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Category Archives: What’s Up Doc / Govdocs
Facts about Nebraska Communities–finally!
The American Community Survey is a wonderful thing. Annual surveys are taken in every community and rural area of the country. Because it is sample data, results have been rolled out gradually for the past five years, starting with state and county level data. Finally after 5 years we have detailed estimates for the smallest communities, which is most of our towns in Nebraska. The reason for the wait is the need to have years of data to make results more accurate and preserve confidentiality.
The quickest way to get a profile for your community is to go to the American Factfinder site
http://factfinder.census.gov/
In the Get a Fact Sheet for your Community box type the name of your community and choose Nebraska. You will get a profile of social, economic, housing and population estimates. And here’s the really cool part. If you click on any of the show more links it will bring up more data, still for the town you specified.
Top 10 Must-Have Federal Government Apps
Need to see the FBI’s Most Wanted List to check out that sinister-looking person in the airport restroom? Find the nearest place to get fuel for your alternative-fuels vehicle? Find the US embassy in Paris because your passport just got stolen? The bloggers at the White House have posted a list of their favorite federal government apps for your mobile phone to help you stay connected to government services.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/11/19/top-10-must-have-government-apps
The list is taken from a much larger list on the USA.gov web site http://apps.usa.gov/
Yes there IS an app for that.
Who’s not Paying their Taxes?
The Nebraska Department of Revenue is trying “shame on you” tactics by publishing a list of people owing $20,000 or more in back taxes on their web site at
http://www.revenue.ne.gov/delinquent_list/delinquent.html
The person at the top of the list owes a whopping $2,357,875.48.
If your name is on the Delinquent Taxpayer List, and you have questions about paying your taxes, please contact the Department office nearest you; or call Taxpayer Assistance at (800) 742-7474 (toll free in Nebraska and Iowa), or (402) 471-5729 and speak with a representative who will explain the payment options available to you. It is your responsibility to contact the Department if you can not pay the tax which is due.
Summer 2010 State Publications List Available
For those wanting to add records to their catalogs for Nebraska state documents, the Summer 2010 list of Nebraska E-Docs is now available at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/govDocs/ShippingLists/edocsalerts.aspx
To see news postings about government information issues, notices of new state and federal publications received at the Library Commission, and notification of new state E-Docs lists subscribe to the What’s Up Doc blog at http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/nlcblog/category/whatsupdoc-govdocs/.
UNK Library is the FDLP November Spotlight
Congratulations to the folks at the UNK Calvin T. Ryan Library, which is the Spotlight Depository for November for the Federal Depository Library Program. Rochelle Krueger, Government Documents Librarian at UNK, says it is “quite and honor” !
www.fdlp.gov/outreach/spotlight/833-calvintryanlibrary
Nebraska’s 3rd U.S. Congressional District is a very large district, bigger than many states in fact. What are the options available to a depository trying to respond to so large a service area? The Federal Depository Library at the University of Nebraska – Kearney’s Calvin T. Ryan Library is one of two Depositories that serve this Congressional District. In this month’s Library Spotlight GPO highlights the combination free public access, emphasis on electronic resources, and community outreach that this depository uses in response to the challenging size of its service area.
Depository libraries serve the public every day by providing free access to a wealth of U.S. Government information products. GPO highlights a different Federal depository library each month. To find out which other depositories have been Spotlights visit the Depository Library Spotlight page on the FDLP Desktop at http://www.fdlp.gov/outreach/spotlight
What to do before the pipeline arrives
The Keystone Pipeline debate is heating up…and this booklet reissued in September 2010 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission couldn’t be more timely for Nebraska landowners and librarians.
An Interstate Natural Gas Facility on my Land? What do I Need to Know?
http://www.ferc.gov/for-citizens/citizen-guides/citz-guide-gas.pdf
The 24-page booklet helps property owners could learn about their rights, how FERC’s procedures work, what safety and environmental issues might be involved, and lots more. For example, it addresses such issues as the legal rights and responsibilities of all parties, archaeological sites, environmental and safety issues, pipeline installation procedures, how long a pipeline might stay in place and many other questions.
Print copies can also be ordered from the FERC Office of External Affairs
Toll-free: 1-866-208-3372
email customer@ferc.gov
NU Personnel Roster Online
The 2010/11 edition of the Universtity of Nebraska Personnel Roster is now online and has been added to the Library Commission state e-pubs collection at
http://nlc.nebraska.gov/epubs/U0100/B003.html
The Roster lists salary information for emplyees of UNL,UNO,UNK and UNMC and is eagerly awaited by those wanting to know what the folks at our public university system earn.
