Digital Library Infrastructure: A Case Study on Sharing Information Resources in China

This paper investigates how information resources are shared electronically between libraries at the national level in China. It examines the digital library project related issues for both information policy and information-technology. Issues pertaining to information policy include co-operation and collaboration between information service providers, collection development, intellectual property protection, management and administration on the digital library projects, and public information services (user clients). Issues pertaining to information technology include use of UNICODE, metadata, interface standards (Z39·50) and others. Using a combination of system analysis and program evaluation methods, the current practice of developing a national digital library infrastructure is investigated, issues regarding national information countermeasures toward these digital library projects are studied, and suggestions for developing further nation's countermeasures in the digital library project are presented. Successful and/or failure experience is shared and compared with the US Digital Asia Library (DAL) project.     

Digital Library Infrastructure: A Case Study on Sharing Information Resources in China

This paper investigates how information resources are shared electronically between libraries at the national level in China. It examines the digital library project related issues for both information policy and information-technology. Issues pertaining to information policy include co-operation and collaboration between information service providers, collection development, intellectual property protection, management and administration on the digital library projects, and public information services (user clients). Issues pertaining to information technology include use of UNICODE, metadata, interface standards (Z39·50) and others. Using a combination of system analysis and program evaluation methods, the current practice of developing a national digital library infrastructure is investigated, issues regarding national information countermeasures toward these digital library projects are studied, and suggestions for developing further nation's countermeasures in the digital library project are presented. Successful and/or failure experience is shared and compared with the US Digital Asia Library (DAL) project.     

“You can't eat information:” Government information and the information policy role of the national library of New Zealand

The National Library of New Zealand is committed to promoting access to information. Government information is a significant component in the Library's operational and policy work. The Library collects published government information and provides policy advice on New Zealanders' ability to access and use information. Over the last decade, the National Library has initiated or contributed to a number of projects concerned with government information. Some, like the Depository Library Scheme, are solely focused on government information, whereas others discuss government information issues in the wider context of information policy at the national level. This article looks at the environment in which these projects arose, what they achieved, and the reasons why it has not been easy to gain agreement for a unified focus on government information.     

Governments as electronic publishers? The Dutch case

The improvement in the accessibility of government information is one of the primary goals of government information policy. The Dutch government seems to regard the Internet as an ideal vehicle for providing citizens with government information. But, despite the open and public character of the Internet, the Internet is not the only relevant technology that can improve the accessibility of government information. This article examines how the Dutch government has tried to improve accessibility in six particular cases of electronic publishing. The experiences within these cases can help to identify feasible options that governments have in dealing with these issues, especially the technological and organizational choices that governments face.     

Sensemaking and social processes in digital government projects

This research identifies main feedback dynamics associated with social processes necessary to make sense of ambiguous project goals, typical of large digital government projects. The study reports on findings from a case analysis using participatory approaches in system dynamics, based on a digital government project integrating information systems of New York's criminal justice agencies. Findings stress the importance of visuals in the sensemaking process that results from the interaction of technical and social outcomes produced through identifying and continuously re-interpreting main project issues and goals. Project analyses suggest that requisite elements of successfully managing this type of project include 1) facilitation that enables diversity of ideas, 2) shared visuals and re-presentations of participants' efforts to work on the issues, and 3) iterative social construction of objectives, progress, and valid processes for doing the work; each of these plays a role in three different feedback processes sustaining (or undermining) the group engagement needed to yield successful integrative work. The study contributes to the literature in digital government by introducing the lenses of people-centered project management processes, an emerging approach in project management, to underscore the role of social processes in technical projects.     

Canadian federal government policy and Canada's electronic information industry

This article examines, in detail, the history and process of formulation and implementation of information policy in Canada during the period of 1970 through 1994. The sometimes tenuous working relationship of the Canadian federal government and the electronic information industry is discussed. Particular attention is paid to the dynamics and consequences of Crown copyright. The financial environment in which the industry operates is viewed in the context of government policy and suggestions are made as to how those policies might be changed to favor the industry. Also, considered are recent developments—the 1992 National Information Summit, the Stentor alliance, plans for a national information highway, and CANARIE.     

