Partner Event: Efficient, Effective, eGov Solutions Online (April 21, 2010)

I’m attending this event and it is a great reminder of the importance of Nebraska’s libraries in meeting state government’s goal of easing citizen access to state government. It may not be apparent to all of state government that the local library and their staff are a tremendous resource in achieving this goal, but we can help raise awareness about this vital role of libraries. The Nebraska Library Commission recently submitted a grant application to the National Telecommunications Infrastructure Agency (NTIA) for a Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) project to help equip libraries to serve as community public computing centers and take a greater role in promoting access to Internet resources, including government services. The notes below from the CIO Partnership Event can be useful to help illuminate the needs that these library public computing centers can help meet. I. Lt. Gov. Sheehy opened the meeting by stressing Nebraska’s leadership role in: •Telehealth availability in Nebraska. •Broadband accessibility—surveys show NE already has a significant amount of infrastructure. He praised Public Service Commission mapping of the areas that lack accessibility and thanks the providers for enhancing the availability. •Top priority is Interoperable Public Safety radio communication system—using homeland security funds. •Wants to make it possible for the 3 days it takes for a citizen from Western Nebraska to do business with state government to shrink to 30 seconds. II. Chief Information Officer Brenda Decker addressed: •IT role is to expand government by the citizens, encouraging greater civic involvement…stressing the statewide telecom system/Network Nebraska. •TechnologiesacrossNebraska.unl.edu—cooperative project with University…provide resources to communities, podcasting project, video streamed workshops, resources, toolkits •E-government services to Nebraska citizens…online, instead of in line—State of Utah can be open only four days a week because everything that can be done in a state office can be done online…Nebraska state government is being challenged to help our citizens do everything online that could be done by a visit to a Nebraska state office. III. Beau Reid, Insurance Broker for Homes Murphy •Data Integration has provided an opportunity for the insurance business and can be mirrored in opportunity for government service…building more profitable organizations through data •Demonstration of how data integration (Health Risk Assessment + Biometrics: Waist circumference, triglycerides, fasting glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol + Claims Data, etc.) helps id people that are most likely to develop chronic illness and use that information to control future costs (medical plan costs, workers compensation, productivity, lost time, profitability, etc.). IV. Nebraska Interactive President Brent Hoffman •Using Technology to take a fresh look at information and to connect government information development, distribution, and storage (and access to it through libraries, I might add…note from MJR) with citizens and businesses. Increase productivity and customer service, while reducing information requests. •User demand is high. •Users provide and validate information. •Can create new life for our existing e-government services by making the same information available in a new format, i.e., Ipad/Iphone applications, Take a look at what business is doing with information state agencies are collecting, validating, reporting, auditing and storing (for example, what Zillow.com is doing with government information) and ask what state agencies could be doing themselves. •Try to id the business demand for government information. •Take a fresh new look at our information and how it could be repackaged for business use (for example, Financial Institution, Law Firms, Insurance, Associations, Meida, Data Aggregator). •Opportunities: What are people calling for? Transparency and multiple technology formats are essential. Industry groups will tell us what they need. Activities in other states may be something we need to do. Economic development can be the direct result on the local level. •Social networking means that customers will build the aps. if we give them the data. •Interoperability so that agencies at all levels can share data and make it transparent to citizens. This event really got me thinking about the role of libraries in facilitating this transformation–please click comment below to share your thoughts and ideas…thanks, Mary Jo Ryan