Podcasts for Consumer Health Available
Are you always on the go? Now your health information can go with you – anywhere, anytime. On average, we spend over 100 hours a year commuting to and from work. Add to that time spent waiting in line, airport delays, and inclement weather and the hours of your day dwindle. Don’t fret! These time vacuums provide a great opportunity to learn about health topics by listening to a podcast.
Podcasting is a method of accessing audio programs over the Internet. They can be played on your computer, or downloaded to a portable device such as an MP3 player or iPhone. There are numerous quality podcasting sites for health information: from medical topics, to fitness, to nutrition. Podcasts are a great way to conveniently catch up on current health news, get motivated in your exercise program, or learn a new recipe. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
*The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has a new series titled Healthcare 411. This weekly podcast – in English and Spanish – focuses on evidence-based information, and features consumer-friendly health news. http://healthcare411.ahrq.gov/subscribe.aspx.
*Duke University Medical Center Library has compiled consumer/patient health information related podcasts – including National Public Radio’s NPR: Your Health Podcast. http://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/content.php?pid=8784&sid=56867.
*The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute offers podcasts on heart disease, insomnia, obesity, high blood pressure, and more! http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/pods/podcasts.html.
*The National Institutes of Health sponsors NIH Radio, a 24-hour audio news service broadcasting the latest in health research and news in English and Spanish. http://www.nih.gov/news/radio/index.htm.
*The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS HealthBeat podcasts provides health promotion and disease prevention tips five days a week. http://www.hhs.gov/news/healthbeat/.
*The United States Department of Agriculture offers one minute MyPyramid audio podcasts to help you make better food choices throughout the day. http://www.mypyramid.gov/audiopoddcasts/index.html
Visit USA.gov (www.usa.gov) for other health podcasts from the U.S. Government.
For more information, contact:
Marty Magee
National Network/Libraries of Medicine
Education and Nebraska Liaison
McGoogan Library of Medicine
Univ. of Nebraska Medical Center
986706 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha NE 68198-6706
402-559-7076
800-338-7657
mmagee@unmc.edu
Nebraska Games & Parks on the Social Web – Recorded Session
Scott Bonertz runs us through Nebraska Game & Parks use of Facebook, Twitter, several blogs (only one linked) all managed through Hootsuite and maybe Seesmic in the future since Hootsuite is becoming a pay service. He also shows G&P’s Scribd, Slideshare, and Flickr accounts. Scott showed us where G&P’s is going with Meet-up, FourSquare, and using Press75 themes to put all of his blogs aggregated to one site. During & after Scott’s demo we had a lively discussion of social media accessibility and backups and or retention.
Scott Bonertz has played a large role in developing the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s social media community. He has made Facebooking, tweeting, blogging, podcasting, and interactive marketing a regular practice at Game and Parks. As the public information manager, Scott serves as Webmaster of OutdoorNebraska.org and oversees the interactive and news teams. Before his current position, Scott was the Director of Marketing Communications at the National Strength and Conditioning Association Certification Commission. Scott previously has held roles in broadcasting, marketing and print.
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Legal Self-Help at Holdrege Public Library
Phelps county citzens can pay fines online, find legal forms,and search for court cases at Holdrege Area Public Library, thanks to a Court Information Kiosk installed July 21st by the Nebraska State Court System.
Most services are free. The court case search costs $15.00, with search results available for 3 days. The internet payment system allows payments relating to traffic tickets, criminal traffic fines, garnishments, civil or small claims cases, and juvenile cases.
Forms include ones for filing for divorce, small claims, child support, protection orders.
More pictures are available on Picassa.
To see more legal self-help resources provided by the Nebraska State Court System, go to their self-help page http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/self-help/
ERS: A Great Source for Statistical Info
Structure and Finances of U.S. Farms: Family Farm Report, 2010 Edition was announced in an email that came recently. It’s just one of the publications of the USDA’s Economic Research Service, Their Website says that, “the Economic Research Service is a primary source of economic information and research in the U.S. Department of Agriculture…. ERS conducts a research program to inform public and private decisionmaking on economic and policy issues involving food, farming, natural resources, and rural development.” Their statistics and reports could provide really good information to use in grants applications, library planning, and in reference. You can follow them on Twitter, subscribe to RSS, or get email updates to hear about new studies.
Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration to offer two webinars regarding collaboration with libraries
The Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration will soon offer
two webinars related to collaboration with libraries as part of its new
partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS):
July 19: This webinar will highlight promising state and local examples of
workforce-library collaboration. Details to be announced on the Workforce3One
website. (Registration is required to access site content.)
http://www.workforce3one.org/
August 11: This webinar on WebJunction will present an introduction to the
workforce system and the electronic tools most helpful to library staff. Free
registration is open now.
http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=1661.
This programming partnership has tremendous potential to help the job seekers in our Nebraska communities. Click on Comment below to share information about how you are helping job seekers in your library.
Public Librarians Help Citizens Access Their Government for Services and Information
I attended a great session at the ALA Conference on E-Government from a librarian’s perspective, stressing the role of public librarians in helping citizens to access government information and services that are increasingly being migrated online. The point was made that libraries are positioned to expand their traditional role of providing Information and Referral (I & R) to proactive assistance for customers accessing services online. Since federal and state agencies are reducing traditional services, citizens are increasingly seeking help in libraries to interact with their government.
The current administration is in the process of rebranding e-government through the Open Government Initiative (Usa.gov) to encompass participation, interaction, and engagement, including:
•Commenting on a regulation or policy
•“Voting” on new regulation, policy or direction (not really voting, but weighing in)
•Idea banks (Asking the question, “How would you like your government to do this?”)
•Contests
•Data sharing (data.gov is a central portal for all government data)
Resources for public librarians who are helping citizens access their government include:
•Webinars (including some offered by Webjunction and the ALA Washington office)
•E-government tools (including Florida’s Best Practices Toolkit)
•Other resources (including those offered by Techsoup and the E-gov subcommittee of the ALA Washington Office)
•Social media tools
•Go.usa.gov shortens government URLs into short, trackable links
How do you think that Nebraska libraries can help our citizens engage with this new government environment and how can we help prepare librarians to expand their traditional I & R role? Click on Comment below to share your thoughts…Thanks, Mary Jo
U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) Endorses Partnership with Libraries
I attended a session at the ALA Conference on June 25, at which the U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) endorsed libraries as critical intermediaries in achieving DOL goals with their customers. Linda Strong, JobLink Manager NC Commission on Workforce Development, described how the North Carolina partnership with the local Onestop Workforce Development Center and the library system provides another portal to workforce service delivery. They stress that library hours allow customers to access better and more technology than what is available at the DOL Onestop center (which also may not be as close to their home as the library).
This partnership is extremely timely, given the increased number of job hunters that are visiting our libraries due to the downturn in the economy. Library partners are empowered to direct folks to services, help them access online resources, and refer to the closest Onestop center and Joblink resources. Local workforce area and onestop staff have embraced their library colleagues as extension of Onesotp and Joblink system. What is happening in your library? Are you seeing an increase in job hunting customers? What are your challenges in helping them? Have you tried partnering with and referring to your area Department of Labor colleagues?
Click on Comment below to share your thoughts…Thanks, Mary Jo
Government Opens New Data Portal
Wouldn’t it be cool if someone created a one-stop-shopping portal for all
U.S. Government data? Just think of it: data from every department in the federal government available through one web site in a variety of common formats for sorting, downloading, and manipulating. Well, stop dreaming, because it’s being developed right now and is located at http://www.data.gov. The official goal of this ambitious project is “to improve access to Federal data and expand creative use of those data beyond the walls of government by encouraging innovative ideas (e.g., web applications). Data.gov strives to make government more transparent and is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. The openness derived from Data.gov will strengthen our Nation’s democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.”
I first heard about “Data.gov” when I read an article in Wired Magazine about the nation’s first Chief Information Officer (CIO), Vivek Kundra, who is the architect of this initiative (http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/magazine/17-07/mf_cio). According to Mr. Kundra, “The default setting for the U.S. Government should not be that everything should be secret and closed. The default setting for the U.S. Government should be that it’s open.” Launched in May of this year with just 47 datasets, the site already has almost 600 such records in the “raw” data catalog, including results of the Public Library Survey from FY1992 through FY2006. The plan is to continue adding more datasets on a regular basis as agencies submit them and to respond to user requests for new collections of data to be added. This project holds great promise not only for librarians and other research professionals, but also for citizens who want to know how their government is performing.
And what about state governments? They, too are ready to join the effort to make government information more accessible. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has agreed to collaborate with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Federal CIO, and the General Services Administration (GSA) to make state datasets available, using Data.gov as a model (http://www.nascio.org/newsroom/pressrelease.cfm?id=36). California, Utah, and the District of Columbia have already established their own state data portals, so you can see how such a project might look (http://www.data.gov/statedatasites).
