Transcript Libraries and E-Government: Roles, Issues, & Strategies

Libraries and E-Government:
Roles & Issues
Presented at the Florida Library Association Annual Conference, April 24, 2008
John Carlo Bertot
Professor and Associate Director
<[email protected]>
Amelia Gibson
Research Associate
<[email protected]>
Information Institute, College of Information
Florida State University
Defining E-Government

E-Government
◦ Involves the use of a range of information
technologies (computers, PDAs, mobile devices,
other) to deliver and provide access to government
services

Efficiency (cost savings), effectiveness
(service quality), democratization,
economic development
The E-Government Context

Multiple governments providing E-government
◦ Federal, state, local
Multiple agencies providing E-government
 Multiple visions, goals, and objectives for Egovernment
 Multiple levels of quality and service goals
 Multiple developers of E-government
applications

◦ Outsourcing, internal, other
The E-Government Context
Multiple platforms, technologies, and delivery
mechanisms
 Lack of integration and consistency across
applications, agencies, and governments
 Multiple access mechanisms

◦ Computers (of varying configurations, quality, and
capabilities, for example)

Range of skill levels of users
The E-Government Context

It all comes together at the point of
service delivery -- the user and his/her
device

Enter public libraries
Public Libraries and E-Government

Nationally:*
◦ Staff provide as-needed assistance to patrons for understanding
how to access and use government websites, programs, and
electronic forms (74.0%)
◦ Staff provide assistance to patrons applying for or accessing Egovernment services (51.9%)
◦ Staff provide immigrants with assistance in locating immigrationrelated services and information (28.6%; 47.8% urban libraries)
*Data from Public Libraries and the Internet 2008 study, funded by the American
Library Association. Available at http://www.ii.fsu.edu/plinternet/ August 2008.
Public Libraries and E-Government
Statewide Data Collection: What do patrons
expect?
User Surveys
Librarian Logs
8 Public libraries, 74 branches
User Surveys
203 surveys to date (still collecting)
 60% female, 40% male
 Primarily between the ages of 26 and 60

Reasons Patrons Go to the Library
for E-Government
Don't own a computer
60.0%
Librarians help with the
internet
Librarians help with
resources and information
20.2%
10.8%
0.0%
38.4%
10.0%
28.6%
20.0%
The internet at the library is
free
38.9%
30.0%
42.9%
40.0%
53.2%
50.0%
Don't have access to the
internet at home or at work
Librarians help fill out
applications
Other
Patrons search for…
35.00%
State Info
28.1%
21.7%
6.9%
6.4%
12.3%
5.00%
23.6%
10.00%
24.1%
15.00%
30%
20.00%
28.1%
25.00%
33.5%
30.00%
0.00%
City/County Information
Federal Information
Education Information
DCF Applications
USCIS Information
State Information
Government/University Jobs
Medicare/Medicaid
Passport Application
Other
Librarian Logs
Tax forms
 DCF
 Immigration (USCIS)
 DMV
 Arrest Records
 Job searches and applications (municipal,
city, county state)

Public Libraries and E-Government

Public librarians support a range of Egovernment activities
◦ Information location and access
◦ Basic eligibility (e-mail accounts)
◦ Public access technology infrastructure (workstations,
bandwidth)
◦ IT training
◦ Troubleshooting
Public Libraries and E-Government

Social services and support
◦
◦
◦
◦
Community anchor
Community recovery
Family location
Understanding multiple programs to assist
users who might qualify (or need to apply for)
for multiple services
Public Libraries and E-Government

In summary, public libraries provide
◦
◦
◦
◦
A central community location
Robust and reliable technology infrastructure
Technical know-how
Information literacy
 Particularly the ability to navigate a range of information
resources and services
◦ The Librarian
Issues and Opportunities

Issues
◦ Agencies closing down retail outlets
 Shift in burden in the name of efficiency and cost savings
 Likely to get worse as agency budgets are cut
◦ Strain on resources




Staff
Technology infrastructure
Buildings
Budgets
◦ Librarians are not
 Program experts
 Social workers
 First responders
Issues and Opportunities

Issues
◦ Libraries do not
 Control or influence E-government applications and programs
◦
◦
◦
◦
Pressure to constantly upgrade and absorb
Stress and frustration
Liability
AFFORDABILITY
 As budgets are cut, more individuals will need help,
customer service hours will decrease, and libraries will
be caught in the middle
Strategies and Moving Forward

More research and telling the story
◦ Library
 Logs, interviews, focus groups
◦ User 
 User surveys
Strategies and Moving Forward

Information Institute E-government initiative
◦ National public library Internet surveys
◦ Working with state library to continue to document
Florida library roles
◦ Working with FLA
◦ Working with Pasco County
◦ Libraryegov.org
Share information
 Cooperative support

◦ Pasco County
 http://pclsegov.blogspot.com/
Thank You!
Contact information for Bertot/Gibson
[email protected]
[email protected]
850.644.8118
Institute: http://www.ii.fsu.edu
E-Government: http://www.libraryegov.org
User Survey: http://www.ii.fsu.edu/egovsurvey