Since the mid-1980s, the Tuscany (Italy) regional government, the University of Florence (adult education department), and the Commune of Castelfiorentino have participated in a joint project aimed at narrowing the ever-widening gap between different segments of the Castelfiorentino population with regard to education and culture. The project focuses on the role of the library and has created a local information system that includes a television program on educational, cultural, recreational, and sporting events; a local newspaper started by citizens; air time on the local radio network for discussing local problems and information sharing; and a telephone information service. To increase the number of places where people can find, read, and borrow books, satellite service points have been established at such sites as beauty salons, recreational and cultural centers, hospitals, supermarkets, and schools. In addition, the project has developed a model to address the lack of a public adult education system in Castelfiorentino. The model involves: (1) establishing a planning process that defines educational objectives and addresses resource availability, appropriate methods, and procedures; (2) defining the target clientele; and (3) addressing the scope of application and resources available for training activities. Program evaluation would require assessing skills acquired during training by comparing them with requirements for local socioeconomic development; assessing how well the public was prepared for and given access to new training opportunities; and assessing the degree to which students actively participate in organized community life. (LP)