[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Freedom of Information Day tipsheet



------- Start of forwarded message -------
Subject: Freedom of Information Day tipsheet
X-URL: http://www.ala.org/pio/foiday/

   [b-home.gif]
                              [b-sitemap.gif]
                                  Contact
   Search
                                    ALA
     Go Directly to
      News
      Events
      Advocacy
      Education
      Employment
      ALA Interests
      Marketplace
      Membership
      The ALA Library
      ALA Units
      E-mail Webmaster
      Create a Printer Friendly Version of this Page

                              At Your Library
                         Freedom of Information Day
                                  March 16
   "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
   or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
   speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to
   assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
   --The Constitution of the United States, Amendment 1

A time to celebrate, be vigilant
A time to exercise your right to know

   Free and open access to information created at taxpayer expense is a
   basic principle that has enabled the United States to endure and
   prosper for more than 200 years.

   In the new information age, our very survival, as a nation and as
   individuals, will be determined by how successfully we use
   information. That is why the American Library Association and other
   groups are concerned about steady erosion of the public's ability to
   obtain government information.

   Critical issues are at stake: preservation of official information,
   public access, government accountability and an informed electorate.

   On Freedom of Information Day, March 16, the American Library
   Association urges libraries and librarians across America to join in
   celebrating the public's "right to know" by sponsoring activities to
   educate their communities about the importance of promoting and
   protecting freedom of information.

The Issue

   The public's right of access to government information is a
   cornerstone of our democratic society.

   Our system of representative democracy depends on the free flow of
   information produced, collected and published by the government and
   available to the American people so they can participate as an
   informed electorate and be aware of actions the government takes in
   their name.

   Since the early 19th century, libraries have served as depositories
   for the written record of our nation's development and as gateways to
   the decisions of its leaders, thus assuring public access to
   government information.

   Throughout its history, ALA has taken an active interest in the
   library and information activities of the federal government. ALA
   believes all Americans should have equal and ready access to
   unclassified information of public interest or educational value so
   that they can educate and inform themselves.

   As information professionals who serve the public on a daily basis,
   librarians constantly seek and use government information that serves
   the diverse interests, information needs and expectations of their
   communities. Many Americans depend on information collected, organized
   and disseminated by the federal government. They include
   businesspeople, journalists, college students, community interest
   groups, farmers, economists, health care professionals, local and
   state government officials, researchers, veterans, voters and others.

   Americans come to libraries to find census and other statistics to
   help them plan new businesses and marketing strategies, to research
   environmental issues and hazards, to study major social and
   governmental policy issues, and to research the laws and regulations
   applicable to an issue or problem.

   Some in Congress have joined librarians in a growing concern about the
   public's access to government information, particularly the loss of
   information to federal depository library collections where it is
   available for free use by the public.

   The ongoing transition to more electronic dissemination of federal
   government information has brought both promise and problems for the
   public, and for libraries, both inside and outside the Federal
   Depository Library Program.

   As access providers, organizers and navigators of government
   information for the public, librarians are especially concerned that
   government information appears and disappears from agency Web sites,
   and that no one is charged with capturing, preserving and making
   electronic publications available for future generations.

   Disclosure that federal agencies are failing to make public
   information available on their World Wide Web sites or withdrawing it
   for security reasons raises concerns about public access to government
   information in the present and future.

   Based on experience promoting public access to government information
   and helping to overcome barriers, the library community endorses the
   following principles:

     * The public has a right of access to government information.
     * The government has an obligation to disseminate and provide broad
       public access to its information.
     * The government has an obligation to guarantee the authenticity and
       integrity of its information.
     * The government has an obligation to preserve its information.
     * Government information created or compiled by government employees
       or at government expense should remain in the public domain.

Action

   ALA and library advocates work actively to secure public access to
   government information.

   These actions include publication of "Less Access to Less Information
   By and About the U.S. Government," a chronology updated biannually by
   the ALA Washington Office since 1981. The latest update can be found
   on the ALA Washington Office Web site at http://www.ala.org/washoff/.

   ALA's concerns led to establishment of the Coalition on Government
   Information in 1986. The coalition now has 50 members, including the
   American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Physical
   Society, the National Security Archive and the Society of Journalists
   and Authors.

   In 1997, ALA established the Inter-Association Working Group on
   Government Information Policy with membership from several national
   library organizations to work on the revision of the law governing the
   distribution of government information to the public.

   ALA representatives have testified frequently in Congress in support
   of public access to government information. ALA has also passed
   numerous resolutions and sent letters to Congress and officials in the
   Executive Branch supporting the public's right to know or protesting
   restrictions on government information.

   Legislative successes include helping to secure passage of the GPO
   Access Act (P.L. 103-40) that provided no-fee access to electronic
   government information and the Electronic Freedom of Information Act.

