Aborigines the On-line environment Accessing Libraries and

Aborigines & the On-line environment Accessing Libraries and other Resources in the “field of dreams” @ North Mackay Community Development Employment Program CDEP June 2002 William Oates Head of CQU-Nulloo Yumbah

“If you Build it they will come” ØPromotion of a new social and economic paradigm – ‘digital divide’ ØTelecommunications deregulation and the partial sale of Telstra raises billions of $. NTN is conceived Ø 50 % of all ICT programs are Commonwealth & the majority of these are NTN. ØNTN costs $325 million to deliver 696 projects Oz wide. ØIndigenous specific costs $35. 1 million for 60 projects Oz wide Australian Government ICT policies and Aboriginal people (1998 -2002)

Targeted Groups 3 rd largest group (Source: National Office for the Information Economy 2001)

Without the education & training as well as wider ATSI community accessibility the money could be wasted Why so small? ? Why so large? ? (Source: National Office for the Information Economy 2001)

NTN Cap. Connect to provide community access to Computers and the Internet beyond a privilege few ØOne of sixty projects nationally. ØCQU-Nulloo Yumbah received monies to establish and maintain a project covering Central and North coastal Queensland through to Townsville. ØThe project focused on embedding hardware and software into existing organisations but making them “community” accessible.

Problems experienced implementing the project Ø Project was too large in terms of depth and scope. Townsville – Magani Malu Kes (April 2002) Winton District Aboriginal Corporation (April 2002) Barcaldine – Central West Aboriginal Corporation (May 2002) Mackay – Mackay District Legal Service (Feb 2002)

The Depth & Scope of its Operations Townsville Mackay Winton Rockhampton

Problems experienced implementing the project Øleadership and ownership at the local level problematic ØOrganisations can be seen as family based which is fine if you are on speaking terms with the family. ØIf the “leader” is looking after the best interest of themselves and their own organisation at the expense of the other families and organisations in town then “he” or “she” who “owns” the NTN computers dictates access and the localised success of the project.

Problems experienced implementing the project Ø Too much money spent on hardware infrastructure and not enough for education, training and marketing. Hardware Infrastructure ‘hard at work’ for a staff member of an ATSI organisation – but where’s the community access?

Problems experienced implementing the project ØInappropriate evaluation emphasis by Canberra (NTN) for outcomes based on ‘online’ access and experience. ØEmphasis should have been on family issues and ‘fun stuff’ as one community member suggested. T-shirts, birthday cards, photos rather than ‘on-line’ and web development. ØProblem with community keeping logs of use (only 1/15) ØQualitative measures more applicable with first time users ØThe rhetoric of “enabling e-access & e-education” didn’t match reality. ØSustainability expectations are unfounded (no point talking e -business if you do not have a job let alone a business)

Problems experienced implementing the project Ø Wrong type of hardware purchased in original round of funding Øthe trouble with bad Apples in remote areas like Winton ØMost organisations preferred the cheaper entry level windows computers ØDifficulty with servicing computers from remote areas. ØCost of freight to and from Central Admin. Supply of backup computer doubled costs.

Problems experienced implementing the project Ø Organisations’ existing computer infrastructure inhibited the role of Cap. Connect: Øthe trouble with bad Apples in remote areas like Winton ØMost organisations preferred the cheaper entry level windows computers. Compatibility with organisations exiting machines and network. ØDifficulty with servicing computers from remote areas. ØCost of freight to and from Central Admin. Supply of backup computer doubled costs.

Problems experienced implementing the project Ø The tendency for member Organisations to see Cap. Connect (NTN) as a bucket of funds to offset expenditure already funded from other Government funding. ØOne organisation submitted invoices for activities already funded by other government funds ØOrganisations could claim loss of equipment and claim reimbursement based on allegedly stolen items.

Problems experienced implementing the project ØNTN Computers embedded in ATSI Organisations have not been accessed in any significant way by the wider Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities Øorganisations had the Cap. Connect computer only for the use of staff. ØSome computers were sitting on the Manager’s desk ØReluctance of community to use computers in an organisation

Problems experienced implementing the project A summary ØProject is too large in terms of depth and scope. ØLeadership and ownership at the local level problematic ØToo much money spent on resources for hardware infrastructure and not enough for education, training and marketing. ØToo much evaluation emphasis by Canberra (NTN) for outcomes based on ‘online’ access and experience. ØWrong type of hardware purchased ØOrganisations existing computer infrastructure inhibited the role of Cap. Connect Ø The tendency for member Organisations to see Cap. Connect (NTN) as a bucket of funds to offset expenditure already funded from other Government funding ØNTN Computers embedded in ATSI Organisations have not been accessed in any significant way by the wider Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities

The Project was founded on an wrong assumption that caused serious problems implementing the project Government assumed that access to Aboriginal community is best through ATSI organisational life and that ‘community’ on-line access should be through ATSI organisations. It was ‘built’ and they didn’t come

CQ ATSI People ICT Connectivity & Usage Training @ Mudyth Niyleta - Sarina @ Mackay Aboriginal and Torres Strait Legal Service Ø The more remote organisations demonstrate greater awareness, leadership, collaboration and networking compared to their more urban cousins. ØMany CQ ATSI whether at home or in a community organisation have very low levels of ICT connectivity and PC usage. Connectivity - 81% of ATSI within CQ do not use the internet ANYWHERE. (68% for non-ATSI) (source ABS 2001) Computer Usage @ Home - 78% of ATSI within CQ do not use a computer @ home (38% for non-ATSI) (source ABS 2001)

Aborigines & the On-line environment If ATSI Organisations are problematic then through what & whom? ØUniversity Students

Aborigines & the On-line environment The 300 or so ATSI students at CQU are representative slices of their communities

Aborigines & the On-line environment University ATSI Students want & need on-line access

Aborigines & the On-line environment They are the key to accessing communities and they are role models for accessing information & resources on-line to their families and extended families (community).

