UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 3
September 19, 1996
UD helps Newark build home page on WWW

     Amajor display of town-gown cooperation is visible on the
World Wide Web at the home page of the city of Newark.
     In late July, Newark became only the second Delaware city to
have its own Internet site. According to Susan Lamblack, city
secretary/treasurer, the project first began during a city
council meeting in early 1995.
     At that time, Lamblack recalled, Irene Zych, District 2
council person and a UD adviser in arts and science, suggested
that a site on the growing World Wide Web might be worth
considering.
     With so many UD students, faculty and staff living in and
near the city, Lamblack said, it seemed they would be interested
in information about the city and actions taken and considered at
City Council meetings. Meeting agendas and minutes already were
circulated in a print format, but the information had not
previously been posted on the Internet.
     "With Internet access, users are able to access the
information 24 hours a day," Lamblack said.
     Rick Armitage, government relations, offered the
University's assistance, and soon, Lamblack said, she was
introduced to UD personnel in Information Technologies, who
provided her with ongoing and invaluable information as well as
personalized assistance over the next 18 months.
     "The University cooperation was absolutely positive,"
Lamblack said. When she needed assistance, she said she would
call on Eileen Garland, information technologies.
     "Often, Eileen would come to my office and help me through
the problem," Lamblack said. "I not only got support with
programs and software, but I received help with the key strokes
when it was needed. The University support was fantastic. I'd
call it cooperation with a capital C."
     Graham Bingham, Newark assistant electrical department
director, was tapped to provide assistance when it was discovered
he was familiar with computers.
     Bingham said, that although the project was being developed
over a year and a half, he was called in mainly to help with the
final phase, and he said it fell into place very well. Bingham
gave much of the credit to UD employees for the assistance they
provided throughout the entire project. At times, he visited the
campus and was given instruction on graphics and system
capabilities. "The staff there was a lot of help," he said.
     Initially, trash schedules, public notices, information on
upcoming meetings and the minutes and results of completed ones
were natural items to be featured on the home page. However,
after two months in operation, Lamblack said she is continually
finding more information and currently has armfuls of material
that she is reviewing to update and add to the city's ever-
growing web site.
     "As we get more experience, it's just natural that it should
grow," she said.
     Visit the Newark Web page at:
http://www.udel.edu/Newark/DE/usa.htm 
-Ed Okonowicz