proceedings. The 
Association of Research Libraries, the Coalition 
for N etworked Information, and the Library of 
Congress also prepared papers. Copies o f the 
report are available through EDUCOM at $10 
p er copy by contacting Elizabeth Barnhart, 
EDUCOM—Networks, 1112 16th St., NW, Wash­
ington, DC 20036; phone: (202) 331-5342; fax: (202) 
8724318; e-mail: Bamhart@EDUCOM.EDU. ■

Carol C. Henderson is deputy executive director o f  
A IA 's Washington Office; bitnet:NU_ALAWASH@CUA

mailto:Bamhart@EDUCOM.EDU