provide flexible and efficient interlibrary services, whatever the medium,

  issue national licences and,

  provide software services.

This report acknowledges the role libraries play in ensuring that national information is

available to citizens, and that libraries also have a role in issuing licences. The Finnish

government is focussed heavily on developing an electronic identification card using

smart card technology, and libraries will play a role in the deployment of such a card.

Key considerations

The Finnish Library Network is primarily concerned with expanding traditional

library services to a shared model online environment. By engaging the twenty library

services around Finland in the online reference service and cataloguing of online

resources, the Network is improving access to government information. 

The Finnish Library Networked Services website is located at: 

http://www.publiclibraries.fi/

Case studies   United Kingdom

Leeds Public Library 

The role of the library service in the move to e government in Leeds is much greater than

the switchover to electronic services. The library and information service is responsible

for running the council s Internet site and are in the process of significantly developing it

to be one of the main delivery channels of e government. The new site is at the cutting

edge of design, being fully Bobby and Dublin core compliant and interactive. The 

challenge Leeds addresses is to ensure that the services reorganise the back office to meet

growing customer expectations, and that they organise themselves around customer

needs rather than old department structures. The third key role the library service takes

on is to prepare the public for this electronic  onslaught,  particularly those people who

are hard to reach or who have little or no access to the technology. The website has been

designed to have a community focus that will collect all community governance material

such as community plans, focus groups, consultation, etc. More excitingly, space will be

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