Recently, there have been a number of studies, grants, presentations, and articles published about how governments are utilizing their public libraries to address local needs and to provide new services to their communities.  Many of these are related to job hunting or gaining access to unemployment services. Check out these links to learn more:

Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2008–2009 – ALA’s most recent report on this project shows that more than 71 percent of libraries report they are the only source of free access to computers and the Internet in their communities. Only 14.6 percent of all libraries indicate they provide no e-government services – down from 25.9 percent two years ago. Two-thirds of public libraries rank job seeking services  among the most crucial online services they offer – up from 44 percent two years ago. Handy one page summaries are included for each state. About the study: http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/index.cfm.

International City and County Management Association Newsletter includes notice and summary about the Libraries Connect Communities report.

Best Practices in Helping Job Seekers in the Library (webinar) – with speakers Bernice Kao, Raye Oldham, Megan Pittsley iincludes links to presentation and materials related to the topic.

Hard Times Resources is a new website supporting librarians and the public developed by the Washington State Library. The team presented at WebJunction”s Technology Essentials Conference yesterday and a number of other projects are referenced in their presentation materials.

Public Libraries & E-government Services – published Summer 2009, this ALA brief highlights how public library technology supports public access and use of e-government information and resources.

The ning community on Library 2.0 has a group on E-government for Public Libraries.

If you have additional resources to share, please post a comment and we’ll keep building out this list.

Originally published by Valerie at Collaborative Librarianship News. Re-posted and expanded with permission.