From Information Today:
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) hit the on switch in early February and brought up its new digital system, FDsys, (http://fdsys.gpo.gov) for access to government information. The system will replace GPO Access (www.gpoaccess.gov). The new system is an information management system that enables GPO to gather, process, preserve, archive, and make U.S. [...]
Archive of entries posted on February 2009
GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys) Goes Live
Obama Justice Department Misses Opportunity for Transparency
From the National Security Archive:
The Justice Department this week missed the opportunity to bring transparency to the controversy over deleted White House e-mail from the Bush administration by allowing briefing to continue on a motion that had been developed by the Bush Administration.
The motion, filed by the Justice Department on January 21, just after the [...]
ALA Creates One-Stop Source for Stimulus Information
From ALA’s District Dispatch:
[T]he ALA Washington Office has created www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus as a one-stop source with resources on how to make sure libraries benefit from the package and the most up-to-date information on the stimulus. As information becomes available, the ALA Washington Office will post updates on this page with details, such as how funding will [...]
Stimulus Spend Data Coming via Feeds
From Read Write Web:
In a memo from the Office of Management and Budget last week, Director Peter Orszag outlined the implementation guidelines [PDF] for the new stimulus bill, requiring all government agencies to provide a feed to disclose funds allocated, and optimize Web pages in an effort to help the public find relevant information through [...]
Librarian Opposes Google’s Library Fees
From All Things Considered:
Google wants to give you access to its huge database of scanned, out-of-print books, but the company is going to charge for it. Robert Darnton, head librarian at Harvard University, says the deal violates a basic American principle — that knowledge should be free and accessible to all.
Boston U Faculty, Admin Endorse Institution-Wide Open Access
From Library Journal:
In yet another major step toward an open access future, the Boston University (BU) faculty and administration this week voted unanimously to endorse an institution-wide, open access system. Just over a year after Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced its groundbreaking open access policy, BU officials said their policy went one [...]
Open Access to Scientific Papers May Not Guarantee Wide Dissemination
From the National Science Foundation:
If you offer something of value to people for free while someone else charges a hefty sum of money for the same type of product, one would logically assume that most people would choose the free option. According to new research in today’s edition of the journal Science, if the product [...]
Topeka Library Board Restricts Access to Four Books on Sex
From Library Journal:
In a 5-3 vote that contradicted the recommendation of the library director, Gina Millsap, and has drawn warnings of a lawsuit, the board of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library agreed yesterday to restrict minors’ access to four books: Sex for Busy People (LJ review); The Lesbian Kama Sutra; The Joy of [...]
Guilty by accusation copyright protesters paint it black
From the New Zealand Herald:
A protest campaign against the Copyright Amendment (New Technologies) Act appears to be gaining momentum as protesters, including high profile UK celebrity Stephen Fry, black-out photos on Twitter, Facebook and various other social networking sites.
The Creative Freedom has called Feb 16 to 23 Internet Blackout Week NZ as they seek to [...]
Attempt made to save digital information for future
From the IT Examiner:
The older generation and their technologies are dying off. History is being lost, one senior and one computer at a time. Keeping Emulation Environments Portable (KEEP) is a project aimed at creating software that can recognise, recover, play, and safeguard all types of computer files from the 1970s forward. Articles written in [...]