Digestibles

IT for Kids
How Access Benefits Children: Connecting Our Kids to the World of Information a report by the Department of Commerce’s National telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). As the fifth report in a series, the report describes how the first digital generation is learning and communicating with information technology (IT) and the expected impact on consumer behavior.

Contact: Department of Commerce NTIA, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20230; Fax 202/501-5136 or visit www.ntia.doc.gov
Cost: Free

Meeting Special Housing Needs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is continuing its efforts to increase housing opportunities for low income persons with special needs through the HOME Program, as evidenced by the release of Special Needs Housing and the HOME Program. The guide demonstrates program flexibility using examples containing contact information. The examples identify a variety of ways HOME can be altered to accommodate seniors, low- income renters, and shelters.

Contact: HUD USER, P.O. Box 23268, Washington, DC 20026-3268; 800/245-2691 or visit www.HUDuser.org
Cost: Free

EDA Literature and Research Series
The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) released five brief reports in the Reviews of Economic Development Literature and Practice Series. The reports provide information to increase growth in community economic sustainability. The reports are as follows: New Growth Theory, Technology and Learning: A Practitioner’s Guide, Knowledge Management As an Economic Development Strategy, Third-Tier Cities: Adjusting to the New Economy, Job Creation and Job Skills Development in Indian Country and EcoIndustrial Development: A Strategy for Building Sustainable Communities.

Contact: EDA, 14th & Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20230; 202/482-4085 or visit www.doc.gov/eda
Cost: Free

The Economics of Recycling
The EPA’s Office of Solid Waste’s United States Recycling Economic Information Study quantifies the economic impact of recycling and reuse on the US economy. Accompanying the study is a tool kit designed to further the recycling industry’s growth, which now employs over 1.1 million people and grosses over $236 million in annual revenues.

Contact: The EPA Office of Solid Waste, Mr. Gordon Hui, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. (5306W), Washington, DC 20460; 703/308-9037 or visit www.epa.gov/jtr
Cost: Free

The Value of Volunteers
The Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofit and philanthropic communities to foster a private sector initiative for public good, has released the seventh biennial national survey report, 2001 Giving and Volunteering in the U.S. It offers a base for increasing formal pledges and gifts strategy. The report identifies the dollar value of volunteer contributions and singles out reasons why people volunteer and donate.

Contact: The Independent Sector, 301/932-8611, www.independentsector.org
Cost: $28 members; $38 non-members.

Rural Community Re-Investments
The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Fall 2001 quarterly publication, Community Reinvestment: Economic Opportunities in Rural America and Elsewhere, takes a hard look at the advantages for rural use of high technology and internet-based business, value-added business, and entrepreneurship development. Examples demonstrate the concerns and challenges communities face in advancing these developments.

Contact: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, 800/333-1010, visit www.kc.frb.org/comaffrs/camain.htm
Cost: Free

High-Tech Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning in the Technology Driven World: A Guidebook for Innovation-Led Development released by the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) gives guidance on responding to new technologies, how to innovatively incorporate them into regional capacity development, and how to identify and maximize your assets. The guide offers examples and outlines the tools needed for action, such as access to venture capital and support networks.

Contact: EDA, 202/482-4085 or visit www.doc.gov/eda
Cost: Free

A Lesson in Ecotourism
Assessing the Economic Impact of Ecotourism Developments in the Albermarle/Pamlico Region, a 2001 report by the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and East Carolina University, presents the economic advantages of Ecotourism in this North Carolina region, rich with ecological assets.

Contact: EDA, 202/482-4085 or visit www.doc.gov/eda
Cost: Free

Expanding Capital
The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) 2001 report by Kelly Robinson, Expanding Capital Resources for Economic Development: A RLF Demonstration, explains what revolving loan funds (RLFs) are, how they evolved and how and what securitization means to economic development. Case studies and lessons for local governments help demonstrate the length to the capital can be expanded.

Contact: EDA, 202/482-4085 or visit www.doc.gov/eda
Cost: Free

Beyond Dot.coms
Beyond the Dot.coms: The Economic Promise of the Internet by Robert E. Litan and Alice M. Rivlin looks at the Internet’s impact on the economy, noting that the most significant contributions have been the lowering of transaction costs. They conclude it is a mistake to equate the benefits of the Internet with the economic health of dot.coms.

Contact: Brookings Institute, 202/797-6000 or www.brookings.edu
Cost: $19.95, 132 pages

Information Age Inclusion
The Inclusion in the Information Age: Reframing the Debate released October 2001 by the Athena Alliance and authored by Dr. Kenan Patrick Jarboe is a guide for policy makers and implementers faced with inherent barriers to the development of information technology (IT). The guide addresses the digital divide and a recommendation list to overcome IT challenges.

Contact: Athena Alliance, 711 10th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003; 202/547-7064 or visit www.atheniaalliance.org
Cost: Free with shipping costs

Access for All
Athena Alliance’s recently released white paper, Extending the Information Revolution, is a complete summary of ideas about enabling all sectors of society with access to the Internet and broadband technology. The contributing experts give view points on how to best include groups, such as entrepreneurs, education, small manufacturing firms and community coordinators.

Contact: Brookings Institute, 202/797-6000 or Athena Alliance, 202/547-7064, www.athenaalliance.org
Cost: Free

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