This Wired article discusses The People's Network intiative to put all UK libraries online, paid for from UK lottery funds: "The project will see 30,000 terminals installed, stuffed with digital delights like e-mail, browsing, office applications, digital imaging and video conferencing."

This seems a great follow-up to Clancy's Kairosnews recent post demonstrating that libraries are on the in, not the out. And, I'm glad to see that libraries are getting the funding for computers and Internet access. I, for one, never thought that libraries were on the out. They may transform--the goal of the UK project, according to Wired, is to turn them into "access-and-learning centers"--but they have a future. After all, "Information Science" is a what it's all about.

But, I admit that I have been concerned whether libraries would receive the necessary funding for their transformation. The big step in the UK could be impetus for other nations lagging behind to make a similar push.