Jim Craner, Galecia Group
Apps and maps for public libraries
County property tax database: basic civic technology
Doesn’t have to be the government. Could be nonprofit or private company.
Open data
Online service delivery
Is the public using it?
Mobile device to report potholes
Citizens expect the govt. to be at most 3-4 years behind in tech
Libraries are already Civic Tech:
Online catalogs
Community tech and training
Maker spaces
Access to public info
“Third place.” De facto community centers, and you don’t have to spend money.
Computers and labs
Internet and network connectivity
Relationships with other agencies
Hackathons (e.g., map apps)
Open data catalogs (Chattanooga library did it for their city)
Historical maps (Newberry Library’s “Chicago Ancestors”)
Contra Costa Library made geo-data easier to use
Starter data:
Your own data (e.g., circ figures)
Budget
Crime
Animals (dog/cat breeds, names, etc.)
Parks and Rec
Carnegie Library Pittsburgh asked kids what they wanted to know about their city.
Code for America made application to help Californians clear their records for marijuana convictions.
“Civic Tech Brigades” in some communities.
Get diverse community stakeholders.
Remember ethics and privacy.
Local govt.: plain English instructions for things like “How do I start a business?”
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