The Determinants of Smart Public Library Roles in Promoting Open Government in Indonesia

Abstract This article substantiates the roles and identifies the key determinants of public libraries in providing smart services and programs promoting public engagement in open government. Using data from a survey of public libraries in Bojonegoro regency and Malang city in East Jawa, Indonesia, this study ascertained the public library’s roles in generating values through the provision of means, tools, and improving the public’s capabilities to engage with the government online. This study argues that public libraries in Indonesia strive to provide values by offering smart programs and services focusing on information, technology, and digital literacy training and classes to improve the public’s experience in engaging within an open government environment. Our study further highlights that funding and budgeting systems, policies, regulations, laws, and technological infrastructures are vital in determining public libraries’ roles in providing smart services and programs. Foremost, this study corroborates the crucial roles of policies, laws, and regulations as the fundamental elements determining public libraries’ likelihood of providing values by offering smart programs and services supporting the open government, notably in developing countries with a less stable political situation.