Managing electronic government information in libraries : issues and practices

257 Pages·2008·3.45 MB·English

by  , Andrea Marie Morrison

Managing Electronic
Government Information
in Libraries
Issues and Practices
Edited by Andrea M. Morrison
for the Government Documents Round Table
Managing Electronic
Government Information
in Libraries
Issues and Practices
Edited by Andrea M. Morrison
for the Government Documents Round Table
American Library Association
Chicago 2008
Andrea M. Morrison is associate librarian at Indiana University, Bloomington, and a current
ALA councilor-at-large. She holds an MLS and MA in comparative literature from IU. She
is active in serv ice to GODORT, having served as chair of GODORT (2003/4), chair of the
GODORT Publications Committee, coordinator of the GODORT International Documents
Task Force, and in many other capacities. She is an adjunct professor for the IU School of
Library and Information Science and lectures on government information. Morrison is coau-
thor with Barbara J. Mann of International Government Information and Country Information: A
Subject Guide (2004) and has published articles on government information in scholarly journals.
[email protected]
While extensive effort has gone into ensuring the reliability of information appearing in
this book, the publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, on the accuracy or reli-
ability of the information, and does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any
person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in this publication.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. ∞
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Managing electronic government information in libraries : issues and practices / edited
by Andrea M. Morrison for the Government Documents Round Table.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-0954-6 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8389-0954-X (alk. paper)
1. Libraries—Special collections—Electronic government information. 2. Elec-
tronic government information—United States—Management. 3. Depository librar-
ies—United States. 4. Federal Depository Library Program. 5. United States. Govern-
ment Printing Office. 6. Information policy—United States. I. Morrison, Andrea Marie,
1957– II. American Library Association. Government Documents Round Table.
Z688.G6M37 2008
025.17’4—dc22 2008001058
Copyright © 2008 by the American Library Association. All rights reserved except those
which may be granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-0954-6
ISBN-10: 0-8389-0954-X
Printed in the United States of America
12 11 10 09 08 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Preface v
Acknowledgments ix
List of Abbreviations xi
Part I Issues
Chapter 1 Federal Government Information Policy and the
Electronic Federal Depository Library
William Sudduth 3
Chapter 2 The Impact of Technology on Managing Access
to Electronic Government Information in Libraries
Amy West 14
Chapter 3 Digital Preservation of Electronic Government Information
Grace-Ellen McCrann 21
Chapter 4 Electronic Government Spatial Information:
Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities
Linda Zellmer 34
Chapter 5 Providing Access to Electronic Government
Information to Diverse Populations
Marianne Mason 44
Chapter 6 Reaching Out to Youth with Electronic Government
Information
Karen Russ and Sarah Ziegenbein 60
Part II PractIces
Chapter 7 Collection Development: Handling Electronic
Government Information through the Federal
Depository Library Program and Beyond
Hui Hua Chua 71
Chapter 8 U.S. Government Printing Office Practices for
Cataloging Electronic Resources
John A. Stevenson 86
iii
iv ContEntS
Chapter 9 Bibliographic Control and Processing of Electronic
Government Information in Libraries
Elaine Winske 113
Chapter 10 Integrating Online Government Documents
into Library Reference Ser vices
Grace-Ellen McCrann 136
Chapter 11 Government Information Instruction in the Information
Literacy Environment
Barbara Miller and Barbara J. Mann 152
Chapter 12 Digital Preservation of Electronic Government Information:
Projects and Practical Advice
M. Elizabeth Cowell 164
Chapter 13 Managing Local Electronic Government Information
in Libraries
Mary Martin 174
Chapter 14 State Government Information
Lori L. Smith 184
Chapter 15 Managing Electronic International Government
Information: Issues and Practices
Catherine Morse 195
Chapter 16 Foreign Countries’ Electronic Government Information
Jian Anna Xiong and Jing Liu 209
Index 227
Preface
The expanding production of digital government infor-
mation and new electronic government (e-government)
strategies and applications presents a host of challenges to
twenty-first-century libraries. Library users’ demands for e-government informa-
tion will consistently grow as digital government provides essential ser vices and
information to citizens and the public. To meet these demands, libraries and librar-
ians must continually design and implement new methods of managing e-govern-
ment information and incorporating new technologies in the identification, acqui-
sition, access, and preservation of digital government information. More and more,
libraries are exploring collaborative efforts in order to solve the problems posed by
digital government information in the areas of reference, information literacy, col-
lection development, cataloging, and archival preservation.
Promoting permanent public access to government information is one of the
missions of the American Library Association’s Government Documents Round
Table (GODORT), but providing access to e-government information is a role all
libraries should embrace. This book provides information to libraries and librarians
on the benefits of pursuing this goal.
