Librarians and information professionals have a vested interest in information policies developed by the various layers of government, ranging from local and state/provincial to federal and international. Information has value and gives power to those who collect, utilize and disseminate it. New technologies have changed the way we use information. It is now possible to store material in a central location and easily access it electronically from other areas; this information can also be transferred instantaneously. Yet serious concerns exist over access to information, particularly that emanating from the federal government.
Members of the Special Libraries Association (SLA), in both the public and private sectors, need reliable, affordable access to the information that new technologies provide. This information must be timely and usable. Sometimes there are costs to be incurred in order to obtain the data quickly. But we should not allow a market-driven environment to develop in the United States, where public information is disseminated only to those people who can pay. This does not in any way fulfill the federal government's affirmative obligation to disseminate information, regardless of format, to the general public. As professionals, and as citizens, special librarians have a right to know what the government is doing. This fundamental information should come from the source -- the government.
In 1991, SLA produced a paper titled, National Information Policies: Strategies for the Future, which included Principles of Information Policies. National and federal policies are differentiated, but these policies are not limited to the U.S. and could be applied to any nation discussing information policies.
Principles of Information Policy -- National
1. Information is a basic foundation of democracy and must be supported by all public and private sector organizations and individuals.
2. The nation must develop and maintain a communications infrastructure that supports the free flow of information to all citizens.
3. Standards for information access and dissemination are encouraged to ensure compatibility and access, quality and accuracy.
Principles of Information Policy -- Federal
1. Government information must be accessible to ensure a government is accountable to its citizens.
2. Government is responsible for providing information, regardless of format, to its citizens.
3. Government information is the result of a participatory process and is a shared responsibility.
4. Government has the responsibility to announce the existence and availability of its information and its new information systems and publications.
5. Access to government information from a diversity of sources is essential.
6. Government information must be of high quality and accurate.
7. Government must ensure privacy of the personal information it collects.
8. Access to government information may not be restricted by copyright, or agency determinations.
9. Monopolies of public information should be prohibited.
10. Government information must be preserved for future generations.
11. Information is a national resource to be developed, shared and protected.
SLA notes that the governments around the globe are moving into the electronic age by utilizing new technologies to produce materials. There are, however, still some policy questions that remain unanswered, including what information should be free or fee-based, whether agencies should utilize multiple formats in order to ensure that citizens have access to the information, and whether the government should add value to the data it produces. SLA is working to ensure that the basic principles we have put forth are followed, thus creating a government that is "user-friendly" and accessible.
As governments work to ensure that their published and unpublished works are accessible, care should be taken to put policies in place that will centralize availability and gurarantee protection from political and other narrow interests. Where we stand on these issues:
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