The INFO Project Blog

I won’t lie. I take the internet for granted. I can not count the number of times I use it, both at work and at home. I check my Treo while walking my dog. Will I ever be able to live without the internet? Prior to learning about the eGranary Digital Library through a presentation the director Cliff Missen gave at the quarterly Health Information Publications Network meeting, my answer would have been no. However, I am now aware that thousands of people across the developing world are accessing over 10 million high quality resources without the use of the internet.

eGranary is a platform that allows articles and information to be stored on a local area network (LAN), allowing users connected to that network to access documents, even if they are not connected to the internet. Users are able to access items much more quickly through eGranary than if they were to use the internet. Bandwidth is expensive in much of the developing world, and currently those who are lucky enough to have access to the internet are paying very large sums of money for slow access.

The possibilities for this technology seem unlimited. Teachers from various sub-Saharan nations have already posted their curriculums for others to access and have posted teaching resources as well. Children in the developing world are able to learn how to play the violin by listening to music lessons and viewing sheet music.Perhaps INFO is the most excited about the possibility that those without internet access, or with extremely slow access, will be able to access our products and obtain valuable, up to date evidence-based information regarding reproductive health and family planning.

How far technology has come - the internet without the internet!

For more information about eGranary or to view the presentation visit the Health Information Publications Network web site.

Posted by Seth