Over the past five years, U.S. libraries have reinvented themselves to cater to an increasingly sophisticated population and are experiencing record attendance as a result. Along with traditional book-browsing, patrons come to surf the Web, watch a film, buy a coffee in a bookstore-like cafe, take a life-skills class, participate in civic meetings, and check out a DVD. Currently, many libraries are experimenting with online library services with which patrons can download e-books and audio books to their home computers for free. Municipalities, recognizing libraries' expanding roles as inexpensive forms of education and entertainment for their citizenry, have directed millions of dollars to these evolving public institutions.

To encourage workers commuting from distant areas or out-of-state to become Maryland homeowners, the state's Department of Housing and Community Development has created House Keys 4 Employees. Under the program, eligible employees can receive up to $15,000 towards a down payment and closing costs, including a state match of up to $5,000 of a participating employer's contribution in the form of a 0% deferred loan. Johns Hopkins Hospital and the City of Annapolis have already signed up, and other large employers and small businesses are expected to take advantage of this partnership with the state's housing department.

Virginia Tech has created "Funds for the Future" to stabilize the cost of higher education steady for low- to moderate-income families. Beginning in the fall of 2006, students from families making less than $30,000 will not pay any tuition or fee increases during their four years of study, and those families making between $30,000 and $100,000 will receive other types of financial support. School officials predict that the program will help a third of all students at the university, and approximately 1,800 will receive full benefits. Several other universities have implemented similar programs, recognizing that this is a great way to recruit and retain a diverse student body.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy has received the Web Content Managers Best Practice Peer Award, for its DisabilityInfo.gov website. A collaborative effort among 16 federal departments and agencies, the online resource provides timely disability-related information about government programs related to civil rights, community life, education, employment, housing, health, income support, technology, and transportation. The award, which recognizes successful web practices that can be replicated across government, was conferred by the Web Content Managers Forum, a peer group comprised of more than 900 federal, state, and local government web managers.

In an effort to lower costs and streamline the process for originating Federal Housing Administration mortgages, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has created the Lender Insurance Program. Under the program, high performing lenders can endorse FHA mortgage loans for themselves, bypassing a pre-endorsement review by HUD; this reduces processing time by one third and decreases direct insuring expenses by as much as 25%. Officials believe that the savings will help lenders offer more affordable housing opportunities to eligible American families.

Last week, Harvard University's Stephen Goldsmith joined Smart City host Carol Coletta in a discussion about natural disaster emergency planning with Innovations in American Government Award winner, OK-First. Go to Smart City Radio to hear this program.

Newsletter produced by: Joe Morgan, Vanessa Ruget, and Brendan St. Amant (researchers and writers); Joellen Secondo (editor).