Needs Assessment of Florida Public Library E-Government and Emergency/Disaster Management Broadband Services

Principal Investigators: Charles R. McClure and John T. Snead


Description

The Information Use Management & Policy Institute, directed by Charles R. McClure, Francis Eppes Professor at the College of Information, Florida State University (FSU) has been awarded a $40,000 grant to conduct a Florida public library E-government and disaster management needs assessment. The project is funded by the State Library and Archives of Florida and runs from April 2009 through June 2009. The E–government and emergency/disaster management (EGEDM) broadband services project will produce findings and recommendations that significantly enhance public library provided broadband–based E–government and emergency/disaster management services in Florida.


Activities

Results of the project’s activities will assist the State Library and Archives of Florida in determining best deployment practices for and necessary levels of broadband connectivity needed to support public library provided E–government and emergency/disaster management services throughout the state. Project activities include:

  • Describe a number of E-government and emergency/disaster management service roles that the public library could provide its local community;
  • Estimate the resource requirements necessary for public libraries to perform the E-government and emergency/disaster management service roles;
  • Estimate the level of interest that different types of Florida public libraries would have in offering these various E-government and emergency/disaster management services;
  • Identify those Florida public libraries in LATAS and/or counties or specific census tracks that have rural, underserved, and/or non-served populations, or urban underserved or non-served populations; and
  • Offer recommendations for how public library E-government and emergency/disaster management services can continue to be improved.

Ultimately, this needs assessment will be a first step toward improving Florida residents’ access to and use of broadband–based E–government and emergency/disaster management services as well as assisting public libraries to better support these activities at the local and state level.