What’s Missing in the Age of Google? Black Hills Knowledge Network Presentation By Greta Chapman & Eric John Abrahamson Transforming Local Governments Conference April 10, 2013
Informing, Engaging and Connecting Citizens and Communities A partnership of area libraries and the Black Hills Area Community Foundation with major funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Bush Foundation.
The Changing Market for Local Information
Content In Crisis September 18, 2011 – The last Borders Books and Music closes its doors. December 31, 2012 – Newsweek stops printing hard copy magazines. January 11, 2013 – San Antonio announces plans to open a bookless library in the fall of 2013.
A Library Without Books
Is it still a zebra without the stripes?
The Budget Experiment Using your smart phone or laptop, can you find your city’s budget for: 2013? 2003?
A healthy democracy depends on an informed citizenry. Local Democracy in Crisis?
The Public Library: Knowledge Base for Local Government and the Community
Serving urban and rural communities in the greater Black Hills region the Knowledge Network leverages the skills and assets of libraries to aggregate and organize local content developed by government, non- profits, media, businesses and others. Black Hills Knowledge Network
-News and information aggregation provides links and research folders tied to current local issues, making it easier for policymakers, journalists and citizens to find the back story on a given issue. -Online community archive, which includes photographs and documents related to the history of our communities, provides context for local issues and connects the past and the present in a way that we hope will deepen our sense of community. -Community indicators provide data and statistics on the economy, education, health & wellness, the environment, public safety and citizenship in our region to help citizens and policymakers anchor our discussions and strategies in real world analysis. Three Main Elements
Empower citizens with information so that they can be more successful in their own lives and solve problems together within their communities. Strengthen attachments to place and community by providing access to common sources of authoritative information about the people and places of the Black Hills. Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of local government by supporting transparency and accountability and engagement between and among citizens and government officials. Increase cycle time of information promoting faster community response to challenges and opportunities. Goals & Benefits
Libraries must be the Information Hub for the community Highly skilled in organizing, managing and disseminating content. Trusted by the community as an unbiased, credible source for information. Already well-connected to information content developers in the community including local government. Resources are in place to do the work.
Mapping Your Local Information Ecology
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation & Monitor Institute
Local Information, Local Data, Local Archives
Inside the Black Hills Knowledge Network
Aggregating and archiving news and information.
Community archives enrich the conversation and connect community to place.
Grounding conversations and tracking trends with data.
Making the Transition to the 21 st Century Public Library Libraries Capitalize on a trusted source Deploy existing resources Build off agendas & minutes Collaborate to aggregate –Enlist local govt. departments Digitize reports Compile historical resources –Create content pages –Market to those who care Government Engage citizens in the policy debate Meet the growing expectation for access to information
Greta Chapman, Director, Rapid City Public Library Eric Abrahamson, Project Director, Black Hills Knowledge Network