Digital government transformation and internet portals: The co-evolution of technology,organizations, and institutions

Researchers and practitioners around the world recognize the potential of information technologies to promote government transformation. This transformation has been understood in at least two different ways: (1) as a transformation of internal processes and (2) as a transformation of the relationships between governments and other social and political actors (institutional transformation). Unfortunately, there is little or no evidence of such transformation, and current studies reveal that for this transformation to happen, a better understanding of the complex relationships between information technologies, organizations, and institutions is still required. This paper presents a theory of the co-evolution of technology, organizational networks, and institutional arrangements in the transformation of government. The theory uses the grammars of system dynamics and builds upon institutional approaches to understand interactions among all these variables in the development of information and communication technologies in government. Although the theory suggests the relevance of some specific reinforcing processes in this transformation, the endogenous view used in the theory empowers all stakeholders by illustrating how transformation could be promoted from any individual position involved in the process of developing digital government applications.     

数字保存中的技术、组织及法律因素分析

章对数字献保存中的技术、组织以及法律因素进行分析，在发现问题的基础上提出解决建议。技术因素包括：数字存储介质、技术的变化、内容真实性以及存储能力；组织因素包括：成本、专业性、组织结构、角色分工以及选择；法律因素包括：知识产权和隐私权。     

数字资源长期保存模式比较

图书馆购买数字资源的长期保存涉及法律、技术、管理、经济等多方面复杂问题,到目前为止,并没找到切实有效的方式,而是在运行不同的存档模式。本文试图通过对国外两个比较成功的数字资源长期保存模式的比较,寻找最佳实践经验。     

跨部门政府信息资源共享影响因素的实证研究

文章从技术视角、组织管理视角以及法律和政策视角构建了跨部门政府信息资源共享影响因素概念模型,并进行了实证研究。     

Understanding the complexity of electronic government: Implications from the digital divide literature

Theoretically and practically E-Government and the digital divide are intertwined social phenomena. Using sophisticated information technologies (IT) in government has little social value if citizens are not able to use services or interact in political processes in meaningful ways. Similarly, understanding the development and use of IT in government without incorporating a demand perspective would potentially lead to partial explanations of a complex social reality. This article argues that studies about E-Government and the digital divide, which have been relatively disconnected research areas, have important parallels and potential intersections. These parallels may be useful in understanding E-Government projects and policies in a more comprehensive way and, consequently, for developing effective digital strategies. The paper reviews trajectories in E-Government and digital divide research and suggests potential implications drawn from the digital divide literature for E-Government research and practice, including model and theory development, understanding users, and some determinants of demand.     

Collaborative digital government in Mexico: Some lessons from federal Web-based interorganizational information integration initiatives

The use of information and communication technologies in government has been characterized as one powerful strategy for administrative reform. From recent experiences around the world, it seems clear that in order to enjoy some of the greatest benefits of digital government, the integration of information across organizational boundaries is necessary. However, these digital government initiatives face additional challenges, since the required level of interorganizational collaboration and trust is often not supported by existing institutional arrangements, organizational structures, and managerial processes. In fact, many institutions and administrative structures found in government contexts offer incentives for single-agency work only, which produces stove-pipe systems. Based on an extensive case study in the Mexican federal government, this paper explores how certain institutional arrangements and organizational structures can enable or hinder cross-agency collaboration and consequently, interorganizational information integration.     

Understanding the evolution of e-government: The influence of systems of rules on public sector dynamics

Electronic government has been defined as the use of information and communication technologies in government settings. However, it is neither a homogeneous nor a static phenomenon. Recent empirical studies have identified two important dynamics in e-government evolution. First, e-government in general has evolved from its initial presence on the Internet to more transactional and integrated applications. Second, at the aggregate level and as a general trend, national governments have started adding technological and organizational sophistication and state and local governments have followed. Based on the study of systems of rules, this paper argues that these two dynamics in the evolution of e-government are, at least in part, the result of pressures from public managers attempting to solve problems and from citizens, businesses, and other stakeholders, attempting to control the actions of public managers. Both forces, related to performance and accountability, respectively, have promoted change in the systems of rules governing the design, implementation, and use of e-government initiatives. Specifically, they have generated a cycle that continually increases technological and organizational sophistication in e-government initiatives and have also promoted the episodic and evolving adoption of similar features across levels of government. These two related evolutionary dynamics and the characterization of e-government as systems of rules and standards have some important policy implications, which are briefly discussed at the end of the paper.     

