Telecottage Handbook: Haw to establish and run successful telecentre

Telecottages are local community service centres where information, assistance and help are available and where anyone can use the information and communication technology (ICT) and access the Internet. Telecottage users
can solicit, disseminate, record, analyse, or simply access information. These institutions bring information to locals and provide opportunities to use information in different ways: to work, to learn or simply to play. The everincreasing need for communal access to information society services can perfectly be satisafied by telecottages.The term telecottage was first used in Great Britain by the Telework Association.1 We share the association’s vision of these rural, ICT enhanced community spaces – so we decided to borrow their word.
Telecottages are community enterprises where users are provided with assistance to enable them to deal with the new array of info-communication equipment.Information about various e-services is available, and anyone can have hands-on experience. Telecottages are also communal hubs within the local communities, with sometimes very special services, such as operating the local cinema.