63 Days to Government Information Liberation
What interests me most about the current and future roles of libraries (and what draws the distinction between Jim and myself) are the possible ways libraries can transform within a dynamic information world driven more by decentralized creation, distribution and a heavy focus on users. Fair point, Stehle did not directly refer to a digital world library in so many words, but I would argue the article's descriptions of successful public-interest organizations can only exist if there is such a beast. My tendency to push this point is not as a zero sum proposition (though the rhetoric can be a bit thick at times) -- libraries can only thrive at the expense of the digital world (or vice versa) -- is simply not true. Jim and I are agreement that libraries and their social purpose are a righteous thing, and deserve a place of honor in the private and public markets. I agree with Jim, as well, a blended library of both paper and digital sources -- as a transitional organization -- will survive best in the near future as the digital/paper scales recalibrate constantly. The forces driving this balancing act are energized through the competing commercial and public interests for the right to digitize the paper universe and organize the evolving digital one into something more along the lines of that other digital holy grail, the semantic web. The roles libraries played in the late 19th century with private publishing empires of mass circulation books and periodicals (first set of standardized cataloging rules, periodical indexes, etc.) or the federal and state governments (creation of the modern Government Printing Office in mid-1890s)were as full partners in the best cases, useful allies in others. Those days are long over. Our roles with the information industry today (if I can use that retro designation) is much more as a customer or competitor. Further complicating the issue is how the web has unleashed a greater role for the user to assume their own information destiny (witness the power of social software, self-publishing, blogs, etc.) But the biggest difference, I think, between the two perspectives rests not on technology -- but on the library's social purpose. We government documents librarians of old were borne into a culture steeped in the lore of collections/possession and selfless local public service (primarily through the model of a depository library) Gutenberg's Government Information Librarians. Librarians seeking a career path in government information must deal with the fact that collections are being digitized, public services are now a blend between specialized subject and generalists, government services and information sources are now tightly bound together, leaving little room for the traditional roles libraries used to intervene -- except on behalf of economically dislocated or those unable to reach the web through their own means. More and more users over the last decade, with the ability and resources, can now access much of the material distributed through and unique to depository libraries. Does that threaten depository library system? Only if we imagine it terms of a Gutenberg Galaxy of information technology and mass media. My argument is not to fight this change, or ignore it; rather, simply, to adapt to it. Jim and I are in agreement that much that is digitally available out there, and properly considered to be government information, is chaotic, episodic, subject to bad policy and technological applications -- or simple corrupt politics. Among the few institutions trying to knit a narrative from this confusion of public knowledge are special interest organizations (profit and non-profit), news media, educational institutions, and, the best of the lot, libraries. Of course there are government organizations working towards the same goal of order from the chaos (Government Printing Office, Library of Congress, Government Accountability Office, National Science Foundation, to name but a few.) And here, again, Jim and I perhaps share a common ethic and credo of what might be called information marines. This is an image I sometimes use with my library students -- picture strong and robust individuals, armed with a certain attitude and knowledge that allows them to storm the rocky shores of ignorance, ready to take on even the must obscure question or problem. And then preserve how they did it in their long term memories. Tattooed on their arms (or chest) -- DEATH BEFORE DISINFORMATION! I like this version alot better than the library action figure often promoted over the last few years. In fact, I am willing, with proper attribution of course, to offer the image and phrase to FGI to start their own action figure to compete with Nancy Pearls conceptual dominance ... my people can call your people .... But this eagerness to challenge the impossible is less Walter Mitty and more of a real attempt to get back to the public purpose of our institutions. And that is what I always like about librarians, for the most part, we are all optimists .... which will best serve us through our long slog along the borderlands of ignorance. Hooah! See you Day 62 Continue reading
64 Days to Government Information Liberation
