Community Networking Tools And Resources

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• Introduction to Community Networking

  A community network is a locally-based, locally-driven communication and information system designed to enhance community and enrich lives (from The Community Connector, University of Michigan).

  • AFCN's Working Description of Community Networking
  • Usual Initiators and Supporters of Community Networks
  • Primary Aspects of Community Networks
  • Community Networking's Social Goals
  • Community Networking's Contributions
  • Stories
  • Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat (SWOT) Analysis for Community Networking
  • Historical: Community Network Lists

• Books
  • Community Networks: Lessons from Blacksburg, Virginia, ISBN 1-58053-030-3, Andrew Michael Cohill
  • New Community Networks: Wired for Change, ISBN: 0-201-59553-2, Doug Schuler

• Community Toolkits and Community Building Resources
  • Community Building Resource Exchange
  • Community Tool Box, Department of Human Development and the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas
  • Good Neighbor's Guide to Community Networking (by Frank Odasz)
  • Online Community Toolkit, Full Circle Associates

• Directories:
  • AFCN Community Network Database, provided by Blacksburg Electronic Village
  • Community Networks and Community Information Systems, provided by the University of Michigan

• Grants
  • National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce
  • Department of Education Community Technology Center Grants

• Community Networking Around the World

• Electronic Democracy
  • Democracies Online
  • Minnesota E-Democracy

• Community Assets Mapping
  • Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD Institute)
  • Prairienet

• Information About the Internet, including statistics and history

• Related Organizations and Sites

• Software

• Training Materials

• Special Needs: IBM Products

• Translators
  • AltaVista Translations
  • Spanish Glossaries
    • CallSoft Glosario B‡sico Inform‡tico
    • Ciber-Lexico Comparativo, English - Spanish computer glossary
    • Diccionario de tŽrminos de computaci—n
    • MCI Tecnoguia, shows both the English-Spanish pairings and the definitions, in both languages

• Additional Resources
  • Best of Benton's Best Practices Toolkit - 1999, tools aimed at helping nonprofits use communications technology
  • Community Connector Resources
    The Community Connector, School of Information, University of Michigan, provides a wealth of information about community networking, including the following subjects:
    • Conferences
    • Discussion Forums
    • Evaluation Techniques
    • Funding & Partnerships
    • Links to annotated lists of quality resources for people gathering community-building information.
    • Missions and Policies
    • News.
    • Papers, theses, conference proceedings, book reviews, and other online reading material
    • Technology
    • Training Resources
  • Digital Divide Network
  • Digital Library, Blacksburg Electronic Village
  • Lone Eagle Resources (by Frank Odasz)
    • Articles and Grant Templates, published articles on building learning communities
    • Good Neighbor's Guide to Community Networking
    • Self-directed Learner's Internet Guide
    • Web Tour of community education, health care, and business models and resources
  • PowerUP