Agency Details:

The WiderNet Project

The WiderNet Project is a service project based at the University of Iowa School of Library and Information Science. The goal of this project is to improve educational communication systems in developing countries.

Volunteers are an invaluable part of the WiderNet Project's efforts. One of the most exciting things about the project is the seemingly limitless number of possibilities for expansion, refinement and growth. But with limitless potential comes the need for a large team of people who share our vision of bridging gaps in educational inequalities between rich and poor countries. Thanks to the work of volunteers, we are able to undertake a wider variety of projects to fulfill our mission, and WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!

Description:
Most institutions in developing countries do not have an Internet connection, and where Internet does exist, it is slow, unreliable and very expensive. Bandwidth in Africa can cost up to 100 times what it costs in the U.S., so for some a slim Internet can consume up to one-half of their operating budget. Even for those individuals who have the ability to pay for web browsing, the experience can be frustratingly slow -- it can take hours to download a single audio file.

The WiderNet Project's eGranary Digital Library delivers digital information directly to Web servers inside institutions, bypassing the Internet. We receive permission to copy educational content from the web and move them to the subscriber's local area network (LAN) so that the documents can be made available to everyone in the institution freely and instantly.

The eGranary holds a collection of millions of documents and runs at speeds thousands of times faster than regular Internet; so even when the Internet connection is broken, these institutions can continue to function. The eGranary has been implemented in more than 300 universities, hospitals, schools, and clinics around the world.

Contact person: Kim Willyard, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (319) 335-5374

Address:

201 Communications Center, University Of Iowa 116 S. Madison Street Iowa City, IA 52242 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.widernet.org/volunteer

Directions:

The WiderNet Project is located on the University of Iowa Campus on Madison Ave, directly across from the UI Main Library. Here's a map: http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Emaps/c/cc1.htm PARKING: You can park your car at the Main Library's parking lot (just south of. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Old Capitol Mall, 1 minute walk

Last updated on November 6, 2009