This new publication offers solutions to some of the problems in Alabama's rural counties -- double-digit unemployment, low percentages of high school graduates and low household income -- defined in the authors' earlier work, Beyond the Interstate: The Crisis in Rural Alabama.

"Here is a roadmap . . . of many crossroads the state could take to shared prosperity," says David Wilson, associate provost and vice president for AU Outreach who challenged Sumners and Lee to recommend solutions to the problems in rural Alabama.

Sumners and Lee state that there are many excellent people, programs and projects at the state and community levels, but often individuals and organizations work independently rather than in collaboration with each other.

"We are accustomed to working on the equivalent of one-way streets. We need more crossroads," said Sumners.

Crossroads and Connections recommends the following for Alabama:

- Creation of an Alabama Rural Development Council

- Creation of a state government position/office focusing on rural development.

- Implementation of a regional economic and community development strategy

- Support of the Alabama Communities of Excellence Program

- Upgrade the rural technology infrastructure

- Support Interstate highway expansion in rural Alabama.

- Create a comprehensive strategy for retraining displaced rural workers.

"State-level support and coordination for rural development are desperately needed and partnerships are essential," write Sumners and Lee. "But the real work of rural development must take place within each individual community. Successful rural communities don't wait around for someone else to solve their problems. They get to work. And they work together."