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Local Government Guide to the Internet

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Local Government Guide to the Internet
The Local Government Guide to the Internet: Online Resources for Communities is an Internet guidebook developed for everyone who makes decisions that impact their community's future. Whether you volunteer or work for pay in a public agency, community organization, business group, or regional development agency, the Local Government Guide will help you find the best online information and use it wisely. It is filled with real-life examples to help you interpret what you find on the Internet and apply it to solve problems you face on a day-to-day basis.
Local decision-makers and government staff are under growing pressures to use information efficiently. They face new demands for accountability and effective performance as they deal with increasingly complex issues. Because the Internet is a rich source of up-to-date information resources, it can help local governments and community organizations deal with these growing pressures. This makes an Internet information guide for local officials a very needed resource. To help people take advantage of the Internet, TVA Rural Studies asked Priscilla Salant and Christy Dearien to write the Local Government Guide to the Internet.

The Local Government Guide to the Internet is organized by specific subject areas within six major sections. Throughout each chapter, examples of how to interpret online information and apply it to solve everyday problems are provided.

The book is organized into six major sections:

  • Part 1 provides the basics you'll need to take full advantage of online information.

  • Part 2 (People) shows you how to use the Internet to answer questions about the size and characteristics of your local population.

  • Part 3 (Place) covers information on local housing characteristics, infrastructure, the environment, and land use.

  • Part 4 addresses questions you're likely to ask about your local economy. It will help you use online information to better understand your economy and to identify promising development strategies.

  • Part 5 (Government) describes online information about how local government (including the local school system) is organized and financed. It also explores how local governments are using the Internet to provide information, communicate with citizens, and facilitate a variety of transactions.

  • Part 6 explains how to put online information to the very best use. Read chapters in this section of the book if you want to to start a community indicator project, produce high-quality maps, or write more effective grant proposals.

David Freshwater
Program Manager
UK Rural Studies

Click here for more information about ordering copies of the Local Government Guide to the Internet or jump straight to the Local Government Online URL Listings.

Please send any comments or questions about this site to ukrs@rural.org.