March/April 1985 RAIN Page 27 dollars, and we're sending it back to communities in a form they can use." · Critics have·questioned whetI:ter the cost of the operation is too much for,--a financially strapped_city government,. Planning head Elizabeth Hollander insists·, however, that "productivity increases" resq.lting from computerization of city informatio,n will.make possible the information-sharing at no additional cost except postage. In charge of the program will be Eric Nyblad, tion important to neighborhood groups. These could. include data on economic development, community energy needs, crime and security, and various city program_s. ' For more information, contact Eric Nyblad or Peter Bartoli, Department of Planning, City of Chicago, 121 North LaSalle, Chicago IL 60602:; 312/744-3025. D D on loan from Northwestern University. · ' If the housing information program proves successful, the city says it ni.ay follow with other kinds of informaThis article has been reprinted from Th e Neighborhood.Works, a monthly information service published by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, 570 West Randolph, Chicago, IL 60606; 312/454-012?. Resource Net 1718 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 31,0 Washington, DC 20009 202/387-7035 ResourceNet is a network whose aim is to encourage wider educational use of the resources of cultural institutions. It solicits descriptions of offerings of museums, performing arts groups, unive!"sity research, and nonprofit organizations, stores thel\1 on a computer, and then redistributes ~he descriptions in regularly. published catalogs, and upon request. The ?ubscribers can dial in requests to have the material printed out on their · word proces sors and terminals. The basic subscription is $125/year, and $25/year if you wish·to receive telecommunications transmissions more frequently. -SJ ACCESS: NetworJ<s recent projects was with th~ Finance Group of Georgia Pacific Corporation, where 320 members of the Finance Group submitted over 10,0dO listings for their directory. Community Networks, Inc., is the nonprofit branch of Network Builders International. Its purpose is to assist nonprofit organizations in ·utilizing their . human resources. They have raised $10,000 of $14,000 needed to start their first project in a Georgia area retirement community. -,-SJ (Suggested by Peter ,andTfudy Johnson-Lenz) Denver Generalist Network 4800 Wadsworth Boulevard Suite.310 Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 303/431-0189 It's pretty difficult for a dyed-in-the-wool ----------------- 1 generalist to say anything specific about Network Builders International · 2175 Lenox Road ' Atlanta, GA 30324 404/633-6843 Network Builders 1nternation'al is an Atlanta-based training and consulting firm that offers a process for busine;;ses to develop trust through a tried-and-true networking practice. The primary vehicle is the production of a hidden resources directory. Workers, on a volunteer basis, provide information about their skills and interests, to be published in a directory that is then distributed to all the employees. · Robert Lewis, founder of the organiza ~ tion, also started The Learning Exchange in Evanston, Illinois, one of the most successful learning exchanges iri the country, inspired by Ivan Illich's notions of a community-wide learning web. The organization's clients have included Home Federal Savings and Loan, Sun Life Insurance, and Law Engineering Testing Company. One of their most something called a generalist network, but here's a shot in the dark. It is a network. "The Generalist," their newsletter is published quarterly. The newsletter costs $15/year, or comes with an annual membership fee of $25. The network's go"ls are based on the perceptio:t;"\S of John Naisbitt, who describes major trends (in Megatrends) which are leading us to an information society. A lead article in a recent "The Generalist" explains, "The process of optimizing use of available resources will require I):lany people working at developing new .forms of production. These people will require access to the best information available. They will require a broad general knowledge of the system and access to detailed current information. Naisbitt refers to the people who will create new designs as entrepreneurs. He refer:s to the informational needs of these entrepreneurs as a shift in demand from specialists to generalists." . The Network ha's also started a Civilian· ·Service Corps to "provide food, clothing and shelter to the urban poor by applying technologies of self-sufficiency and a barter economy in the urban environment." -SJ (Suggested by Pat Wagner) Community Alternatives Unlimited 711 West North Avenue Suite 212 Chicago, IL 60610 312/944-3758 This organizatio.n was started two years ag_o to encourage resource exchange in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. It uses. several methods for encouraging exchange. A "community wish-list" is published in its newsletter and the local newspaper, containing descriptions of primary needs (new typewriter, volunteers~ copier, and so on) of social service groups in the area. The organization also provides coordina.ted volunteer recruitment for their m e~be::-c; at local fairs. -SJ Interspecies Communication 8556 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, WA 98115 · Interspecies Communication is a nonprof- . · it organization founded in 1978, that maintains and promotes continuous research with scientists and artists working side-by-side to better understand what is communicated between man and animal. IC conducts specific research, including the use of acoustic technology for exploring communication with whales, dolphins and others. Its newsletter presents valuable information, such as book and record lists, and short news articles about interspecies communication. -SJ
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