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NorthStarNet: Libraries in Charge

by Jesse Leavitt
Community Connector Staff

NorthStarNet, a community information network serving the Chicago area, has a large website that provides access to, among other things, lots of well-organized, searchable local information, an easy-to-use interface, and a community events calendar. One of the most interesting aspects of NSN, however, flows not from the content it provides so much as from the structure of the organization: a decentralized system in which a great deal of power and control rests with NorthStarNet's member libraries.

NorthStarNet is managed by the North Suburban Library System (NSLS) and the Suburban Library Sytem (SLS) -- two of the twelve library systems in Illinois. NSLS with 680 member libraries and SLS with 560 member libraries serve the greater Chicago area and have a mission to "heighten the effectiveness of member libraries".

In line with this mission, NorthStarNet was created by NSLS as "an opportunity for libraries to interface with other government agencies and community organizations and become a focal point for local information." The original proposal for NorthStarNet envisioned a structure through which libraries "could work with local government and community organizations to determine what information would be valuable for a particular community to mount on the Network." Each community sought to be covered by NSN is represented by a local library and the local library coordinator builds content relevant for that community.

Through this active involvement of its member libraries, NorthStarNet "makes available free web hosting to local organizations, government agencies, associations and small businesses." The active involvement of member libraries and the decentralized nature of decisionmaking and control of NorthStarNet have had an impact on those member libraries and their communities. For one thing, content decisions are made locally, and are responsive to the information needs of each particular community. For another, Chris Peri, NorthStarNet manager, suggests that this new role enlarges the image of libraries; in addition to being a place to go to get books, they are now also centers for technology. This view is echoed by Judy Nickels, NorthStarNet coordinator for Northbrook Public Library, who says that the relationship with NorthStarNet has "forced libraries to focus on technology sooner than they would have if left to their own devices."