When the State Agency Databases Across the Fifty States project was launched in June 2007, one of its goals was for every US State to have a “documents specialist” care for its page. The “documents specialist” could be a librarian or just someone very interested in her state government. The document specialist for a State’s page would:
- Add as many public searchable state agency-produced databases as possible.
- Serve as an e-mail contact for people with corrections or questions about databases on the page.
- Check the page once in awhile for broken links and fix them.
That was the vision and it is mostly fulfilled. If you look on our Page Volunteer List at http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Page_Volunteer_List, you’ll see that 43 States and the District of Columbia have a documents specialist. That’s looking at the glass 86% full and that is not a bad thing.
But I want to fill the other 14% of the glass and I’d like you to help me. For each of the next seven weeks, I’ll mention a state that does not yet have a documents specialist and ask you to adopt it.
Today’s orphan state is Illinois. The databases page for it is http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Illinois. The page current features databases from 11 agencies. Some of the databases include:
Open Book – From the website, “a searchable database of state contracts and campaign contributions. This website combines information from the Comptroller’s accounting system with official semi-annual campaign finance disclosure reports filed by political committees with the Illinois State Board of Elections. The data is presented in a format that allows users to enter the name or partial name of an entity that conducts business with the State of Illinois and compare that entity’s State contracts with political contributions it made.”
Professional License Lookup – Search by name and profession or by license number. According to the website, “License Look-up results include the Licensee’s Name, License Number, License Status, City and State, Original Date of Licensure, License Expiration Date and Disciplinary Action Indicator.” Covered professions include doctors, accountants, alarm contractors, among others.
Sex Offender Registry- Search by last name, first name, zip code, status and offender type. Records have Dates of Birth, offender photograph, aliases, physical description and last known address.
In addition to the databases above, it also has an impressive set of databases for archival records.
If finding stuff like the databases above interests you, check out the project page for Illinois. If you know of state agency produced databases that aren’t there, please adopt the page. Send an email to dnlcornwall AT alaska DOT net if you do. Thanks!
