Preserving records in cyberspace: feds can learn from state archivists
Washington state has a system that preserves electronic records while the National Archives and Records Administration struggles to create its digital archive system. Some wonder why state and federal governments are not collaborating on their efforts on digital preservation. BY Aliya Sternstein. More here Continue reading
Examples of why FOIA matters
The Associated Press has created a page highlighting some of the stories that are made possible by the use of state and federal Freedom of Information Acts (FOIAs). In important cases, FOIA statutes have led to greater accountability, as shown by the AP's example of Georgia:
In Georgia, AP used the state FOI law to obtain the names of state lawmakers and officials who received free football tickets to University of Georgia football games; to discover that Georgia was still providing information to a multi-state crime database after the governor said the state would stop; and to obtain the amazingly easy final exam that Georgia assistant basketball coach Jim Harrick Jr. gave to players. (Harrick was later fired and found guilty of academic fraud by the NCAA.)Continue reading
Government Podcasts Page Updated
We've added podcasts from the State Department, House Democrats, and another California Republican Assembly (State House) member to our new directory of government podcasts. Check the page out, then let us know about any other podcasts coming out of your local, state, or federal government. While government podcasts are an interesting and potentially useful way of distributing government information, they may not become part of the historical record of government. Why? Podcasting uses audio format files, mostly MP3s as of this writing. While MP3 is all over the Internet, it is a propriety format. There is no guarantee that the specifications for the MP3 format will continue to be publicly available. It may become a victim of file format obsolescence, in which case software couldn't be written to successfully read these audio files. Continue reading
(AK) Help with locating Taft Administration executive orders
I helped a patron locate a few Taft Administration executive orders from 1912. I helped him from the publication CIS index to presidential executive orders & proclamations and its associated microfiche. The patron did not know where to start, but rightly thought a documents librarian would! Daniel Cornwall Alaska State Library Continue reading
Government Accuracy in the Internet Age
July 14, 2005 / Leave a comment
Two stories this week bring up questions about accuracy of government web sites. The Los Angeles Times reports that Representative Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) is urging Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to remove the website www.4parents.gov from the Internet, because it has inaccurate data on sex issues.
- Waxman Urges End to 'Misleading' Health Website, By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Los Angeles Times, July 14, 2005.
BeSpacific reports the links to documents posted on the Minority Office website of the Government Reform Committee. The Minority Office quotes scientific experts who say that 4parents.gov is "seriously flawed and likely to backfire, providing erroneous and incomplete information about sexually transmitted diseases, the effectiveness of contraceptives, and sexual orientation." Continue reading →Continue Reading →