By Brian Burke Managing Director, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, State University of New York Last year, I had the opportunity to work on a fantastic project at the Center for Technology in Government where we partnered with a passionate and expert group representing public libraries; open government experts; digital government research; and federal, state, and local governments. This IMLS-sponsored project was designed to answer one previously unanswered question: What role can public libraries play in the highly visible and expanding domain of Open Government? The answer, paraphrased from twelve months of research and consultation, is that Public libraries are the best-positioned community anchors to address the demand-side of open government. In addition, with a bit more strategic vision and planning, they can play a key role in helping ensure that open government activities align with community aspirations and that citizens have the capabilities to contribute to the opening of government in useful and meaningful ways. One of the most revealing things I learned was that public libraries have a long history of supporting the opening of government through many of the services and resources they provide. However, this role was hidden in plain sight due to the lack of common language and understanding both within the public library community and between public libraries and open government experts. At the beginning of the project, we explored how policies and activities in the United States and internationally have worked to create greater openness through increasing the supply of data, information, and technological innovations. The focus on “supply” has been a game-changer for governments and provided value to citizens in a variety of ways. However, we learned that much less attention was being paid to the “demand” side of open government. It soon became very clear that public libraries are well-positioned to support this “demand” side. First, public libraries are very capable of working with citizens and government to help design open government initiatives that best meet community needs and interests. Second, through various literacy (e.g., digital and civic) initiatives, public libraries are leading the way in helping citizens develop the skills and capabilities needed to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from open government activities. However, our public librarian partners told us that they could use assistance in figuring out how to best translate or integrate this new vision into existing and future programs. To help public libraries develop that common language and become more strategic in their open government roles, we developed the Demand-side Open Government Planning Model for Public Libraries v1.0. The model is based on the community focused planning process depicted in the figure below. This process interweaves the related processes of planning and partnership development. Our final project report provides much more information on the model as well as guidance for those public libraries interested in creating programs to better support the demand side of open government. Adopting a focus on the demand side of open government will provide public libraries with a much needed common language and a strategic planning platform to help match their programs and activities to their communities’ needs and capabilities. Focusing on the demand side of open government will assist public libraries in developing key partnerships with government and other entities, helping government officials, government agencies, nonprofits, and private organizations have a direct resource to the community and its needs. It will also allow them to play a significant role in and benefit from the open government trend. Author: Brian Burke is managing director at the Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, State University of New York. Organization: The Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, State University of New York is a globally recognized leader in digital government research and practice. The Center partners with governments and other organizations to design and implement effective information policy, management, and technology strategies that foster public sector innovation, enhance capability, generate public value, and support good governance.