New customer-focused services and innovative design makes RI.gov, the #1 source for RI government news and information.
Providence, RI - March 05, 2004 - Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri cut a virtual blue ribbon today to unveil a fully redesigned state web portal at RI.gov. The official site of the State of Rhode Island has undergone a complete transformation both visually and technologically.
“The Internet has truly helped us build new bridges between state government and the people we serve,� said Governor Carcieri. “Our new state portal is now easier to navigate than ever before and it offers a variety of interactive tools to give our citizens yet another avenue through which they can receive state information and services.�
The newest way to receive information through RI.gov is via a cutting edge service called “Instant Answers�. Through Instant Answers, users of RI.gov can open a chat window to have instant interaction with a team of reference librarians at the Providence Public Library. The Providence Public Library serves as Rhode Island's Statewide Reference Resource Center with funding provided via the state's Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS).
“As the state-designated Reference Resource Center, Providence Public Library is proud to be partnering with the state to provide this exciting new virtual reference service to Rhode Islanders,� said Dale Thompson, Director of the Providence Public Library.
The Instant Answers service is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours, or for questions requiring more extensive research, users of RI.gov can take advantage of RI.gov’s Ask A Librarian service that uses an emailed form to submit questions. Response times for this popular feature, which also utilizes the expertise of the Providence Public Library reference staff, is usually less than 48 hours.
According to Anne Parent, OLIS Chief of Library Services, "Ask A Librarian" and "Instant Answers" are natural extensions of the OLIS funded Statewide Reference Resource Center. "We are delighted that live online reference service through RI.gov will become a reality for Rhode Island residents," she said.
Besides cutting edge interactive tools, the new RI.gov leads the nation with an innovative design as Joan Gammon, General Manager of RI.gov explains. “At the heart of the new RI.gov is a huge database of searchable links which guides the user to the particular agency website or eGovernment service that they’re looking for. As more and more state information and government services are being provided via the Internet, we needed an efficient and accurate way of supporting that growth.�
The solution was to scrap hundreds of hard-coded static pages and reengineer the entire portal to be a dynamic database-driven tool. The key advantage is that a user can find a certain link or eService under any number of topics and headings on the portal. Should that one link require an update, the portal team can make one quick change in the database that will be dynamically reflected anyplace that link appears. The portal team can also monitor the use of the most popular destinations and make sure that they are easy to find.
“The new RI.gov gives businesses and citizens better 24/7 access to Rhode Island government,� says Thomas Collins. As Chief Information Officer for the State of Rhode Island, Mr. Collins is responsible for all State IT initiatives, including RI.gov. “The unique database design delivers better customer service to users helping ensure that any link they click on the portal is the most up-to-date. We are proud to be bringing to Rhode Islanders the best portal and services possible and plan to continue to build upon this solid foundation to make our state’s eGovernment efforts among the top in the nation.�
About RI.gov: RI.gov is Rhode Island's homepage and official portal (www.ri.gov), a collaborative effort between the State of Rhode Island and New England Interactive.