   Current activities focus on strengthening distribution of government
   information to ensure the public's right to know is protected in the
   electronic age.

Letter from U.S. Superintendent of Documents

   We at the Government Printing Office (GPO) think that on Freedom of
   Information Day it is important to focus public attention on the right
   to access government information required for a democratic society. It
   is appropriate that the day chosen to celebrate the freedom of
   information is the anniversary of the birth of James Madison, a lover
   of books, who believed that citizens should have access to information
   about their government.

   In the Superintendent of Documents programs, we are committed to
   providing access to as complete a collection as possible of public
   government information products. We distribute information in tangible
   and electronic formats via the Federal Depository Library Program, the
   GPO Sales Program, and GPO Access, our Web site
   (http://www.access.gpo.gov). We are proud of the fact that in 1995 GPO
   Access was the recipient of the James Madison Award presented on
   Freedom of Information Day by the Coalition on Government Information.

   The goal of the Congressionally mandated and funded depository library
   program is to assure current and permanent public access to U.S.
   Government information products. There are more than 1,350 depository
   libraries located in almost every congressional district in the United
   States and its territories. At GPO we like to think of the depository
   program as America's oldest "freedom of information" program.

   The Federal Government is a pervasive force in every aspect of our
   lives from setting standards for the food we eat or the clothes we
   wear to regulating the safety of the cars we drive or the airplanes in
   which we fly. We all should be able to obtain Federal Government
   information for educational purposes, business use and our everyday
   lives. Without ready access to the information produced, collected or
   compiled by the government as a reflection of its activities how can
   any of us, as citizens, be informed participants in our democratic
   society?

   I encourage you and your library to join the Freedom of Information
   Day celebration and to collaborate with local depository libraries to
   demonstrate citizen access to government information products in
   person or online via GPO Access.

   Francis J. Buckley, Jr.
   Superintendent of Documents
   Government Printing Office

Freedom of Information Act

   "This legislation springs from one of our most essential principles: a
   democracy works best when the people have all the information that the
   security of the Nation permits. I signed this measure with a deep
   sense of pride that the United States is an open society in which the
   people's right to know is cherished and guarded." --President Lyndon
   Baines Johnson

   Enacted in 1966, the Freedom of Information Act (P.L. 90-23) mandates
   that federal agencies make all but specifically exempt files
   accessible to the public. Prior to the act, the public had no legally
   enforceable right to gain access to government-held records.

   According to the Freedom Forum, based in Washington, D.C., journalists
   have used the Freedom of Information Act to generate thousands of news
   stories, including important exposés. Librarians and others used the
   act to obtain copies of FBI records related to the FBI Library
   Awareness Programs. Historians frequently use the act to research
   actions related to U.S. foreign policies.

   In 1974 and 1996, the Freedom of Information Act was strengthened with
   the passage of key amendments. The 1996 amendments, the Electronic
   Freedom of Information Act (P.L. 104-231), streamlined several
   procedures to reduce backlogs and required federal agencies to
   increase the ability of the public to obtain government information in
   electronic formats and databases.

   Filing Freedom of Information Act requests requires considerable
   patience and familiarity with government paperwork. Many people
   require guidance in filing such requests and may seek assistance from
   the library.

   Sometimes the federal information that these individuals seek may be
   in the collection of a library. Time and money can be saved by
   checking the local depository library first or one of the numerous
   gateways to federal information provided by many depository libraries.

James Madison Award

   The James Madison Award honors those who have championed, protected
   and promoted public access to government information and the public's
   right to know. The award is presented annually by the Coalition on
   Government Information and is named for our fourth President, the
   father of the Constitution and architect of the Bill of Rights. The
   coalition and the National Security Archive established the award in
   1989. It is presented on Freedom of Information Day, March 16, the
   anniversary of Madison's birth.

   Recipients of the James Madison Award:

   1999
   The board members and congressional sponsors of the President John F.
   Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board

   1998
   Ben Bagdikian, journalist; Wayne P. Kelley, former Superintendent of
   Documents of the Government Printing Office; Eliot Christian and the
   U.S. Geological Survey; National Library of Medicine

   1997*
   Philanthropist and financier George Soros

   1996*
   The National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council

   1995
   The Government Printing Office, the State of Maryland's Sailor
   Project, the Seattle (WA) Public Library, and the Internet
   Multicasting Service's Town Hall Project

   1994
   Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary and former ALA Washington Office
   Director Eileen D. Cooke

   1993
   The legislators who led the passage of P.L. 103-40, the GPO Access
   Act: Vice President Al Gore, original sponsor of the GPO Gateway to
   Government Act when he was in the Senate; Senators Wendell Ford (D-KY)
   and Ted Stevens (R-AK); Representatives Charlie Rose (D-NC) and Bill
   Thomas (R-CA)

   1992
   Journalist Nina Totenberg, author Scott Armstrong, and C-SPAN founder
   Brian Lamb

   1991
   Representative Don Edwards (D-CA)

   1990
   Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA),
   journalist Philip Shabecoff, and the Office of Toxic Substances of the
   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

   1989
   Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

   * Honorary citations also were presented to several individuals and
   organizations in 1996 and 1997.

