From Library Journal:
It sneaked under a lot of people’s radar, but the Library of Congress (LC) has lost $47 million in promised federal funds for digital preservation efforts, and it’s unclear how many projects and programs will be affected. After the February 15 passage of P.L. 110-5, $47 million “of the unobligated balances available for [...]
Archive of entries posted on March 2007
LC Hit By $47 Million Cut in Digital Preservation Funds
The Wrong Way to Fix FOIA
Thanks to The FOIA Blog for pointing out this post from the Daily Kos:
I am sick and tired of Congress blaming Federal agencies for FOIA delays instead of structuring the system in a way that minimizes these delays. Congress should
1. Establish in every agency subject to FOIA an office that is responsible for not only [...]
Archivists Divided Over Handling of Govt Financial Records
Secrecy News reports:
Behind closed doors at the National Archives, an acrimonious debate has unfolded over whether and how to dispose of records generated by Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) at executive branch agencies.
What is at stake is the proper identification and preservation of historically significant government financial records, some of which have already been lost.
Information Outlook Article on EPA Libraries
The March 2007 issue of SLA’s Information Outlook magazine features an article on SLA’s advocacy to address concerns about the EPA library network downsizing. Members can read the article online.
“SLA Seeks Study on EPA Library Cutbacks” by John T. Adams III
The Washington Post’s U.S. Congress Votes Database
From the Washington Post:
This site, washingtonpost.com’s U.S. Congress Votes Database, is a deep database of every vote in the United States Congress since the 102nd Congress (1991). It lets you browse votes in a variety of ways — both in aggregate and for individual members of Congress.
Browse the database by drilling down to a particular [...]
Iraq’s Cultural Curators Defy Sectarian Unrest
From NPR:
But against all odds, an institution that collects books and documents is being rebuilt just down the road. It’s the Iraq National Library and Archive.
The library is literally rising from the ashes and being turned into something that goes far beyond what it was before.
Saad Eskander is the head of the National Library. When [...]
Air Force Wins 2007 Rosemary Award for Worst FOIA Performance
From the National Security Archive:
The U.S. Air Force today won the third annual Rosemary Award, which recognizes the worst Freedom of Information Act performance by a federal agency. Given annually by the Emmy-and George Polk Award-winning National Security Archive, the Rosemary Award is named after President Nixon’s secretary Rosemary Woods and the backwards-leaning stretch which [...]
Online Petition for Federal Research Public Access Act
Momentum for public access to publicly funded research reached a height last month with the celebration of a National Day of Action by students across the U.S. and the presentation of over 21,000 individual and organizational signatures to the European Union’s Commissioner for Science and Research.
To build on this momentum, several leading American organizations – [...]
House Passes Open-Government Bills
From the Washington Post:
In a bipartisan confrontation with the White House over executive branch secrecy, the House ignored a stern veto threat and overwhelmingly passed a package of open-government bills yesterday that would roll back administration efforts to shield its workings from public view.
Even top Republicans supported three bills that would streamline access to records [...]
Earmarks data now set to go online in phases
From Government Executive Magazine:
The White House Office of Management and Budget published some information on spending earmarks to the Internet late Monday — a departure from the detailed disclosure that OMB outlined earlier this year.