Home | E-Government and Citizenship (Summary)
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Hungary
Information strategy
http://www.ihm.gov.hu

Ireland
Local Agenda 21 and public libraries in Dublin City Council, Ireland
Dublin City Public libraries' contribution to Local Agenda 21 focuses on the role of the library as an agency for education and for raising the key issues in sustainability
http://www.iol.ie/dublincitylibrary/la21.htm

Electronic voting
The Irish government is looking into electronic voting, paying particular attention to experience in Germany and the Netherlands. It is suggested that Irish public libraries could be used as a facilitator in introducing the system to the public, allowing people the chance to familiarise themselves with the system before it is used officially. http://www.environ.ie/electindex.html

Italy
Iperbole, Bologna, Italy
Iperbole, Bologna Civic Network has been operating since 1995 using the Internet to develop teledemocracy, transparency in administration, the right to information, interaction with citizens and participation in decision-making. Libraries act as access-point to Iberpole.
http://www.comune.bologna.it/

Latvia
Daugava Shoreline Library Federation
The libraries of Aizkraukle, Jēkabpils and Ogre are in the so-called Daugava Shoreline Library Federation. Thanks to funding from the Soros Foundation and their local governments, these libraries have been automated, have their own WWW homepages, and provide a variety of services to users. There is particularly wide cooperation with schools and local governments. The libraries provide and disseminate local government information – on paper and in electronic format, librarians provide training in the use of electronic resources such as international and national databases, and there is co-operation in the compilation and exchange of electronic resources with the local governments, the National Library of Latvia, the libraries themselves, and media centres.
http://www.aizkraukles-bibl.lv
http://www.ogre.lv/

Lithuania
Youth Zone 
The Antakalnio branch of Vilnius City Library has established Youth Zone at the library which is supplied with modern IST equipment and an Internet connection as well as providing an independent space for various civic initiatives and activities for youth aged from 14 to 21.
http://www.vilnius.lt/new/gidas.php?open=37&root=1&sub_cat=140

Utena regional portal
Utena Public Library has created and maintains a regional portal. The purpose of the portal is not only to disseminate information about the region of Utena but also to collect all Utena's Internet sources, to provide communication facilities for the community, and a place for holding online discussions. This is the first library-supported regional portal in Lithuania. Among others, it also offers an interactive service Ask a librarian
http://www.utena-on.lt

Moldova
«The Centre of Documentation and Information Chisinau»
 http://www.hasdeu.md/load.php?file=ro/servicii/cid
A community information centre at Chisinau Municipal Library. Also available on CD «Service for Community Information»
 http://www.hasdeu.md/load.php?file=ro/servicii/cic

Norway
The national virtual reference desk “Bibliotekvaten.no”
This service started as a regional Vestfold with 7 libraries taking part. Later state funding was provided to invite other libraries to join in. Today there are 14 participating libraries in with 60 trained librarians. The user can chat with a librarian (Ask a librarian service), ask factual questions, obtain book recommendations and links to the Internet. This national project is directed by Vestfold county library.
http://www.bibliotekvakten.no/englishbv.html

Poland
Local Information Database (LID = BIL - Baza Informacji Lokalnej)
The LID is a service available via Internet. It ensures easy access to information about the Province. 
http://www.wojewodztwo-wm.pl/
http://www.bil-wm.pl/main/index.html

Portugal
Information to Community Service 
The Public Library António Botto in Abrantes is developing an innovate service to deliver information to citizens. This library has available via the library web-site an information service directed to daily information, such as, information about the municipality, heritage, associations, education, cultural and sports events, health and social care, tourism etc. This information is divided into local, regional and national scopes. Users can also pose questions to library staff, using phone, fax or e-mail. 
http://www.bmab.cm-abrantes.pt/

Serbia
Tea, Thursdays at Six 
A weekly meeting held in Jagodina Public Library for people from all social groups to meet in a non-threatening environment. Discussions take place about government, local government, trades unions etc. 
http://www.jabooka.org.yu/projekateng.php?broj=1

Spain
"Town Hall on the Net", Germán Sanchez Ruipérez Foundation (FGSR)
Provided by the Peñaranda de Bracamonte Public Library in Salamanca, a local library managed by a private foundation serving a village of 6.500 inhabitants. Its digital library holds documents of local interest providing public information from local government and community groups. 
http://www.fundaciongsr.es/penaranda/ayuntamiento/default.htm

Administració Oberta de Catalunya
The aim of this programme is to bring Catalan local authorities closer to their citizens and to local businesses. The State Public Libraries of Girona, Tarragona and Lleida will be taking part in the project. Citizens will be offered a smartcard called Service Card, which will be used to request services electronically. 
http://www.puntcat.net/

Volunteer Programmes of the Local Libraries Network of the town council of La Coruña
A model of citizen participation. Groups of volunteers work in school libraries and in the home delivery service. Special library services geared to the elderly, the unemployed, cultural and ethnic minorities, the mentally and physically impaired, and housebound people are provided in co-operation with the social services centre and groups of volunteers and NGOs.
http://www.aytolacoruna.es/es/3ciudad/32cultura/323bibliotecas.html

“Bibliotecas solidarias: la participación ciudadana y el voluntariado”
Paper published in the I Congreso Nacional de Bibliotecas, Valencia, 29,30 and 31, October, 2002. 
http://www.mcu.es/lab/bibliote/travesia_actas/pdf/sumario.pdf

“Finestra ciutadana” (FIC), Tarragona State Public Library
Community Information System on local topics of interest such as economy, institutions, tourism, administration, etc and local press database. Information about local authors and a gallery of local figures, with bibliographic data, full text and biographies.
http://www.biblio.fut.es/castella/sil.html

Web directory of local issues
The user can find regional information on the following subjects: Arts and Culture, Employment, Youth, Sport, What's on, Government, History and Tourism.
Library of Andalusia 
http://www.sba.junta-andalucia.es/bgandalucia/biblioteca/
andaluciaenlared/andaluciaenlared.php 

Community Information in Catalan libraries
There are several examples of good practice in Cataluña.
Local library of Manlleu (Barcelona) http://www.bibliotequesmanlleu.com
Infocerdanya http://www.ddgi.es/bibpuig
The Central library of Terrassa makes use of the databases of the local telephone information services and has access to the Intranet of the local government: http://www.terrassa.org/bctxarxa/

United Kingdom
Framework for the future: libraries, learning and information in the next decade. DCMS, 2003.
A long-term strategic vision for the UK public library service concentrating on libraries’ roles in developing reading and learning, digital skills and services, community cohesion and civic values.
http://www.culture.gov.uk/heritage/pl_framework.html

Office of the e-Envoy (OeE) 
Is leading the drive to get the UK online, to ensure that the country, its citizens and its businesses derive maximum benefit from the knowledge economy.
http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/

Electronic voting
In February 2002, the UK government announced pilot schemes for electronic voting which will involve libraries.
http://www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk/egov/

seamlessUK (now incorporated in Essex Online)
Lottery funded project that is providing a Citizen’s information gateway with seamless access for the public to quality-controlled local community and local government information alongside national information, searchable by subject and place.
http://www.seamless.org.uk/

Essex Online: the community portal for Essex
A partnership of local, regional and national organisations providing information services to the public, this is part of the larger seamlessUK project enabling people to find the information they need from public sector organisations, including local government, voluntary and community groups together with information from government at all levels.
http://www.seamless.org.uk/essexonline/

Capinfo - City of Edinburgh Council electronic public information system. 
Available in all libraries across the city and on the Internet as the City of Edinburgh Council website, capinfo provides a wide range of Council and community information from Councillor's surgeries to GP practices, local organisations and committee minutes.
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/

Leeds Public Library
The library and information service is responsible for running the council’s Internet site which has a community focus.
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/listView.asp?style=0&mainSection=E%2DGovernment 

UKonline
Interactive portal to UK Government services, including links to Government websites.
http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/

Rest of the world

There are several examples of good practice in for example the USA, Australia and Singapore. Details of some of these can be found in the Bertelsmann Foundation paper on e-government.

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