21 st Century Government Documents

1. 21st Century Government Documents Best Sources for Electronic Government Information OLA Superconference 2005 Presenters: Mary Monteith, Kitchener Public Library Tom Bentley, Brantford Public Library 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

2. E-Government Trends • Canada rated number 1 for fourth year running in Accenture’s survey measuring E-government maturity • Services and publications are shifting from physical to virtual formats • Print collections shrinking; electronic access increasing • All library staff working more with government resources online 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

3. Best Sources • Electronic government information proliferating at a rapid pace • Wealth of information available but can be hard to find • Google alone is not the answer • What are some good starting points? • How can I keep up with developments in government information? • How can I keep track of government news? 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

4. Keeping Current • Listservs • GOVINFO – General discussion list for Canadian government topics • GOVDOC-L – Discussion list for U.S. government information and the American Federal Depository Program – useful for announcements regarding significant new publications and web sites 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

5. Keeping Current • What’s New – everyone has news! • One way of monitoring events is to read news directly from government web sites • Decide what’s important to you • Bookmark your news sites and monitor • Being selective helps you cope with the overload 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

6. Keeping Current • What’s new: Government of Canada 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

7. Keeping Current • News Alerts • Google has its place… • Google News Alerts – keyword search of news and/or web • Define frequency of updates – daily, weekly, as it happens • Alerts are sent to your email as per your request • CBC also offers news alerts and is an excellent source for breaking news and relevant links 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

8. Keeping Current • RSS Feeds / Blogs • Visit one site, instead of many • News aggregators such as Bloglines let you keep up-to-date from a central forum • Create custom feeds from Yahoo! News • Government of Canada offers 35 RSS news feeds – national, regional, by audience 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

9. Portals • Gateways designed to give access by subject or by audience • Government of Canada has designed many subject-specific portals • Portals available for most major governmental organizations 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

10. Portals – Government of Canada www.gc.ca 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

11. Portals – Government of Canada 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

12. Portals • FirstGov – American government portal www.firstgov.gov 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

13. Portals • FirstGov • A-Z Agency Index • Quick links to Executive Branch: President, Vice-President, Cabinet, Executive Departments, Agencies, Boards, Commissions, etc. 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

14. Portals • FirstGov • Legislative Branch: • Senate • Senators’ home pages • House of Representatives • Agencies that support Congress - Library of Congress, Government Printing Office, etc. • A-Z index of all Government Agencies 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

15. Portals • Foreign Government Resources on the Web University of Michigan 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

16. Health • Canada Health Portal • Shortcuts to provincial health sites • Advisories and warnings • Targeting Health: links by topic take you to publications, websites, news stories, reports, health-related legislation • When in doubt, find the A-Z index, the site map or the site-specific search 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

17. Health • HealthyOntario • Consumer health focus • Content by audience • Conditions and diseases • Prescription Drugs • Health Services – find a doctor; locate community support and services 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

18. Health • HealthyOntario – Community Support • “I need to find support groups for Autism in Thunder Bay.” • Services: Community Support Groups • Drop-down menu – choose condition • Click on Go! 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

19. Health • Choose your community • Note: there are also links to Internet-based support 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

20. Health • Results listed include: • Names • Addresses • Phone • Email / website links 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

21. Health • Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care http://www.health.gov.on.ca/ • Many useful functions but some are hidden • Long-term care facility locator: http://www.ltccareers.com/FacilityFrame/english/ • “I need to locate a long-term care facility in Bobcaygeon.” 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

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23. Statistics • Canada • Statistics Canada: www.statcan.ca/ • The Daily – a first stop for current statistics • The Daily is archived online to June 1995 • Consumer Price Index • Economic Indicators • Construction • Employment • Population 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

24. Statistics • Statistics Canada – The Census • http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/home/index.cfm • 1996 and 2001 Census information • Data can be searched by topic • Community profiles give a snapshot of a particular area • E-Stat is another source of Census data (1665-1871 and 1986-2001) - use is restricted to educational institutions and depository libraries 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

25. Statistics • Community Profiles 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

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27. Statistics • Historical Statistics of Canada • 1983 issue available freely online • Can be viewed in .html or .pdf format • “What was Canada’s population in 1947?” 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

