Community-Based E-Government: Libraries as E-Government Partners and Providers

In the United States, e-government is a complex mix of federal, state, and local governments; technologies; service paradigms; and policies. There is no single approach to e-government, with a range of e-government applications and set of e-government technologies in effect. Agencies and levels of government have different mandates and approaches regarding e-government, leaving users on their own to identify and resolve their e-government needs. Without a bridge between previously mediated interactions, users often make their way to libraries and rely on librarian expertise to fulfill their e-government needs. This paper explores the ability of libraries and government agencies to collaborate effectively in the provision of e-government to residents and communities in this country, presenting findings from a national survey of U.S. public libraries, and interviews and case sites conducted with 15 public libraries in four states.