A review of the first day of CTG's workshop on "The Role of Public Libraries in Enabling Open Government," May 7-8, 2014 in Alexandria, VA. Find out more at http://imls.ctg.albany.edu/.

1. The Role of Public Libraries in Enabling
Open Government
A Stakeholder Workshop
Review of Day One
G. Brian Burke

2. Agenda – Day 2
• 8:30 Continental Breakfast – Washington Room
• 9:00 Review of Day One
• 9:25 Small Group Exercise: OG Project Examples
• 10:10 Small Group Report and Break
• 10:50 Large Group Exercise: Projects to Help Libraries
Enable Open Government
• 11:30 Plenary Discussion: Applying A Framework or Other
Tool for Public Librarians
• 12:00 Closing Remarks and Lunch

3. What We Heard
• The Framework needs work
• The use of Y and X axes is problematic
– Forces uses to “plot” their open government activities
– Denotes a progression or maturity from less to greater capability
or beginning to an end
• The labels and definitions problematic
– Too much detail and information but without saying enough
– Recognize that community engagement, literacy training, and
access to and help using information are key public library
capabilities
– Combining them the way we did on a “chart” isn’t the best of
helping libraries make decisions in investing in those areas

4. What We Heard
• Currently we have scattered exemplar public library open
gov’t projects but no transition to broader adoption
• In order implement best or current practices, public
libraries need
– Education (what’s possible and skills needed),
– support, and
– handholding.
• New leadership skills and models are necessary for public
librarians to
– Engage with gov’t leaders
– Engage with community groups
– Market their open gov’t related services

5. What We Heard
• Decision making tool is a good idea for public
libraries
• However, any tool needs to be informed by an
assessment of the broad needs of individual
communities
• Then libraries can assess their abilities to meet
these specific needs and plan accordingly
• For example, “local news desert”

6. Questions?