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52 Days to Government Information Liberation
This is a pirate transmission. The opposing forces have gone off shopping -- leaving me a few moments before they return. I am very encouraged by the initial response to my earlier suggestions to get the conversation about democratic/government information mechanisms in our libraries. I also applaud Jim's "connecting the dots" about government information secrecy. He is absolutely right -- this is a powerful aspect of blogging that shares an even longer history of advocacy and education within our bibliographic institutions -- and speaks well to what I imagine the Talk back to democracy! project would do. Uh-oh, I hear footsteps somewhere, I think the opposing forces have returned. Must end transmission. Will get back to my other points tomorrow. See you on Day 51. Continue reading
56 to 52 Days to Government Information Liberation
When I started this conversation back in early November I failed to account for the Thanksgiving holiday. Being on the grid blogging about the liberation of government information, as my loved ones made clear to me, is not on the menu. I did point out, as a good and loyal information marine, such sacrifices must be taken into account (“there is no I in team” I say proudly, channeling my old wrestling coach’s visage.) My stoic pose met with flinty silence. Any self-respecting information marine recognizes a superior show of strength and falls back on valor of discretion and strategic repositioning. Since I won’t be blogging until December 1, here are the next five installments in one transmission -- in the spirit of NPR’s This American Life. This is just a shameless cop out, but I think irony and deprecating self-regard are easy sacrificial lambs during these days of national reflection and thanks. Needless to say, I am getting a jump on Christmas and New Years with this new awareness of opposition to my professional missions. Day 56 On this day I still argue for some kind of coordinated national campaign to get libraries of all types to Talk Back To Democracy! (I know, it is kind of lame, but if any other enthusiasts out there want to pitch in, we can build a better slogan.) All the media buzz and pundit profundity about the recent historic electoral events offers government information librarians a chance to interact with their communities in very direct and deliberative ways. Here are few suggestions: • Obama’s picks for his staff and political appointees and the wonderful opportunity this creates to talk about how our government works; • daily revelations of how the Federal government will save us from the unfolding economic failure; who is going to keep track of the billions of dollars? • countless stories of how local and state authorities are wallowing in these rough economic waters; no end of opportunity to talk to communities about impending state and local issues that will come up during the hundreds of discussions about budgets for the next two or three years; • the possibility of engaging foreign countries and cultures through the lens of cooperation rather than declarations of war; • global warming and other impending environmental issues that are literally life threatening; • education, health care, retirement and social security; explaining current programs, talking about future changes • national security and constitutional protections of civil rights; instead of just talking about banned books once year, why not a weekly conversation about freedom of information and the importance of transparency in government deliberations. • 2010 Census (my favorite) • Getting ready for the congressional 2010 elections (never to early to start thinking) Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney musicals are great ways to imagine how we can pull this off (or my favorite, which even has a government element to it – White Christmas). We can compose the music, write the lyrics, build the stage, put on the show, and reap the rewards. Day 55 On this day, overloaded with too much food and too many memories – I understand why a family might scatter itself across the globe (the line from the country song – “how can I miss you if you won’t go away?” brings a poignant edge to the conversations around a food laden table) – I imagine getting back to institutional purposes as I courageously outline how various library associations might pull together during these days before information liberation (and after.) I call out to them in my mind … rally around some kind of common vision, or agreed on set of principles, on behalf of the Federal Depository Library Program. Don’t fight over which vision of the program is better; agree to disagree on some of the legislative or organizational aspects, but join hands and support the program before new executive and legislative powers. To the library directors, I send out a mental plea to talk to your staff responsible for government information, try to grasp how they struggle to serve your community in a world where the distribution and access to government information is at least democratizing, if not in a very organized fashion. To the government information librarians, I say take your library director out for a coffee, tell him or her how excited you are by all the opportunities delivering government information services now abound, but express sympathy that it is lonely at the top, and how you understand difficult economic choices must be made. Emphasize how approaching government information in innovative and surprising ways (did someone shout out Talk back to Democracy?) can meet the mission of the library, but not cost much money in the long run. Day 54 Slog day one. Black Friday is gone. We are reminded of how much money we don’t have to enjoy shopping. Notes from other librarians trickle in, admonishing me that they have neither the time nor resources to participate in a Talk Back to Democracy event. I roll my eyes, channel Judy and Andy, and look these wavering librarians square in the eye (metaphorically speaking) and say -- Yes you can. Day 53 Slog day two. Running out of things to talk about with the loved ones; suddenly -- the importance of government information strikes me as the most important thing to give thanks for. I contemplate a stealth run at the computer, get back on the grid, but my beloveds realize my impending surrender and launch an intervention. We go out to see a movie – about animated animals on some kind of slap-stick journey of return and renewal, not a lick of public policy or government information associated with the tale. But it does give me ideas – forget the library action figure – we need and slick and cute creature to champion Talk Back to Democracy! Day 52 Work looms over tomorrow’s horizon. As the holiday leftovers calcify or liquefy into new food groups -- suddenly, the likely playoff fates of several professional football teams matter more than if we ever get to Talk Back to Democracy! Even if we do use cute animals! I know the other librarians will be there on December 1, ready to take up the cause again. Let’s put them off one more day. Go Brett Go! Let’s cheer of the power of brotherly skill found in the Mannings! Yes we can! Let us root for the home team (as if they deserve it!) Go Bears! See you on Day 51 Continue reading