28. Statistics 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

29. Statistics • Think about the origin • Motor vehicle collision statistics – Transport Canada • School bus collisions, heavy truck collisions, pedestrian fatalities and injuries • Aircraft collisions, rail and marine accidents – Transportation Safety Board of Canada 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

30. Statistics • International Statistics • FedStats – Stats from over 100 U.S. federal agencies • U.S. Census information – Statistical Abstract of the United States • National Statistics Office of the UK • Eurostat – Statistical office of the European communities 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

31. Statutes and Regulations • Canadian Federal Statutes – Department of Justice • Basic search - keyword in title or text of statute or regulation • Advanced search – Access by subject, keyword in title or text • Search annual statutes from 1995 forward • “I want to see Bill C-3 from 1998. It had to do with DNA”. 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

32. Statutes and Regulations 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

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34. Statutes and Regulations 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

35. Statutes and Regulations • Index to Regulations (Statutory Instruments) • Table of Public Statutes • Table of Private Acts, 1867 – 2004 • Shortcuts to the Constitution, the Charter • Frequently accessed – Criminal Code, Income Tax Act, Divorce Act • Links to provincial, territorial legislation 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

36. Statutes and Regulations • Federal Bills - Laws in the Making • Parliament of Canada • Current bills of the House and Senate • Bills archive • Debates and Journals – current and archived • LegisInfo • Bills text; progress of legislation • Press releases and backgrounders • Votes and Speeches • Related links and reading suggestions 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

37. Statutes and Regulations • Ontario Statutes and Regulations • E-Laws – full text laws and regulations • Content up to date within 10 business days of enactment • Searchable; site has good help features • Browsable by title • Table of Public Statutes; Table of Private Statutes; Table of Regulations 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

38. Statutes and Regulations • Ontario Bills • Ontario Legislative Assembly • Text of bills currently before the House; archive to Sept. 1995 • *Bills Before the House Status Table: service of the Ontario Legislative Library http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/bills/statustable.pdf • Hansard (Debates) archived to June 1985 • Current Hansard searchable by keyword, session, date, topic, speaker • Committee debates 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

39. Statutes and Regulations • Library pathfinders available on some sites • KPL’s pathfinders: • Researching Federal Legislation http://www.kpl.org/ylo_govsites.shtml#federal • Researching Ontario Legislation http://www.kpl.org/ylo_govsites.shtml#ontario (specific to KPL’s resources and holdings) 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

40. Court Decisions • Canadian Legal Information Institute • Important site for legal resources • Links to legislative materials federally and provincially • Publicly available court decisions are searchable by keyword, phrase, name, date, docket number • Full text of decisions with search terms highlighted • Courts in Canada – Dept. of Justice – Court Sites: http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/dept/pub/trib/page5.html 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

41. Citizenship and Immigration • Citizenship and Immigration Canada • Forms and applications • Immigrating to Canada • Studying in Canada • Working in Canada • Online Services • Citizenship and immigration statistics 1966-1996 • Annual reports, performance reports, citizenship test questions 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

42. Citizenship and Immigration • Constant referrals from local Citizenship office to the public library for forms • “I want to sponsor my wife to come to Canada and they sent me here for the form.” 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

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45. Citizenship and Immigration 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

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47. Citizenship and Immigration • Find your member of Parliament http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/PostalCode.asp?Source=SM • Find your member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario)http://www.electionsontario.on.ca/fyed/en/form_page_en.jsp 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

48. Citizenship and Immigration • Settlement.org • Site designed for two audiences: newcomers to Ontario and those who work with newcomers • Information and resources across the spectrum for people settling in Ontario • Employment, Education, Housing, Health, Immigration and Citizenship, Language and Literacy, Legal Services, Consumer, Community and Recreation 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference

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50. Citizenship and Immigration • Settlement.org • Local information by community • Immigrant services offices • Education – school boards, education programs • Health – local OHIP offices with local phone numbers • Employment – local HRDC offices, job search workshops • Housing – help centres, subsidized housing, homeless shelters • Language & Literacy – where to take English classes, language assessment centres • More topics • Option to print out all local information for a particular area; option to get all information/crisis numbers 21st Century Government Documents - OLA Super Conference