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Pasco Reaches Out Through E-Government Program

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By SHERRI LONON IN THE LOOP

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 24, 2008

Pasco County library users no longer have to endure long waits to get on computers, or face strict time limits as they're filling out job applications or government forms. Thanks to the E-Government program, at least two new laptop computers have been delivered to each branch in the system.

The laptops are courtesy of a $250,000 federally funded state grant to promote E-Government on the local level. The county's library system was the only one in the state to receive funding, which it has enjoyed now for two years.

Nancy Fredericks, the county library system's E-Government manager, said the overall program began in response to the Library Services and Technology Act that instructed all federal agencies to make online access to forms available to the public. States have followed suit.

The legislation paved the way for many standard government-related application forms to appear online. This means that obtaining assistance no longer requires travel to an agency's offices in many cases. Unemployment, food stamp assistance, job placement help and other similar forms can now be found and filled out online for submission.

"No matter where you are, if you have access to the Internet (you now can get these forms)," said Fredericks. Unfortunately, she added, not everyone has Internet access, so they come to the libraries.

Prior to receiving the grant, libraries throughout the county were noticing long waits for people who wanted to get on computers to fill out applications and apply for assistance. The new Dell laptops are reserved specifically for the program and do not have time limits attached to their use. This means a person who is filling out an application to work for the state, for example, won't have to panic that the system will time out before the form is completed, Fredericks said.

"(This) offers them an unlimited amount of time," she said.

In addition to the laptop computers, the county library system's own E-Government program, which is run by Fredericks, also is providing a host of other related services. At each library, patrons who request to use E-Government laptops can also receive assistance in using the laptops. While Fredericks said library staff will not fill out applications for patrons, they will help them learn the basic skills needed to do so. The library system also intends to sponsor a number of E-Government-related workshops in 2009 and maintains a blog related to the program on its Web site at www.pascolibraries.org.

"It's our mission to be there for people," said Fredericks, explaining why the library system is so active in the online movement.

For Hugh Embry Branch Library manager Angelo Liranzo, the arrival of the laptops has been very good news.

"It's really meeting a need," he said, adding that the computers have been in use almost constantly since their arrival. In fact, they're in use "all day long."

For more information on the library system's E-Government program, visit www.pascolibraries.org or call Fredericks at (727) 861-3020.

Editor Sherri Lonon can be reached at (813) 948-4287 or at slonon@mediageneral.com.

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