Librarian of Congress Gets CRS Wrong, But In A Good Way
Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington said, "The public has unfettered access to the full inventory of CRS Reports for the Congress at no cost through the office of any Member or committee.” As Steven Aftergood points out, "that assertion is quite wrong.... There is not even a public index of CRS reports that would enable people to request specific reports by title." And yet, Aftergood continues, the Librarian's statement "tends to confirm that providing such access to non-confidential CRS Reports is a sensible and achievable goal. Indeed, otherwise well-informed people like the Librarian of Congress assume that it must already be true."
- In Search of "Unfettered Access" to CRS Reports, by Steven Aftergood, Secrecy News (April 7th, 2011).
Government Secrecy: Essential or Opportunistic or Both?
Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, notes in this L.A. Times Op-Ed that, "Routinely, officials insist to courts that the nation's security will be compromised if certain facts are revealed but then supply those same facts to trusted reporters. Sometimes the motivation for the disclosure is political and sometimes it's personal, but in either case disclosure has little to do with the public's need (or right) to know and everything to do with the official's need to tell."
- National security: When secrecy is a weapon, By Jameel Jaffer, Los Angeles Times, (April 6, 2011).
What is a Library anyway?
Barbara Fister is one of my personal must-read favorite thinkers-about-libraries. Her new article in LJ cuts to the point:
- What Is a Library? An Attempt at Common Sense, by Barbara Fister, Library Journal, (Mar 31, 2011).
But that name, it means something-doesn't it? When you get right down to it, what is a library? Is it a room with a fireplace? Study tables? A collection of books? A service that provides people with the information they want? There are warehouses full of books. Some of them belong to Ingram and Amazon. Those are not libraries. There are lots of rooms with fireplaces and study tables. You often find them at hotels. You'll also find people there whose job is to provide information, but you don't call concierges librarians. There is something beyond books, buildings, and people that defines what a library is, whether it's a small public library, a research institution's multi-branch system, or a digital library for distance learners. I think it comes down to something so common we forget how important it is. A library is a social institution that establishes a common space (physical or virtual, but usually both) for the use of commonly-held knowledge resources. Such institutions require three things: a community, people hired to help the community share knowledge, and commonly-owned information resources.See also: FDLP: Services and Collections. Continue reading
Future of CRS Panel Meeting, April 11 UPDATE: postponed
UPDATE: The "Future of CRS" panel discussion originally set for this Monday, April 11th, is postponed because of the possible government shutdown. Check http://transparencycaucus.org/ for the latest news. This is an open meeting in D.C. "Future Of CRS" Panel Discussion Set For 4-11
Congressional Research Service director Dan Mulhollan's retirement on April 2 -- after running Congress' think tank for 17 years -- raises questions about the agency's policies and future. Is CRS meeting the needs of Congress? Has its analytical expertise eroded? Are CRS Reports as relevant, accurate, and understandable as they need to be, and should they be available to the general public? What does a 21st century research service look like? The Advisory Committee on Transparency will host a panel of experts to discuss the future of CRS on April 11th at 2pm in Rayburn 2203.Continue reading
Update on cuts to open government web sites
Have we saved the data? Maybe, by Daniel Schuman, Sunlight Foundation, (April 5, 2011).
Online transparency programs will enjoy a reprieve from the chopping block if the short term budget resolution posted late last night by House Republicans were to become law. The latest proposal appears to continue funding the sites at the same level as last year instead of cutting them to virtually nothing as was originally proposed.... But we're not out the woods yet.... This short term continuing resolution would keep the government’s lights on through April 15 and fund the Department of Defense to the end of the year, but contains a number of provisions that many political leaders will be reluctant or unwilling to accept....More on the proposed legislation: G.O.P. Budget Proposal Cuts $5.8 Trillion in Spending, By CARL HULSE, New York Times (April 5, 2011). Continue reading