Using institutional theory and dynamic simulation to understand complex e-Government phenomena

Governments around the world have developed e-Government programs expecting to obtain important benefits such as improved efficiency or greater transparency. However, many e-Government projects fail to deliver their promises in terms of specific outcomes. Some of such failures are the result of a lack of understanding about the relationships among technologies, information use, organizational factors, institutional arrangements, and socio-economic contexts involved in the selection, implementation, and use of information and communication technologies (ICT), producing mismatches and unintended consequences. This paper proposes the use of institutional theory and dynamic simulation, particularly system dynamics, as an integrated and comprehensive approach to understand e-Government phenomena. Combining a sound theory and a sophisticated analytical technique will help to improve our understanding about ICT in government settings. The paper draws on the case of the e-Mexico program, particularly on the strategy to create web-based content portals for citizens in the areas of education, health, economy, and government. Using the same technological infrastructure and under the leadership of the same Federal Ministry, four different networks of government and non-government organizations engaged in the creation of internet portals and their content. The results provide evidence to demonstrate important bidirectional relationships between formal processes (institutions), agency networks (organizational forms), and the resulting characteristics of the four thematic portals (enacted technology).     

Information-sharing in public organizations: A literature review of interpersonal, intra-organizational and inter-organizational success factors

Information sharing is considered an important approach to increasing organizational efficiency and performance. With advances in information and communication technology, sharing information across organizations has become more feasible. In the public sector, government agencies are also aware of the importance of information sharing for addressing policy issues such as anti-terrorism and public health. However, information sharing can be a complex task. Identifying factors that influence information sharing is critical. In the literature, research in information sharing focuses on the interpersonal, intra-organizational, and inter-organizational levels. This paper reviews the current information-sharing research, discusses the factors affecting information sharing at the three levels, and provides summative frameworks. These frameworks provide a means to discover future research opportunities, and a systematic way for practitioners to identify key factors involved in successful information sharing.     

电子政务的立法状况、法律框架及核心问题

把电子政务和电子商务的电子签名纳入统一的框架是必然趋势。电子政务立法的宗旨应当是推动政府信息公开、推进政务信息化建设、提高政务办公效率。电子政务的法律框架,本质是为电子政务提供公平、透明、和谐的环境。电子政务立法中的核心问题是立法模式、立法层次、立法效力等。参考文献10。     

Collaborative knowledge construction in digital environments: Politics, policy, and communities

How individuals share information with respect to politics and policy in networked research environments is an area ripe for interdisciplinary study. In this analysis, I explore some of the more current and salient research findings from several disciplinary literatures (communications, computer science, organizational behavior, information science, and public policy) to examine how current research perceives the influence of technology-aided communications on policy-making conversations. I suggest that a community-centric view, which takes into account online and offline group affiliations and their related power dynamics, is just as important as an individual-based unit of analysis. This understanding points to directions for the thoughtful creation of digital resources that appropriately reflect and support inter- and intra-group knowledge-sharing behavior.     

中美公共图书馆政府信息服务的差距分析

公共图书馆作为政府信息公开体系中的"新元素",在缩小数字鸿沟、保障全社会对政府信息资源的公平获取方面发挥着举足轻重的作用。由于我国政府信息公开起步较晚,公共图书馆自身发展严重不平衡,所以现阶段我国公共图书馆政府信息服务远未达到发达国家水平。究其原因,我国在法律政策保障、实施机制、设施资源、馆员队伍等方面同美国相比还存在着较大差距。     

The Policy Implications of Internet Connectivity in Public Libraries

The provision of public Internet access and related networked services by public libraries is affected by a number of information policy issues. This article analyzes the policy dimensions of Internet connectivity in public libraries in light of the data and findings from a national survey of public libraries conducted by the authors of this article. After providing a summary of the study methodology and findings, this article examines key policy issues that include the nature of sufficient bandwidth and broadband, the perpetuation of the digital divide of Internet access in libraries, the role of libraries as e-government access points, the complexities of funding Internet access, the impacts and contradictions of filtering, and the chilling effect of homeland security legislation in public libraries. This article concludes with a discussion of how examining these policy issues can lead to a better understanding of public libraries and the Internet access they offer within the context of public policy.