How You Can Join In

   Librarians around the country are encouraged to organize Freedom of
   Information Day celebrations on or near March 16.

   Suggestions:

     * Make a colorful "Freedom of Information Day" banner to hang inside
       or outside the library.
     * Hold a community forum on the topic. Recruit speakers/sponsors
       from organizations such as the League of Women Voters and from
       local media.
     * Sponsor a "Freedom of Information Day" resolution for adoption by
       campus, local or state government (see sample resolution).
     * Issue a press release to express your library's commitment to
       public access to information. Prepare a press kit with background
       materials.
     * Write a letter to the editor or opinion column for your campus or
       community newspaper about the "public's right to know."
     * Offer interviews to community or campus radio and TV stations
       about the importance of government information to our lives and
       the role of libraries in keeping it accessible.
     * Suggest your state library association adopt the "Freedom of
       Information" theme.
     * Develop a special collection of material, including ALA's "Less
       Access to Less Information" chronology.
     * Exhibit books and other material about the issue of public access
       to information.
     * Write articles for publications and speak to groups outside the
       library.
     * Document how the public uses government information-the benefits
       to users and any barriers encountered such as high prices or
       discontinued documents.
     * Organize a group of colleagues on campus or in the community for
       discussion and action.

   For more information, contact:

   Daniel O'Mahony
   Government Documents Coordinator
   Brown University Library - Box A
   Providence, RI 02912
   401-863-2522
   ap201159@brownvm.brown.edu

   Lynne Bradley
   American Library Association
   Washington Office
   1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
   Suite 403
   Washington, DC 20004
   202-628-8410
   800-941-8478
   alawash@alawash.org

Sample Letter to the Editor

   Dear (editor):

   The right to know about the actions of government is an important part
   of America's democratic heritage. Librarians across the United States
   urge citizens, the media, government agencies, publishers and book
   dealers to join us in commemorating Freedom of Information Day on
   March 16.

   March 16 is the birth date of James Madison, our fourth President,
   commonly known as "the father of the Constitution," who once said: "A
   popular government, without popular information or the means of
   acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or tragedy or perhaps
   both."

   In the United States, freedom of the press and of speech are
   cornerstones of democracy. Information is central to our way of life.
   Reading, newspapers, bookselling, public education and libraries, as
   well as the availability of government records and publications, are
   widespread. Their ubiquity is a measure of society at its best.

   Although Madison wrote in response to abuses by King George, his
   warning rings true today. Challenges to an informed citizenry exist in
   the complexities and inequities of information technology, illiteracy,
   limited information seeking skills and habits and unequal access to
   education and information resources.

   On Freedom of Information Day, members of the American Library
   Association and other concerned organizations across the country urge
   that we take time to reflect on the most precious of our freedoms -
   the right to know and the importance of protecting it.

   Sincerely,

   (contact name)

Sample Resolution

   (Adapted from Minnesota Libraries Newsletter)

   WHEREAS, March 16 is the anniversary of the birth of James Madison,
   the fourth President and father of the Constitution, who recognized
   and supported the need to guarantee individual rights through the Bill
   of Rights; and

   WHEREAS, Madison said, "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a
   people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the
   power which knowledge gives;" and

   WHEREAS, The power which knowledge gives is fostered by free access to
   information; and

   WHEREAS, A cornerstone of the American people's right to know is
   public access to information by and about the government; and

   WHEREAS, Our nation's public, academic, school and other libraries are
   key resources for the American people in obtaining government
   documents necessary for their education, employment and
   self-governance; and

   WHEREAS, Librarians are access providers, organizers and navigators of
   government information that serve the public interest; and

   WHEREAS, Since 1858, Congressionally designated Federal Depository
   Libraries have provided no-fee access for Americans to all forms of
   federal government information through local libraries in each
   Congressional district; now therefore be it

   RESOLVED, By the [name of entity passing the resolution] that March 16
   be proclaimed as "Freedom of Information Day" in [place] and that all
   residents of [place] be urged to exercise their right to free access
   to information and to use the resources available to them through the
   [place] Library System.

Resources

   Books and Reports

   American Library Association. Less Access to Less Information By and
   About the U.S. Government. (Washington, D.C.: American Library
   Association, 1981-1987; 1988-1991; 1992-).

