Libraries and Society: Interregional roundtable discussion “21st century public libraries: contribution to electronic interaction between citizens and the state”

The Interregional roundtable discussion “21st century public libraries: contribution to electronic interaction between citizens and the state” is running on November 2 2011 as a part of St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum.

The roundtable discussion is expected to touch upon the following themes:

- Current state and prospects of information society and “electronic government” in St. Petersburg.

- Promotion of open public electronic information resources and online public services.

- Forms of electronic interaction between citizens and the state.

- Establishment of the unified information and reference support for citizens consulting them on electronic interaction with government bodies and local government and public services delivery.

- The place and role of public libraries in keeping the community up-to-date with delivery of public services electronically.

- Public libraries providing access to online public services to citizens.

- Practical expertise of public libraries in provision of open access to public data and legal electronic resources to population.

- Issues concerning provision of access to information and communications infrastructure of “electronic government” to various strata of the society.

- Public libraries shaping information culture of the society in order to provide equal and open access to public services electronically.

- Problems of removal of digital divide between different groups of population.

- Public libraries improving digital literacy of socially insecure strata of the society.

The roundtable discussion has attracted state authorities of St. Petersburg and other constituent territories of the Russian Federation, state institutions and public organizations, public libraries, information companies and services, legal data centers from different regions of Russia.