Are you a fan of your local government?

Fandom, in the age of Facebook, doesn't necessarily mean you like the public works department, the library collection or the police force.

Instead, becoming a fan on Facebook the social media site originally created in 2004 for college students, means clicking on a button - specifically, the "Become a fan" button - to follow updates posted by a celebrity, an organization or, more recently, government agencies.

Six years after Facebook's evolution from a student sanctuary to an all-encompassing social network, more government organizations are getting on Facebook and making pages to reach the communities they serve.

The White House, for example, has its own Facebook page, and anyone with a Facebook account can become a fan and see updates that are posted on the page appear on their own personal news feed, the home page for their account.

More than 494,000 people are "fans" of the White House, so they receive updates when the Obama administration posts photos from the president's day or adds links to his weekly addresses. They also can comment on the posts that are added, and hundreds of the Facebook fans do, giving their two cents about health care, education or whatever other posting topics appear on the page.

This instant, public exchange of information in a social-networking realm is happening on a local level as well, as more public libraries, school districts, police and fire departments - and at least one municipal government in the Pittsburgh region - adopt Facebook as another way to communicate and solicit feedback.

The use of social media, such as Facebook, by local government is a "refreshing" way for government and citizens to engage, which hasn't been so easy to do as population centers have gotten larger, said Alan Shark, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Public Technology Institute. The institute provides resources for technology executives in local governments.

Mt. Lebanon is one municipality that is pursuing this form of online engagement. About five months ago, mtl, Mt. Lebanon's magazine, which is the public relations arm of the municipality, launched its Facebook page. It has more than 600 "fans," who, when they log into Facebook, may see a post from the magazine asking residents to pick up litter or informing them about a new restaurant's positive review.

"For nonprofits as well as government, it's just a great way of getting the message out very cost-efficiently," said Susan Morgans, editor-in-chief of the magazine. She and another staff member, write posts that go up on the page each day.

The idea to use Facebook was just one in a multi-layered approach, including the magazine, a website and a text message alert system, to reach people in Mt. Lebanon.

"I think our goal, in general, is to utilize as many different media as we can to reach out to as many different constituencies as possible," Ms. Morgans said.

A look at the page suggests they are reaching people, as residents post their own pictures, suggest story ideas for the magazine or respond to posts.

And if a resident is unhappy with something, the municipality can quickly respond, either on the Facebook page or with a direct call.

A good example of the interactivity of the page came Feb. 12, when the magazine posted a message commending the waste management department for its catchup work following the snowfall last month. Some residents echoed their thanks, while others pointed out that their streets hadn't seen waste management. To those complaints, mtl responded by suggesting they call public works.

This back-and-forth, casual engagement between citizen and government is happening more often as agencies jump into the alternate reality of social networks, and examples are becoming more common in the Pittsburgh area.

Fans of the Blawnox Volunteer Fire Company can read the group's fish fry menu or see pictures of an ice rescue and emergency response class. The Moon Township Public Library recently invited people to take part in a craft night. And on the Munhall Crime Watch's Facebook page, the borough's police department asked for help filling sandbags last week.

The different government entities on Facebook have a unique goal in common - to reach a part of the population that may not otherwise come in contact with local government.

A case in point is the Monroeville Public Library. The page was created about nine months ago, said Pamela Bodziock, the teen services librarian, in part as a way to reach out to teenagers who may want to use the library.

"It just seemed like a real opportunity to connect with them in a way they were already using," she said.

The page originally listed mostly upcoming events, but now it has expanded to include recommendations for movies and books to borrow, as well as tips about online resources to access.

Recently, Ms. Bodziock used Facebook's chat function to help a teenager with a homework problem - an interaction that until recently would have likely happened face-to-face.

Social networking sites are probably here to stay, and Mr. Shark said he's all for government using them. But he advises all to tread carefully and think about how to ensure information is accurate and secure.

Although it's free for anyone to set up a Facebook page, he said the hidden cost of mixing Facebook and government may mean legal concerns that crop up if a Facebook user posts misinformation or offensive language on the page.

It's a problem that the North Hills School District recently had to confront, though not about its own Facebook page, which is updated frequently with news about student accomplishments and school events.

Instead, a school board member faced criticism from residents after she wrote about non-English speakers and immigrants on her own, personal Facebook page. Even though it wasn't connected to the school district, the issue was brought up at a school board meeting.

Board President Edward Wielgus said the school district did not endorse nor condone the message. He said he doesn't personally use Facebook, but, as someone with a background in banking, cautioned people to be careful about what they write in a public forum.

"It's kind of like hitting the send button the when you are e-mailing, it's hard to get it back once you put it out there," he said.

Though Facebook has drawbacks as well as benefits, Mr. Shark said, government use of social networking sites is on an upward trend, and agencies that decide to enter the world of social media should do so knowing there is a hidden cost in monitoring and managing the information.

Still, he said, "We think the advantages far outweigh any disadvantage."

To find out if your local government is on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com and search for the name of your town.

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