THE MARYLAND STATE ARCHIVES
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES
What problem does this project address? An informed citizenry, confident of the usefulness and the future of its government, is essential to the survival of a democratic society. Yet, if you were to ask average citizens who represents them in state and local government the likely response would be blank stares or possibly erroneous references to a Congressman or U.S. Senator. If you asked the same people who they might contact to get something done at the state or local level, they probably would be even less helpful and might suggest recourse to the yellow pages without any real idea of where to begin. With the advent of the World Wide Web, the Maryland State Archives saw a unique opportunity to address the problem quickly and with a public/private partnership of resources. In March 1995, the Archives launched a web-based initiative intended to make government more accessible and to help citizens be better informed about what services government has to offer. It did so with donations, grants, and earned income at a time when public funds were being curtailed and with no increase in staff. Today, through the web pages of Maryland The Electronic Capital and Maryland & Its Government, the Maryland State Archives helps citizens to easily identify and contact who represents them and provides many points of access to a wide array of services that government provides, both at the Archives, and at an increasing number of state agencies with home pages on the web.
Who are the current and potential beneficiaries of this program? Government and citizens both benefit from the interaction provided by a comprehensive and well-organized government information web site. For citizens, the ability to find the information they need, to contact the proper officials, and to make their feelings known, gives them a new sense of connection with their government and a sense of control over the process of dealing with government. Officials benefit from having information on the organization and structure of government regularly updated, and easily accessible. One example of a direct benefit to both government and the citizens it serves is the on-line service "Who Are Your Elected Officials?" By entering a home or business address, a citizen can find out who his or her representatives are in both the General Assembly and in the U.S. Congress, view photographs and brief biographies, and, in many cases, send e-mail messages. The benefit of such a readily available service to Maryland citizens is self-evident. For the General Assembly and congressional offices, a constituent's correspondence can be quickly and easily routed to the proper representatives for action, thus speeding the process and making government more responsive to the citizens it serves.
The Archives' Government Information Services also helps teachers to educate students about their government. Rather than using a theoretical model of government, the Archives' web site demonstrates government in action. The information provided by the service matches content knowledge requirements of many county school system civics education curricula. For example, it can be used effectively in preparing students for the Maryland Test of Citizenship which all students must pass to graduate from any public high school. The site also provides current and historical profiles of the state's population, wealth, history, culture, government, business, and geography for students, new residents, prospective businesses, and anyone else interested in the essential nature and character of Maryland.
Describe the innovation: Since 1948, the Maryland Manual has been the premier reference book of Maryland state government. A biennial publication of the Maryland State Archives, the Maryland Manual is the historical record of all three branches of state government and of local government detailed in a thousand pages of histories, functions, addresses, phone numbers, and illustrated biographies. One can also find there the state Constitution, recent election results, or how to contact political party organizations. Now, in addition to a publication, the State Archives offers the Maryland Manual On-Line as a government information service in a regularly updated electronic format. Because of the dynamic nature of government, the biennial Maryland Manual has traditionally been a "slice-in-time" and has served as an invaluable historical record. With the Maryland Manual On-Line, the Archives moves from providing a valuable but immediately out-dated reference book, to an information service that insures relevance and accuracy.
A significant enhancement to the Archives' Government Information Services beyond the wealth of detail on the organization, structure, and personnel of state and local government, is the on-line service "Who Are Your Elected Officials." This inter-active program invites citizens to simply type a home or business address into an on-line form. The service then reports their legislative district and who represents them, including biographies, photographs, and links to email and relevant web sites.
Government Information Services is also the focus for even more general information about Maryland's government as it includes links to other state agency homepages and on-line services. Unlike many state government sites, Government Information Services provides the necessary context in which to make informed decisions about whom to contact and to determine whether further inquiry is necessary. To examine these services first hand, please visit www.mdarchives.state.md.us and choose "Maryland and Its Government."
What are the most important achievements of the program? The Archives' Government Information Service provides a reliable source of detailed and up-to-date information on Maryland State Government. This resource is now available to the largest possible audience of citizens and government officials in Maryland and around the world. In the process of creating this resource, inter-agency cooperation and communications have improved. Team efforts have furthered electronic connectivity and data-sharing between different elements of the government. Electronic data-gathering and public presentations have dramatic cost saving advantages over traditional printed publications. The investment made in accumulating and making this information public is safeguarded through archival procedures that insure the permanence of these electronic records. The success of the State Archives' website has resulted in the assignment of many other government web-based activities to this agency, including Maryland Electronic Capital, the Office of the Governor's homepage (a cooperative effort), and the internet service for the Annapolis Government Campus. Maryland & Its Government with its subsection Maryland Manual On-Line is one of the most popular stops on the Archives' rich and varied homepage. Thousands of patrons visit the site each month.
A further important benefit is the savings to state government in the cost of the biennial printing of the Maryland Manual. The legally mandated publication of the Manual will in the future be accomplished through the distribution of the historical record, a "slice-in-time" version in an electronic format such as CD. The savings to the state will amount to tens of thousands of dollars in printing costs, but more significantly the savings to state government of a better informed, more responsive citizenry could lead to efficiencies and economies in government worth billions.
How replicable is the program? The Maryland State Archives' Government Information Services provides an excellent model for other states to emulate. Its simple yet comprehensive approach to information management can be replicated by any well-equipped and professionally staffed agency. The theories and practices of Government Information Services can be applied to other fields of endeavor as well. Universities and businesses could benefit from its organization and approach. To argue that it is complete, however, would miss the point of the value of the electronic world. Much more needs to be done, especially in the matter of local government information and index access. Indeed, if the Archives were fortunate enough to win an Innovations Award, the proceeds would be reinvested in adding more useful information about local government to the site and providing more comprehensive index access.
Funding Sources
General Fund Allocations to the Maryland State Archives (staff, equipment, telecommunications)for the Archives web site including Government Information Services: $160,000
Inter-agency cooperatives $ 80,000
Private partnerships $150,000
Subscriptions for non-exclusive site licenses $ 10,000
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Total $400,000