2005 Ranking of State & Federal Government Web sites
Sixth Annual State and Federal e-Government Study reviewed 50 state government and major federal agencies' web sites. The study ranked Utah and Maine as leading states and White House and State Department at the top among federal sites. Director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy, Darrell M. West, at Brown University, and a team of researchers examined 1,620 state and federal sites. The researchers analyzed 1,559 state sites (or an average of 31 sites per state) plus 48 federal government legislative and executive sites, and 13 federal court sites. More ... Continue reading
Delays in EPA information release
According to a press release from the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), the lead hurricane reporter for New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper has "turned in desperation to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to answer a basic question: Where are dangerous chemicals leaking as a result of Hurricane Katrina?"
- Katrina Only Latest Example of Feds Withholding Environmental Data, Press Release, Society of Environmental Journalists, Monday September 12, 10:02 am ET
The paper's Mark Schleifstein, "had been asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that question for days -- without an answer. So he filed a request under FOIA. Even though the federal statute provides for "expedited review" when a situation "could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety" of the public, he still has not received a response.
The SEJ notes that "Government compliance with FOIA appears to be deteriorating in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks" and has issued a new report:
Continue readingDaniel’s Take: Deploying Expertise and Conclusion
The comments below reference the Deploying Expertise section of the September 2005 Depository Library Council publication The Federal Government Information Environment of the 21st Century: Towards a Vision Statement and Plan of Action for Federal Depository Libraries. Discussion Paper Prior comments on this discussion paper:
- General comments
- Library Roles in the Non-Exclusive Environment
- Adding Value
- Managing Collections and Delivering Content
Daniel’s Take: Managing Collections and Delivering Content
The comments below reference the Managing Collections and Delivering Content section of the September 2005 Depository Library Council publication The Federal Government Information Environment of the 21st Century: Towards a Vision Statement and Plan of Action for Federal Depository Libraries. Discussion Paper Prior comments on this discussion paper:
Of all the sections in the DLC discussion paper, Managing Collections and Delivering Content is the most disappointing. This was the place for a ringing endorsement of local, geographically disbursed, deposit of fully functional electronic files free of Digital Rights Management (DRM) that local depositories could make available on the Internet. I hope and pray that such a vision of the future can embrace such a simple, yet essential element. If not by the Depository Library Council, then by ALA GODORT or some other documents-oriented organization. Continue reading
FEMA to change IE-only web site
September 12, 2005 / Leave a comment
This is good news following up on earlier bad news (FEMA requires Internet Explorer). FEMA to adjust IE-only Web site, By Wilson P. Dizard III, Government Computer News (09/09/05).
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