Depository libraries, whether federal, state, or international, have a significant
role in preparing for the e-government future. These institutions are legally com-
mitted to providing access to government information for their library users and
the public. The specific ways depository libraries can improve access and serv ices
for digital government information in libraries are covered in each chapter.
This book also serves as a handbook for all types of libraries, whether pub-
lic, academic, special, or school. Many innovative library projects with practical
applications are described. The book provides a current snapshot of the issues and
covers the benefits, challenges, and best practices of managing digital government
information in libraries for librarians in differing positions: government informa-
tion librarians, library administrators, scholars, students, researchers, and other
information professionals.
v
vi PREfACE
DIGITAL GOvERnMEnT InFORMATIOn DEFInED
What is digital government information? Since the mid-1990s, public institutions
have adopted new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to increase
the efficiency and effectiveness of internal and external organ izational processes
and of delivery of e-government serv ices. “The term digital government has in many
respects grown to refer to the development, adoption or use of ICT as a key com-
ponent of a public organ ization’s internal information and control systems, as well
as any use of ICT to facilitate interaction with external stakeholders” (Hinnant
and Sawyer 2005, 1012). Federal, regional, state, and local governments use ICT
systems, such as the World Wide Web, to provide information to foster democracy,
meet legislative requirements, and provide ser vices. Hinnant and Sawyer refer to
fostering democratic processes via electronic media as e-democracy, which they divide
into two subsets of activities: e-politics and e-government. E-politics are activities sur-
rounding citizen awareness and participation in political processes; e-government
is “the use of ICT by government agencies to provide programmatic information
and ser vices to citizens and other stakeholders” (2005, 1012). The United Nations
Division for Public Economic and Public Administration provides an even more
succinct definition: “utilizing the Internet and the World Wide Web for delivering
government information and ser vices to citizens” (Schelin 2005, 11).
DIGITAL GOvERnMEnT InFORMATIOn EnvIROnMEnT
According to a 2007 Pew Internet and American Life Project reporting on a national
survey, American Internet users relied on online government information to help
them address common problems. Seventy percent of Americans expect government
information to be available online, and 78 percent of Internet users have visited
government websites (Estabrook et al. 2007, 7). Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64
percent) have Internet broadband access at home or work, 13 percent have dial-up
access, and 23 percent no access (Estabrook et al. 2007, 3). The survey found that
users reported good results finding and using information especially when they
consulted government agencies, librarians, and the Internet; that government docu-
ments should be created and delivered in many ways, with most respondents prefer-
ring online access; that e-government is a necessity; and that those users who turn
to libraries have success and appreciate all the library resources available, especially
access to computers and the Internet (Estabrook et al. 2007, iii–vi). This access may
be via personal computers or computers at public and private institutions such as
libraries or via mobile phones and emerging technologies. ICT has become increas-
ingly affordable, even in developing countries; in particular, in the past few years
mobile telephone access to the Internet has allowed for unprecedented accessibility
for the average user (United Nations 2008, 23). In this environment, government-
to-citizen activities have changed. It is common for citizens to pay taxes, license
fees, and request information or other serv ices from public organ izations via ICT.1
PREfACE vii
Libraries have an increasingly significant role responding to this environment
of high user expectations and need to plan for rising demands for Internet govern-
ment information.2 Government agencies in the United States and worldwide will
continue to produce online information, authenticate official information and trans-
actions, digitally preserve existing information, and improve ser vices and access at
accelerated rates. In this context, this book will be useful for many years.3 Individual
chapters describe and analyze government information policy, especially for U.S.
federal, state, and local agencies but also for international government agencies.
The efforts of the leading federal and international agencies in information dissem-
ination products and development (e.g., U.S. Government Printing Office, National
Archives, and Library of Congress; and the United Nations) are highlighted. Also
described are library collaborations and partnerships that illustrate how libraries cur-
rently manage e-government information challenges and prepare for the future.
ORGAn IzATIOn
Part 1 of this book (chapters 1–6) explores the background issues for managing e-gov-
ernment information in libraries. Part 2 (chapters 7–16) covers the practical ways that
libraries and librarians can handle e-government information, addressing the special
needs and questions of public, academic, school, special, and government libraries.
The chapters in the first part take a broad perspective on the issues, touching on
government policies, historical and current trends, library strategies and best prac-
tices, user needs, practical library resources, and future challenges. Topics include
U.S. federal government information policy and the future of the electronic federal
depository library; the impact of technological developments on managing access
to e-government information in libraries; a philosophical and historical perspective
on preservation of e-government information in libraries; how libraries may best
provide access and serv ices for e-government information to diverse populations
and those with special needs; library outreach to youth with e-government informa-
tion; and the challenges of handling digital spatial data in libraries.