Another day of transition, spending most of it talking about the future of government information and the federal depository library system. Now waiting to go home and think about everything -- again. One note of interest -- this is the first time in years (and I am talking about the time before 2001) -- that I felt there was an edge of hope to the future of a robust, accessible, permanent and freely available system of government information distribution. It isn't just the technology -- its the people I met that reminded me again of why we do this. We might disagree on the details of structure and purpose, but the goals are astoundingly similar. Jet lag strikes. See you on Day 63 Continue reading
65 Days to Government Information Liberation
Today is going to be one of those slow moments in this long slog to liberation. Still mulling over some of the ideas raised in earlier responses to my posts. While I organize my thoughts, I am pleased to see that government information and its implications continue to get mentioned in the popular press -- especially the Plum Book. I am also pleased to see that elements within the American Library Association are making an effort to link e-government services and libraries. See the ALA wiki. Indeed, the historic connections between traditional depository library service/practice and the evolving suite of possible library e-government service remains considerably under-developed. I hope more of us can jump in and contribute to the conversation. See you on Day 64 Continue reading
66 Days to Government Information Liberation
I want to pick up a theme I explored a bit in an earlier posting, especially in light of Jim’s references to Vince Stehle’s article about what kind of hybrid institution would be demanded by the Web’s infrastructure to sustain and “…promote a vibrant and diverse exchange of educational information, cultural expression, and political discourse over the Internet?” Though Stehle doesn’t say it, Jim does – a library. But, Jim offers the answer never assumed by Stehle’s question. In fact what Sthele describes are three web institutions that are nothing like libraries – but more like socially enhanced search engines – helping elevate and sort the vast amount amount of Web data in some kind of structured way and then allowing for some kind of interactivity between the creator and searcher. By my estimate, Stehle is talking about evolved tools that are comparable to the library’s traditional catalogs and indexes. But they are not akin to a library's purpose. From Stehle’s argument there is a clear assumption that the Web -- and all its content -- is the “new” library – “free” to use by profit and non-profit forces. To him, as well as others who argue from the perspective, the library/web morphing together into some kind of global resource is a done deal. The struggle now revolves around on how the tools of access and knowledge integration are spread through society. Stehle clearly argues for what Benjamin Barber calls a strong democracy approach, best captured by Thomas Jefferson’s statement long embraced by government information librarians, but not in its rich contextual meaning – “I know of no safe depository of the ultimate power of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion.” In other words, we are moving away from the formats and distribution mechanisms born from the several centuries of technological innovations sustained by Gutenberg’s paper and print technologies -- and the hundreds of years of library tradition and practice these fostered. We must now deal with technologies that create far different information relationships with our communities, and knowledge building opportunities for our institutions. It is something no longer centered on possession and/or control, and by extension -- geography. We are no longer Gutenberg Librarians. This new age of librarianship might best be named after Marshall McLuhan and his observations about the impact of expansive modern telecommunications throughout society. For the McLuhan Librarians – the medium is the message. So too, I think, for government information librarians. Our future work will depend not so much on how well we preserve or organize the information sources (don't get me wrong, this will remain important -- but is no longer our exclusive responsibility.) Rather, our success will rest on how well we knit together the medium of governance (politics, policy, law, and programs) with how our communities use the civic message to inform their daily lives. See you on Day 66. Continue reading
67 Days to Government Information Liberation
Today I got to thinking about history and the concept of significant time events to either mark change or anticipate it. Much has been made of the historic quality of last week's national elections and how many pundits and writers spoke of the electoral changes as, possibly, the first electoral event to anticipate the needs, or demands, of the 21st century. Which made me wonder -- how many state governments incorporated the concept of the 21st century into their observations, recommendations or attempts to reorganize how they do things. Briefly, here is a small sample of what I discovered using Google government search and usa.gov. California -- Commission on the 21st Century Economy Minnesota -- Governor’s 21st Century Tax Reform Commission. North Carolina -- 21st Century Transportation Committee Texas -- Ten Principles for Texas in the 21st Century Which got me thinking how libraries could use this wide spread policy and programmatic interest in change at the state level and get some civic discussions going by linking it to the huge interest in what is happening at the national level. One doesn't need ground-breaking national election to help their communities make the connections at the state level. See you day 66. Continue reading
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