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Matsui Legacy Project
An interesting new project that includes government information is the Honorable Robert T. Matsui Legacy Project: Road to Redress and Reparations. Developed at California State University, Sacramento, the digital archive focuses on the late Congressman Robert T. Matsui’s leadership in gaining redress and reparations for Japanese Americans interned during World War II. It contains digital reproductions of select photographs, documents, video and audio clips from public sources and the Matsui family. The focal point of the website is on Robert T. Matsui and his leadership in Congress working to secure redress and reparations for Japanese Americans following the incarceration and exclusion of Japanese Americans from the West Coast of the United States during World War II.
See: Digital archive highlights Matsui’s efforts for WW II internees California State University, Sacramento • Public Affairs February 18, 2007
Continue readingOliver North, The Smithsonian, Abe Lincoln, Presidential Timeline, and more!
The current edition of the National Coalition For History newsletter (NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 13, #6; February 16, 2007)) has several interesting items including:
- OLIVER NORTH vs. THE SMITHSONIAN
The Smithsonian/Showtime deal leads to political controversy and a editorial (Selling America's heritage By Oliver North, February 11, 2007 ) in the Washington Times. - NATIONAL ARCHIVES ANNOUNCES PRESIDENTIAL TIMELINE WEBSITE
A new website, www.presidentialtimeline.org with digitized artifacts and historical archives from all of the U.S. presidential libraries. - HONEST, IT WASN'T ABE'S COMMENT
Thousands of supporters of the Iraq war including a member of Congress in the Congressional Record are quoting words that Abraham Lincoln never said and attributing the words to Lincoln. See: Honest, It Wasn't Abe's Comment by Mary Ann Akers, Washington Post, February 16, 2007; Page A21.
Technology and Policy Issues With Acquiring Digital Collections
We recently mentioned a couple of articles about digitizing print materials (Mass Digitization of Books, 2006-12-23). Now there is a new article on LLRX.com that echoes some of the same issues brought up in those earlier articles.
- Technology and Policy Issues With Acquiring Digital Collections By Roger V. Skalbeck and Iva M. Futrell, LLRX.com, February 12, 2007.
Skalbeck and Futrell outline some key issues:
- How will people access a new service?
- Is a link to the digital collection’s website sufficient?
- How can people find out about a new service?
- How should a law firm assess overall costs?
- What is protected by copyright?
- What does the access contract cover?
- When and how can you charge clients?
- Should a client pay more for a poorly-designed system?
- Access v. Ownership Continue reading
State of the Broadband Nation
A 2005 report by the FCC on broadband network access is back in the news this week.
- Federal Communications Commission Releases Data On High-Speed Services For Internet Access, FCC, July 7, 2005
An opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal quotes it ( Broadband Breakout [subscription required], also available from ProQuest [subscription required] Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition) New York, N.Y.: Feb 16, 2007. pg. A.14). It uses the (evidently inflated -- see article below) figures in the report as a reason for opposing network neutrality and regulation.
An article in Information Week examines it critically (When It Comes To Broadband, U.S. Plays Follow The Leader By Richard Hoffman, InformationWeek, Feb. 15, 2007). Hoffman is thorough and objective and his piece could be called a "State of the Broadband Nation." Hoffman describes the state of broadband access in the U.S., compares it to other nations, and puts current debates of telecommunications regulation in this context. I recommend it as essential reading for anyone interested in access to networked government information.
Continue readingFOIA Hearings
On Tuesday, February 13, Congress held hearings on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The hearings, held by the Information Policy, Census, and National Archives Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have not received much press, but should have. Here are some links to tide you over till the transcripts are available:
- FOIA is essential but also needs change By Clark Hoyt, Sacramento Bee, February 15, 2007. (text of testimony former Knight Ridder Washington editor Clark Hoyt)
- "Freedom Of Information Fans Urge Changes To Law" by Andrew Noyes, National Journal's Technology Daily February 14, 2007 PM edition [subscription required]
- House Subcommittee Asks Archive for FOIA Reform Advice, National Security Archive Update, February 14, 2007
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