10 Most Popular State and Local Tech Posts of 2013

State and local governments are exciting spaces these days. With cities exploring municipal Wi-Fi efforts, chief innovation officers stirring things up and cloud computing making life easier for IT departments, it’s been a productive year.

One interesting topic that resonated with our readers this year was libraries. Following our January feature on QR codes, tablets and RFID technology in several libraries around the country, we explored other digital initiatives that can help libraries provide information and access to citizens. While there are differing opinions on the direction libraries should go, it’s clear that Americans understand the inherent value of libraries.

Another trending topic was the rise of tech hubs around the United States. It seems that everyone wants to be the next Silicon Valley — Silicon Bayou and Silicon Prairie, for example — and many politicians and local governments are eager to work with tech companies to bring jobs and growth to their cities.

It’s exciting to see smaller governments benefitting from the awesome power of the cloud in terms of both productivity and cost savings. Colorado, for example, is saving $2 million per year with Google Apps, and Somerset County, Maine, is sharing its new cloud infrastructure with neighboring communities.

All in all, it’s been a great year. Here’s a look at StateTech’s most popular stories, based on our readers’ shares, clicks and searches: