Purpose -The overall aim of this study is to examine the impact of e-Sri Lanka's Telecentre Development Programme in bridging the digital divide. Design/methodology/approach -A survey research method was used in the study to collect qualitative and quantitative data from actual and potential Telecentre users in relevant communities. The study was carried out through a survey. The primary sample comprised of 30 percent of the Telecentres. The secondary sample included users and potential users around the Telecentres. The total number of users and potential users was 338. The study was conducted from early January 2005 to the of end February 2006. Findings -The survey data disclosed that still only a small percentage of the total population are aware of Telecentres and use the facilities offered by them. The crucial factor affecting usage is language. According to the majority of respondents, as they understand only native languages they have not benefited from services such as like the internet and e-mail. The content or the information that can be offered through Telecentres plays a pivotal role in this regard. Out of the 70 percent of rural population, the majority are not familiar with the English language. Therefore, Sinhala-and Tamil-speaking people are disadvantaged. The survey data confirms that all Telecentres are highly (100 per cent) dependent on subsidies provided by ICTA. Hence, the sustainability of Telecentres is questionable at present. Research limitations/implications -The Telecentres situated in the North East region had to be excluded from the study due to the resumption of hostilities between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and a corresponding lack of access and security in the region. The North East Province contains 9.84 per cent of Telecentres set up under the project. Practical implications -The findings of the study will help policy makers, decision makers and donors to properly address the key issues such as connectivity, accessibility, content and services, sustainability, skills development, partnerships with stakeholders and the needs of disadvantaged groups. Further, the problems and successes identified by the study will be useful for policy and decision makers to ensure the sustainability of the Telecentres and how the e-Sri Lanka initiative and especially the 1,000 Telecentre project could be used to narrow the digital divide in Sri Lanka. Originality/value -This will be the first in-depth study on the Telecentres, which are one of the major components of the government's e-Sri Lanka initiative. The findings and methods used to analyse the data will be relevant to future studies of community-based ICT initiatives and the broader areas of information-seeking, information-seeking behaviour, and user needs.

The new tools of information and communication play an increasingly important role in many organisations, providing new opportunities and new challenges. The human rights world, for which good quality information is a prime requisite and information management is a vital skill, is equally faced with the opportunities and threats of these tools in promoting and protecting human rights. Human rights organisations have been quick to adopt the Internet and it is having a great number of impacts upon their work, creating change, providing new means of campaigning and challenging abuses of human rights. Yet technology also introduces new barriers to human rights activity: issues of censorship, regulation and control are fundamental to this work. 50 1 2

The Internet is having a profound impact on children's rights around the world. Its impact is both negative, such as with the proliferation of child pornography, and positive, in providing child advocates with new tools to promote and protect the rights of children. This article examines how international collaboration and the linking of legal systems are required to combat abuses of children's rights on the Internet. It also explores how children's rights organizations use the Internet to combat abuses of children on the Internet and to provide information on all children's rights issues, respond quickly to the abuse of children's rights, and connect children and youths in different countries to empower them to advocate for their own rights. The Internet is no substitute for strong and vibrant communities and societies, but it does provide a new and effective means for different peoples of the world to connect with one another.

The introduction of e-commerce activity into an industry's value chain has the potential to radically transform it. Some participants may become redundant as others use the Internet to sell their products; new digital intermediaries may enter the supply chain to compete with traditional participants. In the UK public sector, the government is driving forward an agenda for modernisation. . .

Sure Start is a UK government initiative addressing social exclusion in local communities through a multi-disciplinary team approach. The Early Years Librarian can be a significant team member in responding to child development and early years literacy. A case study of the Wakefield district investigates the role of the Early Years Librarians in responding to the government agenda. Partnership work and focusing of provision based on parental consultation are key issues.Résumé : Le projet « Sure Start » est une initiative du gouvernement du Royaume-Uni abordant le problème de l'exclusion sociale dans les communautés locales, à travers l'approche d'une équipe multidisciplinaire. Les bibliothécaires « Early Years » peuvent jouer un rôle important dans le développement de l'enfant et dans la première phase de culture informationnelle. Une étude de cas dans la circonscription de Wakefield explore le rôle des bibliothécaires « Early Years » oeuvrant pour le plan d'action du gouvernement. Le travail de partenariat et l'utilisation de dispositions basées sur la consultation parentale sont des questions-clés.