Libraries and E-government: Building the Future through Collaboration and Education

1. Libraries and E-government: Building the Future through Collaboration and Education John Carlo Bertot Center for Library & Information Innovation College of Information Studies University of Maryland jbertot@umd.edu clii.umd.edu

2. US Public Libraries

3. Increased Usage – Service Context • Substantial increase in public libraries and technology for: • Applying for unemployment benefits • Applying for social services • Seeking employment • Other e-government activities • As many people have cancelled home Internet access to save money, uses of libraries and computers have also increased for communication and entertainment activities

4. Libraries and E-government • Broad in scope • E-participation/democratization • Open Government/transparency • Digital government information • Services • Hands on resources • Broad in participants • Individuals • Libraries • Agencies • Governments • NGOs

5. Libraries and E-government • Broad in access points • Individual computers/laptops • Mobile devices • Intermediated • Libraries • NGOs

6. Libraries and E-government • What we know (PLFTAS Survey) • Technology access • Libraries offer free access to workstations, broadband, and Wi-Fi • Training • Libraries offer a wide range of free computer and Internet use training • Expertise • Libraries offer expertise that helps people understand government and government services • Information • Libraries help people find and use government information • Assistance • Libraries help people understand and use government websites and services • Complete Forms • Libraries help people complete immigration and citizenship, social service, emergency benefit, and other online forms

7. Community Access Points • 66.6% of library branches report that they are the only provider of free public computer and Internet access in their community • Overall, public library branches report an average of 14.2 public access workstations, up from 11.0 in 2008-2009

8. Community Access Points • 82.2% of public library branches offer wireless Internet access, up from 76.4% reported in 2008-2009 • Libraries offer a range of technology and information literacy classes • Library usage is up across the board

9. E-government in Public Libraries • 88.8% help people understand and use government websites • 78.7% help people apply for E-government services • 66.3% help people complete E-government forms

10. Changing Education • E-government Librarianship • clii.umd.edu/libegov • Funded by IMLS 21st Century grant • Program starts Fall 2010 • Online, with f-2-f at the 2010 and 2011 Fall Depository Council meetings • Premise • E-government is different, but builds on, the government documents tradition

11. Changing Education • Partners • Government Printing Office (GPO) • Government Information Online (GIO) • www.govtinfo.org/ • Program • Online, part of the UMD MLS program’s E-government concentration • www.clii.umd.edu/libegov

12. Changing Education • Program • Coursework • Coursework serves as the intellectual and conceptual basis for the evolving government information environment • Information policy, E-government librarianship, E-government, and more • Practice • Through internships with the GIO program participants, students will develop applied government information skills. • Professional • By bringing students together annually to attend the Fall Federal Depository Library meeting, students will become integrated into the larger government information community and engage key issues in government information • Scholarship • Through inclusion in the review process of Government Information Quarterly, students will publish government resource reviews, contribute to furthering scholarship in government information, and learn the publication process

13. Changing Practice • In partnership with ALA, USCIS, IRS, GPO, IMLS grant to create a web resource to: • Provide an umbrella suite of resources and content, maintained and updated regularly, that libraries and agencies create collaboratively for all libraries to use • Provide a tool and means through which e-government service providers can work with libraries to provide community-based access to e-government services and resources • Serve as a gateway to selected e-government services and practices • Embed librarian-based expertise and digital reference • Offer guidance on the provision of e-government services and roles to assist libraries continue to serve as critical community providers of e-government to a range of populations • 5 State library agencies and numerous libraries as partners

14. Changing Practice • Initial focus on • Taxes (IRS) • Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) • Avoid wheel reinvention • Web resource for libraries and agencies, not direct public access

15. Providing Tools • Based on the 2009-2010 survey data, a number of tools to help libraries advocate: • Issue briefs • Broadband • Community Access • E-government • Employment • State one-page handouts • E-government • Employment • State Profiles • http://www.plinternetsurvey.org/?q=node/31 • More coming

16. Key Issues and Challenges • Time • Changing educational programs and practice takes time • Collaborations • Many levels of government, agencies • Starting nationally, but there are significant state and local components • Roles • Where do libraries and agencies collaborate and leave off? • Not all roles are appropriate • Liability • Evolving technology • Social media; mobile

17. Some Concluding Comments • Status quo Fewer agency staff, locations, operating hours, and no public access technology = more people coming to libraries • Libraries responding individually to meet needs, while simultaneously enduring cuts

18. Conclusions • It is how we bundle • Knowledge • Services • Partnerships • Space • Technology • To address the e-government challenges that will create our future value in this important service area