Tips for Future Librarians

What to teach to future government information librarians: Escape from the Blackboard Jungle John Shuler in Free Government Information, Fri, 2008-01-18 13. Granted the title might not grab every web surfer it’s a great article – starting with the fact that gov’t librarians need to understand government and people more than they need to master the skills of organizing the stuff. The author is on the faculty at Dominican University, an academic institution familiar to lots of Minnesota library types.

Army Blocks Public Access to Digital Library

Army Blocks Public Access to Digital Library
Public access to the Reimer Digital Library, which is the largest online collection of U.S. Army doctrinal publications, has been blocked by the Army, which last week moved the collection behind a password-protected firewall. This was a surprise move since none of the materials in the library are or ever have been classified…The Federation of American Scientists filed a Freedom of Information Act request asking the Army to provide a copy of the entire unclassified Library so that it could be posted on the FAS web site.

Congressional committee probes killing of Great Lakes cancer report

Congressional committee probes killing of Great Lakes cancer report
A recent Minnesota Monitor article by Robin Marty describes House Committee on Science and Technology investigations of allegations of government misinformation re. contaminants in the Great Lakes.

Secret criminal cases may at last see light of day

The U.S. attorney's office may consider automatic review of sealed criminal cases following an inquiry by the Star Tribune.
http://www.startribune.com/local/15653437.html

Sunshine Week 2008 hits the campaign trail

from SunshineWeek.org
Candidates from president to mayor to be quizzed on access issues.
Washington - The Sunshine Week alliance has begun a yearlong Sunshine Campaign project to bring the discussion of open government issues to election campaigns from president to local city council. While the initiative expands the scope of Sunshine Week to cover the entire election season, specific events and coverage are still planned for Sunshine Week, March 16-22, 20

States failing FOI responsiveness

http://nfoic.org/resources/bga/
States failing FOI responsiveness
Better Government Association and National Freedom of Information Coalition give 38 out of 50 states "F" grade in overall responses to FOI requests.
Analysis by the Better Government Association
Overview by Charles N. Davis

COGI Quote - Feb 17

Public records are the people's records. The officials in whose custody they happen to be are mere trustees for the people."

Judge Rufus Smith, Superior Court of Concinnati, Ohio, 1901.