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Access To and Services for Federal Information in the
Networked Environment
Service Questions
Overview of Traditional Service to Government Information
Traditionally government information has been difficult to service
Various formats
Uneven bibliographic control
Decentralized distribution despite the FDLP
Difficult content (patent searching)
Expert knowledge (knowledge of government structure and publishing
patterns) often important in developing specific search strategies
for government information
Libraries have provided an information safety net to government information
for the public (mandated "free access" by depository libraries)
Indications that libraries often bypassed by researchers in finding
government information. (Hernon research)
Indications of problematic reference service to government information
(Hernon research)
Discussion of Issues Surrounding Service To Government In a
Networked Environment
Information service
- Specialized staff knowledge of government structure and information
(distribution patterns and content) still important. Knowledgeable staff can
help researchers and citizens focus on relevant networked information.
Institutions will need to add value to government information by quality
reference service: beyond access.
- Will libraries continue to provide an information safety net to
government information for the information poor and non-Net connected?
- Information overload for reference providers caused by new forms and
content of information. There is often a steep learning curve for much
federal electronic information caused by non-standardized federal
practices, poor software, etc.
- Separate reference service point (physical location) not important. Will
networked information integrate federal information service with other
library service or further segregate?
- "Extended" reference service needed for users who do not physically come
into the library. Some possibilities are increased phone reference, e-mail
reference, and interactive reference. New reference services.
- Reference providers need reliable and high speed access to the Net and
high grade desktop equipment including printers. Full text sources and
databases on the Net demand that reference providers have access to
downloading capabilities including printers that give output that users
find acceptable. Institutions will be picking up the cost of printing of
federal information.
- Need to provide bridge from networked government information to
older formats of government information (old paper collections)
- Service will call for a greater merging of access, service, and
systems.
Instruction
- Need to help users evaluate federal information on the Net. What is
authoritative, what is not.
- Need to teach "Net" search strategies with search engines that are best
for government information. Need to develop skills to do specific network
searching. (GILS)
- Adequate electronic classroom facilities will be essential
- Need to train other libraries, and librarians, and information
providers
Role of data/research centers in manipulation of federal data
- Multi-layered reference service from ready reference to technologically
sophisticated (manipulating data). Calls for coordination with data research
centers on campus. Bridging library services to research centers, GIS labs,
etc. Questions needed to be filtered to the people with appropriate
expertise.
Services needed by researchers and citizens
- Resources will move from collection building to access and service
- Libraries will create well designed gateways to network information
using their technical and collection management and organization skills.
- Researchers and citizens need more than search and retrieval services
and will need more help with the manipulation of data
- Networked information provides opportunity for greater customization
of services. Users will expect more than search and retrieval from
information service providers. Will want help with data manipulation
and analysis. Where will these services most appropriately be given?
- Users want and expect some technical support services.
- Networked information provides the government with the opportunity
to combine services and information. How are libraries and other
institutions going to deal with this?
Levels and communities of users
- Diverse communities of users from expert researcher to users with little
or no computer knowledge.
- Major difference in computer skill levels and expectations for service.
- There will be an opportunity to provide broad public service beyond
institution.
Institutional view of services
- Need to consider what units provide different types of service to
government information.
- Structure of gateways is an issue for service providers not such
systems/technical people.
Description of Current Situation
Researchers and citizens can access some federal information via the
Net now, but what are the implications?
Opportunities
- Basic government information widely available on the Net. Increased
access. Increased provision of government information by commercial
providers.
- Allows many users of government information to have 24 hour access to
information not bound by geography.
- Most departments and agencies have some information on the Net.
- Decentralization: agencies have been free to experiment and innovate.
Problems
- Varied and uneven content of government information on the Net
- Minimal bibliographic control of information
- Decentralization: lack of coordination and duplication of efforts
- Channels of connection to the Net of users and reference providers
can be drastically different (blocks communication)
- Non-uniform and unfriendly search and retrieval software, little
standardization
Models of Current or Potential Practice
Virtual model of service. Put information in the hands of the user
without a mediator as much as possible.
Document delivery model of service . . . transferring full text
electronically to users.
FDLP
Ask ERIC
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) project
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