# Publishing civic data **What's the need?** * Many municipalities and regions have open data to share but need an institution to manage or coordinate a centralized data collection. **Why the library?** * Libraries are trusted stewards of information and library workers have considerable expertise in managing data and protecting privacy. * Libraries are leading many digital inclusion and data literacy efforts in their communities. * As the priorities of elected officials change, having a third-party entity like a library host data from government organizations and other partners can also help to sustain community data initiatives. **What you can do:** * Publish available non-sensitive public information (ex. Census data) about your community * Build a prototype program using cloud-based data storage services like Dropbox, Box, or Google Drive to host data * Manage a civic data portal **Inspiration:** * Chattanooga, TN: [Open Data portal](https://data.chattlibrary.org/) hosted by the public library * Albuquerque, NM: [Open Data infrastructure](https://www.cabq.gov/abq-data) using existing server infrastructure and simple protocols like FTP **Resources you can use:** * Civic Switchboard Project. (2019). [8 Considerations for Libraries That Want to Host Open Data]() . * Linda Poon. (2019) “[Should Libraries Be the Keepers of Their Cities’ Public Data?](https://www.citylab.com/life/2019/02/libraries-public-information-city-data-digital-archive/581905/)” CityLab. * Sullivan, K. (2018). [Can Libraries Accelerate Local Open Data Publishing?](https://medium.com/open-data-literacy/can-libraries-accelerate-local-open-data-publishing-34caaf6a767f) Medium post. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://civic-switchboard.gitbook.io/guide/library-roles/publishing-civic-data.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.