icegov2012 proceedings

continue to rely on dial-up Internet service [22]. In rural areas,
only 38% of homes have broadband access [22].
Lack of access to technology is not the only barrier to G2C egovernment.
Even if the technological infrastructure is in place, egovernment
services are often limited by difficulties in searching
for and locating the desired information, a general lack of
familiarity with the structure of government, lack of education
about the value of e-government, language barriers, and attitudes
toward technology and government among many users [32], [33].
While many members of the public still struggle with G2C
information and services, government agencies have come to
focus on it as a means of cost savings rather than increasing
access for members of the public [26], [28]. Government agencies
have shifted responsibility to the users for innumerable functions
that the agencies had to handle before e-government– registering
students in school, paying fees and taxes, scheduling
appointments, taking driver’s education programs, applying for
permits, finding court proceedings, submitting local zoning board
information, requesting planning permits, searching property and
assessor databases, and completing numerous other federal, state,
and local government functions online.
2.2 The Role of Libraries in E-Government
Paralleling the rise of the Web and e-government, public libraries
quickly became providers of free public access to the Internet,
with virtually every public library already offering public access
by the year 2002 [2], [28].Throughout the intervening years, the
public library has served as the primary – or only available –
access point for G2C access, training, and assistance in
communities across the country [1]. In some sense, serving as
guarantor of G2C access and training is a natural extension of the
established social roles of the public library. “The public library is
one place that is culturally ingrained as a trusted source of free
and open information access and exchange” [30, pp. 487]. Given
the complexities of many G2C services, “even if Americans had
all the hardware they needed to access every bit of government
information they required, many would still need the help of
skilled librarians whose job it is to be familiar with multiple
systems of access to government systems” [19, pp. 124].
Several years ago, it became commonplace for government
agencies to direct users with questions about their websites to the
local public library [8], [7], [13]. Now, many federal, state, and
local government agencies continue to rely upon public libraries
to provide residents with access to and guidance in using G2C egovernment,
including the completion of applications and forms
[8], [7], [25], [27]. For example, the Florida Department of
Children and Families reduced the number of case workers and
assistance providers by over 3,000 positions due to its
implementation of the AccessFlorida online application system,
resulting in near complete lack of available agency staff from
which users can seek assistance [18].
Another example of this shift in information responsibility from
the agency to intermediaries is information provision during the
2005 Atlantic hurricane season. According to Jaeger et al,
librarians reported unprecedented numbers of patrons during the
emergencies. One librarian said, “We have a large number of
displaced people who are coming to rely upon the library in ways
many of them never expected. I’ve had so many people tell me
that they had never been to a library before they had to find
89
someplace to file a FEMA application or insurance claim. Many
of these people knew nothing about computers and would have
been totally lost without the staff’s help.…” [31, pp. 205]. What
would ordinarily have been the job of government-sponsored
disaster relief agencies became the province of the intermediary.
These examples show that librarians operate as an important
stakeholder in the delivery of e-government services. According
to the 2011-2012, Public Libraries Funding & Technology Access
Study (PLFTAS), 96.6 percent of public library outlets reported
that library staff members assist library patrons in applying for egovernment
services. Moreover, 91.8 percent reported that staff
members assist patrons in understanding how to access and use egovernment
websites. The following figure illustrates additional
roles that public libraries serve in connecting patrons with egovernment
services [3]. 2
Figure 2: E-Government Roles & Services of Public Libraries
E-Government Role or Service Percentage
Staff provide assistance to patrons applying for
or accessing e-government services
Staff provide as needed assistance to patrons for
understanding how to access and use egovernment
Websites
Staff provide assistance to patrons for
understanding government programs and services
Staff provide assistance to patrons for completing
government forms
The library developed guides, tip sheets, or other
tools to help patrons use e-government Websites
and services
The library offers training classes regarding the
use of government Websites, understanding
government programs, and completing electronic
forms
The library offered translation services for forms
and services in other languages
The library partnered with government agencies,
non-profit organizations, and others to provide egovernment
services
The library worked with government agencies
(local, state, or federal) to help agencies improve
their Websites and/or e-government services
The library has at least one staff member with
significant knowledge and skills in provision of
e- government services
96.6%
(n=12,607)
91.8%
(n=11,976)
50.0%
(n=6,528)
70.7%
(n=9,230)
20.6%
(n=2,686)
11.2%
(n=1,457)
7.8%
(n=1,020)
30.9%
(n=4,017)
11.0%
(n=1,438)
23.6%
2 Throughout this paper, the term “patron” is used when users are
either in the library, using library resources, or are the target of
library programs.