Canadian Government Information on the Internet (CGII)

by Anita Cannon, the Depository Services Program and Contributors

Government of Canada
The Canada Site, subtitled "Services for you", functions as the federal government's gateway to its services and information. Three targeted gateways on the main page guide the user to services and information for Canadian citizens, for Canadian business and for non-Canadians. Each of these sections variously provides links, subdivided by topic, to single agency sites, lists of sites, or to more elaborately designed subject portals to information. Examples of these are the "Find a Job" and "Travel at home and abroad" portals under "Services for Canadians". Also in this section is a selection of portals for target populations - for aboriginals, children, seniors and many others. The links in the Business gateway are all annotated with information on content and there are selections of short cuts to popular sources, key resources and services, including e-forms, government contacts and business tools. The gateway for non-Canadians also provides a series of pull-down menus for the most popular questions and services as well as connections to embassies and consulates, forms, contacts and Radio Canada International links for current news about Canada. Links to general information about the country, about the government, to sources of publications and to e-forms are provided on the top bar on each page. The Publications page presents the Canadian Government Publishing site for catalogue and Checklist access, plus general information on ordering government publications, crown copyright, links to depository and other libraries and to publications sections of government agency sites. Government announcements and a connection to the Prime Minister's Web site and those of provincial and territorial governments are also offered. "About Canada" provides a selection of links to general and specific information on the country and "About Government" to government departments and agencies and a selection of related resources. The Canada site offers several other ways of finding information in addition to this targeted approach. It has a list (with links) of government departments and agencies, an A-Z index of programs and services, lists of government contacts and service points, both online and in person. There are several search engines on the site - the Government of Canada Employees Directory (GEDS), a search engine for this site only plus one for all government sites and a link to search engines from all federal government agencies. The search engine for all government sites allows for simple or complex searches and accommodates synonym and translated terms as part of the search. Users may opt for customized access the site, by entering a password and selecting from a menu of resources available. Subsequent log-ons with password and name displays selected resources by category or in a list in alphabetical order. The Canada site is large and complex but the number of search options and the organization of the information make it relatively easy to use.
(2001-10-21, Anita Cannon, Mount Allison University )

Site available in English and French.

National Library of Canada
This information-packed site is divided into three sections: The first, covering general information about the NLC, has a virtual tour, calendar of events, directory of services and departments, and a publications catalogue in Adobe Acrobat. Online publications here include annual reports, "Forthcoming Books", news releases, "Read Up On It", "National Library News", and "Network Notes". The Services section details the NLC's services to libraries, researchers and publishers. It also has access to the NLC Catalogue, information on subscribing to Amicus, information about the national bibliography "Canadiana" and national initiatives the NLC supports. The third section, "Sources of Canadian Information" includes under government information: a list of Canadian government library catalogues, links to the major official government sites and selected others, and a collection of "key" federal documents in full text. Some government Web sites and documents are also included in the "Canadian Information by Subject" listing of online information from or about Canada arranged by Dewey Decimal Classification system. Also including government information is the "Canadiana Quick Reference" listing of answers to frequently asked questions at the NLC. There is a growing list of digital projects on many different subjects, including Prime Ministers' speeches, Confederation, and federal Royal Commissions.
(1998-08-24, Anita Cannon, Mount Allison University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/10/11/index-e.html

Copyright © 2002 Anita Cannon and Public Works and Government Services Canada