State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Two state officials are on a mission to make libraries the public's hub for government data

StateScoop: Journalists and public-interest groups are skilled at sussing out difficult-to-navigate government data when they need it. But at a time that open data is becoming a more mainstream idea, some states are figuring out ways to deliver information sets to regular citizens who might not know their way around a freedom of information law.

In parts of California and Washington, that service is being delivered at public libraries as part of growing program that trains librarians to handle open data requests from their patrons. The program, Data Equity for Main Street, is aimed at making local libraries — especially those in small towns and rural areas — hubs for where people can learn more about how they're being served.

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