   Assassination Records Review Board. Final Report of the Assassination
   Records Review Board. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing
   Office, 1998).

   Center for National Security Studies. Litigation under the Federal
   Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act. (Washington, D.C.: Center
   for National Security Studies, annual).

   Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy. Report of
   the Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy.
   (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1997).

   Demac, Donna A. State of the First Amendment. (Arlington, VA: The
   Freedom Forum, 1997).

   Hernon, Peter, Charles R. McClure, and Harold Relyea. Federal
   Information Policies in the 1990s: Views and Perspectives. (Norwood,
   NJ: Ablex, 1996).

   Mackenzie, Angus. Secrets: The CIA's War at Home. (Berkeley, CA:
   University of California Press, 1997).

   Moen, William E. An Evaluation of the Federal Government's
   Implementation of the Government Information Locator Service (GILS):
   Final Report. (Washington, D.C.: General Services Administration,
   1997).

   Moynihan, Daniel P. Secrecy: The American Experience. (New Haven,
   Conn.: Yale University Press, 1998).

   Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. How to Use the FOI Act.
   (Washington: FOI Service Center, annual).

   U.S. Government Printing Office. Study to Identify Measures Necessary
   for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository
   Library Program. (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1996).

   Journals

   ALA Washington News. A print newsletter that provides monthly updates
   on national legislative issues of concern to libraries. Cost: $35/yr.
   (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), international $40/yr. To subscribe, send a
   check to Newsletter Subscriptions Manager, ALA Washington Office, 1301
   Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 403, Washington, DC 20004-1700

   ALAWON. A free electronic publication that provides frequent updates
   on legislative issues of concern to libraries. To subscribe visit
   http://www.ala.org/washoff/subscribe.html, or send a message to:
   listproc@ala.org. Leave the subject blank. In the body, type:
   subscribe ala-wo your first and last name.

   American Library Association. Government Documents Round Table.
   Documents to the People. Irregular. Contact the ALA Washington Office
   for order information. Telephone: 800-941-8478/202-628-8410. E-mail:
   alawash@alawash.org

   Web sites

   American Library Association, Washington Office.
   http://www.ala.org/washoff/

   Assassination Records Review Board. Final Report of the Assassination
   Records Review Board.
   http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/libs/arrb_pdf.htm

   Coalition for Networked Information. Access to and Services for
   Federal Information in the Networked Environment.
   http://www.cni.org/projects/fedinfo/

   Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy. Report of
   the Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy.
   http://www.cni.org/projects/fedinfo

   Electronic Data Dissemination of Census Publications. (S.1. : L.
   Schankman, 1996).
   http://www.clark.net/pub/lschank/web/cendoc.html

   Federation of American Scientists. Project on government secrecy.
   (Washington, D.C.: Federation of American Scientists, 1997).
   http://www.fas.org/sgp/index.html

   The Freedom Forum Online.
   http://www.fas.org/sgp/index.html

   Library of Congress. THOMAS Legislative Information on the Internet.
   http://thomas.loc.gov/

   U.S. Government Printing Office. Keeping America Informed.
   http://www.access.gpo.gov/

   Prepared by Nancy Kranich, New York University Libraries

Freedom of Information Activity Report

   Please report examples of how residents in your community are using
   government information and any related benefits/problems experienced.
   We would also appreciate receiving copies of any publicity materials
   or activities that your library has undertaken to make the public
   aware of the importance of government information.

   Please be sure to include the following information: Your name,
   position, name of library, mailing address, telephone number and
   e-mail address along with a brief description and copies of relevant
   materials.

   Send to:
   FOI Day
   Public Information Office
   American Library Association
   50 E. Huron St.
   Chicago, IL 60611

For More Information

   For additional copies of this tip sheet, please fax or e-mail requests
   to:
   ALA Public Information Office
   50 E. Huron St.
   Chicago, IL 60611
   Telephone: 312-280-5041/5044
   800-545-2433, ext. 5041/5044
   Fax: 312-944-8520
   E-mail: pio@ala.org

   For more information about public access to government and related
   legislative issues, contact:
   ALA Washington Office
   1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 403
   Washington, DC 20004-1700
   Telephone: 202-628-8419/800-941-8478
   Fax: 202-628-8419
   E-mail: alawash@alawash.org
   http://www.ala.org/washoff/issues.html

   Copyright © 2000, American Library Association.
   Last Modified: Wednesday, 19-Apr-2000 13:12:34 CDT

                           [smalllogoevents.gif]

                                 Inside Events
                               ALA Online Store
                      American Libraries Online Datebook
                          Library Promotional Events
------- End of forwarded message -------
http://www.ala.org/pio/foiday/

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>