Chapters in the second part cover practical areas of management, including
both traditional library management areas and specialized government information
areas. Each chapter analyzes the current library environment and challenges for
its subject, discusses opportunities, and provides practical information for imple-
menting and improving serv ices. Detailed case studies illustrate best practices in
libraries, with philosophical issues and historical trends included as background.
Traditional library activities concerning e-government information are discussed
in the chapters on collection development, cataloging, bibliographic control and
processing, reference ser vice for online government information resources, infor-
mation literacy, and current digital preservation projects. Chapters 13–16 cover
specialized areas of digital government information (local, state, international, and
foreign country), discuss library management for the area, and provide practical
library advice for collection development, cataloging, technical ser vices, reference,
viii PREfACE
management of web guides, archiving and preservation projects, instruction, and out-
reach. Every chapter also includes information on best online resources for its topic.
The future role of libraries in managing digital government information is
a major theme of this publication. As new technologies develop, faster and more
sophisticated means of creating and delivering e-government information will be
available. Governments will progress in transforming e-government to connected
government, using knowledge management (United Nations 2008, 14). Librar-
ies must meet the challenges of providing user access to expanding and increasingly
sophisticated online government information. Libraries must also prepare for expand-
ing user expectations. Each chapter of this book discusses specific ways libraries can
prepare for the challenges posed by digital government information.
Notes
1. For more background information about the Internet in public administration worldwide,
see Anttiroiko and Mälkiä (2007).
2. The discussions in Kumar (2006) support the significance of the library’s role in providing
access. This volume covers specific topics of providing access to government information,
particularly for preservation, reference, and depository library issues.
3. Changing URLs are one of the challenges of digital government information. If broken
links occur for references in this book, the editor recommends searching the Internet with
the following tools: an organization’s internal search engine, a government search engine
such as USA.gov, or a general search engine. For example, the Federal Depository Library
Program (FDLP) updated its home address to www.fdlp.gov, but the editor suspects the
redirects for the FDLP URLs referenced here will be active for some years, and if not, a
search of the FDLP website will likely be successful.
RefeReNCes
Anttiroiko, Ari-Veikko, and Matti Mälkiä, eds. 2007. Encyclopedia of Digital
Government. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference.
Estabrook, Leigh, Evans Witt, and Lee Rainie. 2007. Information Searches That Solve
Problems. Pew Internet and American Life Project and Graduate School of Library
Information and Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. www.pew
internet.org/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp.
Hinnant, Charles C., and Steve Sawyer. 2005. “Electronic Government Strategies and
Research in the U.S.” In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, vol. 2,
ed. Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, 1012–1017. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference.
Kumar, Suhasini L., ed. 2006. The Changing Face of Government Information: Providing
Access in the Twenty-first Century. New York: Haworth Information Press.
Schelin, Shannon Howle. 2005. “A Primer on e-Government.” In Encyclopedia of
Information Science and Technology, vol. 1, ed. Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, 11–15.
Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference.
United Nations. 2008. UN e-Government Survey 2008: From e-Government to Connected
Governance (ST/ESA/PAD/SER.E/112). http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/
public/documents/UN/UNPAN028607.pdf.
Acknowledgments
Many people have contributed to the production of
this volume. In particular, I wish to acknowledge the
GODORT Steering and Publications Committees for
believing in and approving the project. Their support resulted in many GODORT
members responding to the call for authors and volunteer chapter editors. Their
willingness to share their expertise is greatly appreciated. I also thank all authors
for their dedication, patience, and diligence in working through the process and the
many questions that arose.
The volunteer chapter editors’ contributions were timely and invaluable. Not
only did they give another perspective on the content and language of the chapters,
but they also shared their expertise on the content of the chapters. The volunteer
editors are Chelsea Dinsmore, James R. Jacobs, Mary Martin, Aimée C. Quinn,
Victoria Packard, Deborah Smith, John Stevenson, Amy West, and Elaine Winske.
I also extend special thanks to Barbara J. Mann, the GODORT Publications
Committee liaison on this project and coauthor of the chapter on information
literacy. As chair-elect and chair of the GODORT Publications Committee for
consecutive terms 2004–2008, she worked with me throughout the process. Her
efficiency, prompt responses, constructive criticism, and most of all encouragement
contributed to the success of this project.
I hope these efforts inspire GODORT members to share their expertise in
future publishing projects that support GODORT’s educational and professional
mission to advocate permanent public access to government information.
ix