1. Social Infrastructure Session • Regional Digital Libraries [Poland] • Marcin Werla, Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Centre • A Rural Lifestyle with Good ICT Access [Sweden] • Charlie Wallin, Association of Local Authorities in the County of Västernorrland • Using ICTs for Social Inclusion: Examples from Wales • Miranda Morton, Welsh Assembly Government

2. Social Infrastructure Session • Regional Digital Libraries, Poznan Region • Fostering eLearning by improving access to content held by regional libraries and by right holders (e.g. authors) • While the system makes available library content from other parts of Poland as well, it provides a regional interface and puts most emphasis on the regional nature of much of its content.

3. Social Infrastructure Session • ICT Policy Making in a Swedish Region • Good broadband infrastructure, due to national government action and co-funding models • No regional ICT strategy in place, and region is not making best use of the infrastructure in place • Regions have limited decision-making authority in Sweden, as opposed to municipalities and the national government • Actors are fragmented and their decision-making is not integrated • National initiatives such as the home PC reform and ICT training for the unemployed show what is possible

4. Social Infrastructure Session • Using ICTs for Social Inclusion in Wales • Market failure resulted in lack of broadband infrastructure in the more peripheral areas • Use of ESF and industry funds to upgrade infrastructure across the country • National observatory found that digital divide in the region is severe • “Meet the Mouse” initiative for providing non-computer with basic eSkills • Wales is making extensive use of Internet for promoting its language

5. Social Infrastructure Session • Some conclusions • Territorial digital divides • Social digital divides • eInclusion requires universal broadband infrastructure... • ... but that is not enough. Making best use of broadband means that (other) reasons for eExclusion need to be addressed. • Services to be developed need to provide real value to users, such as in the case of digital libraries.