"Maus" & Co.:

No abstract available for this article.     

Fred B. Rothman & Co.

No abstract available for this article.     

E-Governance & government on-line in Canada: Partnerships,people & prospects

The objective of this paper is to examine the capacity of the Canadian federal government to effectively harness information technology (IT) as an enabling force in its efforts to meet the present and emerging challenges of a digital age. The main thesis of this paper is that this necessary transformation in public sector governance and accountability is likely to be blocked by an administrative culture that may be ill suited for a digital world. In terms of how governments respond, our two sets of explanatory factors will be determinant. First, partnerships, and the emergence of new collaborative dialogues within government, between governments, and across sectors are a critical dimension. The second, and quite related variable lies in the necessary leadership of people –new skill sets, and new leaders will be required to both empower knowledge workers and defend experimental action. Yet, it is not only the skills composition of workers altering in a digital era, but rather the broader transformations of both everyday and organizational life that are also at play. In this sense, digital government must reposition itself to become an engaged and constructive partner in shaping the new governance patterns that will otherwise render it rudderless. Government must produce a new “culture” in order to harness the enormous potential of digital government.     

Videocassettes and I & R:

As urban communities have expanded and changed over the years, so too have the services of public libraries evolved to reflect the needs of their constituencies. The last fifteen years have given rise to library-based community information and referral (I & R) services whose purpose is to direct the patron to resources and/or organizations which might help answer his/her questions or solve higher problems. Well-developed listening skills are essential for the delivery of I & R service, and providers might benefit from viewing various videocassettes concerned with this subject. For library I & R providers, these videos are often available in the film department where they work.     

Technology & U.S. government information policies: Catalysts for new partnerships

Technology, moving faster than policy development, has left U.S. government information programs resting on uncertain foundations. This article, an abridgement of a report by the ARL Task Force on Government Information in Electronic Format, is the result of an effort to develop a framework for understanding—philosophically, functionally, and fiscally — the patterns that exist for government information today, and the shifts in those patterns resulting from the introduction of government information in electronic formats. Four questions are identified that should be considered by government agencies and libraries as decisions are made about how to provide the public with government informtion in electronic format. The report points to be need for a clearer picture of how government responsiblities for public availability of government information in eictronic formats might be fulfilled in partnership with the private sector without the loss of the characteristics that make this information distinctive: the absence of restrictions on use, including for basic government information, absence of a fee.     

J & B the Proper Blend:

No abstract available for this article.