Aborigines & the On-line environment Majority of ATSI students at CQU are mature age

Aborigines & the On-line environment University ATSI Students have support from staff and have access to a 24 hour computer lab

Aborigines & the On-line environment There is an eagerness and willingness for ATSI students to embrace the technology, at uni everything is on-line (enrolment, handbook, timetables, Library) what is missing is a computer and connectivity.

Aborigines & the On-line environment The big need is for access to computers and on-line resources in the home

Aborigines & the On-line environment The money spent on NTN could have been spent where it was needed and had a more lasting effect on the families who make up a ‘community’. University Aboriginal Centres could be allocated monies for computers and training for every ATSI student. Computers could be Library based and borrowed as long as the student is successfully enrolled.

Role of Libraries in Online environment ØCQU-Nulloo Yumbah’s Library and Keeping Place is now a “campus” library of the main CQU library. All CQU Students and wider ATSI community can access, borrow and ‘keep cultural artefacts and histories’ in a safe environment. ØIn 2003 we seeking funds to establish a virtual ‘Keeping Place’ in collaboration with Distributed Systems Technology for ATSI communities throughout Queensland.

A DSTC & CQU-Nulloo Yumbah Initiative Indigenous Collections Management Project ØProject Overview The Distributed Systems Technology CRC is currently undertaking a collaborative project with the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Cultural Resources Centre (CRC) and Nulloo Yumbah. The objective of this project is to investigate how information technology tools and standards can be refined and extended to enable Indigenous communities to preserve and protect their unique Indigenous cultures, knowledge and artefacts whilst supporting traditional protocols and facilitating better crosscultural communication and understanding.

A DSTC & CQU-Nulloo Yumbah Initiative Indigenous Collections Management Project ØThe Specific Project Goals are to: Collaborate with Indigenous communities or custodial organisations (museums, archives, cultural centres) holding collections of culturally-sensitive resources which they would like to preserve, protect and repatriate;

A DSTC & CQU-Nulloo Yumbah Initiative Indigenous Collections Management Project ØThe Specific Project Goals continued: Work with Indigenous communities to determine their requirements with respect to: * the content description, annotation and search interface tools; * the customary laws and protocols which apply to the handling, storage and access to these resources (both physical and digital) e. g. : gender-based access; elder-only access; role-based access; kinship-based access; sorrow business - restricted access during mourning periods * the definition and enforcement of these customary laws using information technology tools.

A DSTC & CQU-Nulloo Yumbah Initiative Indigenous Collections Management Project ØThe Specific Project Goals continued: * Develop metadata models and schemas which satisfy the indexing, search, retrieval and access-control requirements of Indigenous communities; * Develop open source software tools and IT security mechanisms (encryption, authentication, digital signatures etc. ), which enable Indigenous communities to easily describe, annotate and control access to resources in their collections; * Implement search and retrieval interfaces to Indigenous collections which enforce tribal protocols by restricting access and retrieving search results depending on the user's profile and authority;

The University Library must take a key role in: ØEquipping ATSI students to represent their communities. University Students are an under utilized resource. As representatives of the rich diversity of ATSI communities in Queensland other states we have ready access to the communities through the students. ØEquipping ATSI students to represent the University Library in community. University students are role models and ‘leaders’ in the use and accommodation of technology and accessing on-line resources. ØEquipping ATSI students to assist in the on-line preservation of culture, knowledge and artefacts for their communities. Keeping place activities to preserve and protect the ATSI unique localised ATSI culture, knowledge and artefacts whilst supporting community rights of access can be facilitated by and through the students as CQU representatives.

Concluding Remarks Role of Libraries in Online environment ØMake use of University Library infrastructure-there approx 36 ATSI centres in universities across Australia ØUniversity ATSI students are the key to accessing ATSI community and encouraging the accommodation of technology and on-line access ØIf another 35. 1 Million $ will be spent on encouraging ATSI people to access on-line environments then supply every ATSI University student with a computer, printer and support that can be borrowed through a University Library. ØOn recent figures each ATSI continuing university student in Australia could be resourced (equipment and support) for on-line in the home ($7, 500 per student)

Contacts ØWilliam Oates Director Nulloo Yumbah Central Queensland University Bruce Highway Rockhampton Qld 4702 07 4930 9248 w. oates@cqu. edu. au ØIndigenous Collections Management Project Dr. Jane Hunter Senior Research Scientist, DSTC Pty Ltd Level 7, GP South, Staff House Rd, The University of Queensland Qld 4072 07 3365 4310 Email: jane@dstc. edu. au http: //metadata. net/ICM/