Public Access to Gov’t Docs Subject of Continued Debate Within Library Community
Librarians worry important information is being lost/ Related reference: Depository Librarians Face Escalating Challenges
Category «E-Government»
Advocacy Group Highlights Privacy For New Voter Data
“EPIC Associate Director Lillie Coney testified before the Election Assistance Commission on privacy safeguards for new voter registration databases. Ms. Coney, who also coordinates the National Committee for Voting Integrity, urged the Commission to examine the risks in the new centralized databases.” [Link]
National Archivist Testifies on NARA’s E-Records Programs
Press Release, April 26, 2005, National Archivist Testified Before Congress on ’06 Budget Request: “In his testimony, the Archivist focused on four areas in particular that are of major importance to the National Archives and Records Administration: The Electronic Records Archives (ERA), the Nixon Library, the National Archives Experience, and the issue of document security.
Depository Librarians Face Escalating Challenges
From Federal Computer Week, this article reviews the challenges faced by federal depository librarians as they seek to ensure continued public access to a range of government documents in the face of budget cuts, the increasing migration of print publications to electronic format, and administrative directives which have resulted in mixed signals about future directions …
Wave of Public Comments on RFID In Passports Results in Possible Change of Course
Wired reports that plans to implement biometrics in U.S. passports generated significant negative public response, resulting in reconsideration of the importance of privacy issues related to RFIDs.
GAO Adds Enhancements to Facilitate Searching the Site
“Full Text Search Enhancements: In response to your requests that we improve searching, GAO has introduced a new feature to enhance full text searching and your ability to select the best results to meet your needs. In the past, search results have included titles and your search terms with the text surrounding them, the URL, …
Increased Restrictions Limit Access to Gov Docs According to ALA Lobbyist
Proponent of open government – McDermott: Feds closing the door to information
Future of Free Access to Net Weather Data In Jeopardy From Proposed Legislation
Press release, April 14, 2005: U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today introduced the National Weather Services Duties Act of 2005 (S. 786) to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the National Weather Service (NWS) within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). from the text of the bill: …The …
Election Reform Commission Begins Meetings
“The Commission on Federal Election Reform is chaired by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III. The Commission of twenty-one members is both bipartisan and non-partisan. During the next six months, it will examine the state of the electoral process in the United States and offer recommendations on …
OMB Reports to Congress on Citizen Access to Government Information
Report to Congress: Organizations Complementing Federal Agency Information Dissemination Programs, April 15, 2005 (23 pages, PDF): “This report discusses Government Printing Office’s (GPO) Federal Depository Libraries (FDLs), Federally funded CTCs, public libraries, and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) research rooms. The report describes on-line government information and services available to users of these programs, …
New E-Gov Site Offers Guidelines for Healthier Eating
Press release: “Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today unveiled MyPyramid, a new symbol and interactive food guidance system. ‘Steps to a Healthier You,’ MyPyramid’s central message, supports President Bush’s HealthierUS initiative which is designed to help Americans live longer, better and healthier lives. MyPyramid, which replaces the Food Guide Pyramid introduced in 1992, is part of …
Bureau of Land Management Shuts Down Website
The U.S. Deptartment of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) website currently displays the following message on the homepage: “The BLM Web site is currently down for unanticipated maintenance. Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve our technical difficulties.” [Link] See this ComputerWorld article for more details.
