GODORT Education Committee
Subcommittee on the Continuing Education Fund
ALA Midwinter Meetings, January 1998

PROPOSAL for ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT INFORMATION WEB SITE

Background: This proposal is submitted pursuant to the August 1996 charge to the Ad Hoc Committee on the Continuing Education Fund. The goal of this committee is to develop projects that make use of electronic and distance education resources in two major areas: management of electronic resources and advocacy for government information librarians.

Project Description: Identify, bring together, and enhance resources available on the WWW that will assist government information librarians in the successful management of electronic government information, and in building advocacy skills to promote access to this information. There are currently many tools available on the WWW that facilitate access to electronic government information resources; however, finding and effectively using the resources can be problematic.

The GODORT Education Committee would sponsor and maintain this project, and create a web site linked to the committee home page at: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~govhelp/godorted.html. A subcommittee of GODORT's Education Committee, which will include liaisons from other GODORT committees, would solicit proposals from government information librarians interested in contributing content, and would retain editorial control over this content.

Content: In the first phase of the project an Electronic Government Information web site would be created to link to existing training guides and Internet tutorials. In the second phase of the project topics not covered in existing guides would be identified by the Committee for inclusion on the web site. A call for proposals will be issued to the government documents community for the creation of materials identified for inclusion such as tutorials for the management of electronic government information.

The Electronic Government Information web site would include two components:

• Public and technical services aspects of locating and managing electronic information. These would include such topics as processing, cataloging, networking, collection development, providing access, staff training, working with other departments and staff, complying with depository program standards and technical guidelines, who to contact for help.
• Guides for librarians on promoting the depository collection to library administrators, government and civic leaders, and the general public

  Costs: $2,000 for grants to government information librarians interested in creating and maintaining tutorials. Number and amount of grants will vary with the subject material. The Education Committee will make the final decision on contributors and grant allocations, and maintain editorial control over the final product.

  Time frame: Winter 1998 -- Implement Phase I - gather together existing links on web site
  Summer 1998 -- Implement Phase II - Identify existing gaps; issue call for proposals
  Fall 1998 -- Review proposals
  Winter 1999 -- Committee selects proposals
  Spring 1999 -- New topics are added to the web site
  

  Advantages:

  • Web sites have become the standard access point for librarians looking for resources
  • If teleconference is held, content could be archived on this site
  Disadvantages:
  • Depends upon qualified librarians agreeing to create and maintain tutorials
  • Requires a commitment to maintain and assess site on a regular basis