57 Days to Government Information Liberation
We are eight weeks from a new national executive regime and about five weeks from a new national legislative branch. How can government information librarians best take advantage of the teaching moments these next two months make possible? People are actually talking about how their government works! Yesterday, driving home on the Eisenhower Expressway I listened to a National Public Radio host and reporter talk about the difference between the National Economic Council and Council of Economic Advisors. This is really the the kind of stuff we do as government information librarians. I just love the part where the refer to the 1947 law that created the former, and executive order that created the latter. Let me emphasize again that I think this is the most critical time for government information librarians to ban together, bridge their policy and institutional differences, and ride this wave of civic conversation. FGI guides on transition issues is an excellent effort, but it is an effort that will shine much more brightly if we can get some national collaboration going. I have suggested book discussions around impotant government publications. Might I suggest a more coordinated response -- that librarians sponsor discussions in their libraries days before or shortly after the President's inaguration, state of the union speech, introduction of the first budget, etc. -- a national movement to sponsor at least one of these conversations in each state organize that focus on these important democratic government information sources. We can call it -- Talking Back to Democracy Night! ALA and other library associations can post the idea on the web sites, and working with government information librarian groups, quickly produce a series of talking points, list of sources, who to talk to in the local media to encourage publicity and promotion. Think about it -- the news media and citizens are making our arguments for a place in the bibliographic ecosystem for us -- some one needs to talk about how government works through the distribution of public information beyond this very limited transition period. After January 20, the news media can't (or won't) do it. Local politicians will slant it to their agendas. Special interest groups will make it special (both profits and nonproits.) Poltical parties will continue to spin the partisan webs. To speak to the special values of government information librarians, we appear to be the best group to talk about the foundational aspects of teaching and showing people how their civic lives depend on understanding and using civic information. Who will work with me on this? Can we declare the start of Talk Back to Democracy Night during the first week in December? Any brave librarians, willing to put their activism where their rhetoric might be -- who wants to take a risk and offer a session or two? Can we build on this to offer something once a month (twice a week) for the next year? Can we take advantage of the FGI guides to prime the pump? Life beyond the day of liberation? Am I in the wilderness here? See you on Day 56 -- maybe with a couple of brave pioneers ready to push the agenda and street activism forward? Continue reading
58 Days to Government Information Liberation
All right, I am willing to take an initial stab at trying to imagine the possible relationships between library services and those demanded by egovernment services. Is there a natural evolution of common purpose or intent? And I think Daniel's concern about liability is a fair point, and I do believe that any sustainable blending of egovernment and government librarianship is going to have to deal with the basic question: once we supply the internet connections, the computer equipment, and the technology, what do we bring into the relationship? I keep coming back to the wealth of ideas generated by Marshall McLuhan's research and insight -- as with this particular observation from a 1960 letter: "In an electronic age, all that properly moves is information. The massive overlay of antecedent and existent technology takes on a peculiar characters of simultaneity in the electronic age. All technologies become simultaneous, and the new problem becomes of relevance in stress and selection, rather than commitment to any one." In the context of government information, this might mean that the library role in the vast spectrum of e-government services is to "stress and select" options for people among the wide array of possible information choices and service possibilities. But this is a role that benefits very little from our long-standing library relationship with the textual literacy of a culture. Users will need to be "talked and walked" through the choices in a very deliberative way by a service provider. This kind of activity would share a common deliberative guidance we might find in our readers advisory services -- but little else. See you on Day 57. Continue reading
59 Days to Government Information Liberation
Ok, now that the issue of possession is in its proper perspective, I agree with Daniel -- its time to put the larger picture together. As I see it, the framework for the "next century project" -- a form of government information librarianship (and librarianship in general) that exists regardless of the format or technologies -- can be built from these planks: 1. Recognize the importance of librarians and their institutions in the sustainability of a dynamic civic culture. 2. Seek to establish the most effective techniques individual bibliographic institutions can contribute to a national system of government information access, preservation and organization. 3. Create standards/protocols to inform best practices on how to integrate the impact of e-government services into our institutions. 4. Develop a model graduate curriculum/studies to prepare the next generation of government information librarians. 5. Build effective rhetoric of advocacy for open, free and permanent access to government information that binds the shared interests of our various professional associations. This shared rhetoric should come from consensus and not assent. 7. Deliver various programs of public education and outreach about government information policy structure that takes into account the cyclical nature of partisan election, but is not dependent on it. 8. Fashion new models of management and public service for government information resources in our institutions. That should be enough to keep us busy for the next 59 days. See you on Day 58 Continue reading
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