Analyzing Challenges to Library Materials: An Incomplete Picture

This research project used Freedom of Information requests to obtain public records from Alabama institutions about challenges to materials in public schools and public libraries. Challenges occur when a patron objects to certain content. In this analysis, we examine the records of challenges. The research questions were as follows: How many challenges occur in public schools and libraries? What is the nature of these challenges? Are there institutional or demographic factors that are correlated to the occurrence of challenges? In this exploratory study, the number of reported challenges was surprisingly low. We investigated whether reported challenges were related to certain institutional or demographic factors, but did not find any discernible relationships. The data suggest that most challenged material is retained, but that librarians may be self-censoring to reduce controversy in their collections.     

Information policy, information access, and democratic participation: The national and international implications of the Bush administration’s information politics

Much of information policy is focused on establishing the parameters of information access—ensuring or limiting access to certain types of information. Given how central information access is to virtually every aspect of society, policy can be seen as one of the most significant forces influencing the information society. Recent events, however, have fueled changes in the ways that some governments use policy to shape access, none more significantly than the United States. This paper examines the meanings of and relationships between policy and access, as well as their key roles in society and democratic participation. Following an examination of the historical and social impacts of policies about access, the article analyzes the perspectives of the Bush administration on how policy should shape information access as an illustration of the relationships between policy and access. The paper examines the issues raised by the Bush administration’s views on access and policy and the implications of their policies for the United States, for the global information society, and for research related to information. Ultimately, the paper raises questions about the extent to which information policies about access can be used for overtly political purposes, what might be described as “information politics,” without significantly altering the meaning of information access in a society.     

Extracting knowledge from U.S. department of defense freedom of information act requests with social media

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has facilitated the release of large amounts of government information that has been of great value to researchers, journalists, and other interested parties. The fraction of this information released in electronic format has been growing as has its volume. While offering great potential for research, large amounts of data disgorged from government information systems can pose challenges to human interpretation and knowledge extraction. Using the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Joint Staff Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Logs for 2007–2009, this research identifies (1) a process for finding relationships between the FOIA requests through keywords extracted from Wikipedia and (2) a technique for visualizing these relationships in order to provide context and improve understanding when working with born-digital government data.     

《信息自由法》对"后保管模式"思想的影响

美国《信息自由法》是规定美国联邦政府各机构公开政府信息的法律，其地位近似于档案法，它不仅奠定了美国公民的档案意识。对其它国家的档案工作及档案理论的发展也产生了影响。“后保管模式”思想是在档案理论发展的过程中，随着电子件数量的增多与使用的普及而出现的，该思想对于电子时代的档案工作有着积极的启发意义。本具体介绍了《信息自由法》对“后保管模式”思想的影响。     

美国信息公开制度的建立与发展动向

信息公开制度是政府信息资源开发利用领域中重要的法律保证。本文以美国《信息自由法》为基础,阐述美国建立信息公开制度的原因、过程和发展动向。     

Libraries in the Aftermath of 9/11

Abstract

Libraries are a symbol of a free, democratic society. Open access to information and patron privacy allow intellectual inquiry and the creation of new knowledge. Librarians have a long tradition of protecting these liberties. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, concerns have been raised that the passage of the USA Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism measures threaten these liberties. Librarians need to educate staff, users, and their communities as to the impact these measures have on libraries and access to information. Policies, procedures, and guidelines need to be developed that balance the traditions of intellectual freedom and issues of national security. This article examines access to government information issues and threats to     

Information governance,records management,and freedom of information: A study of local government authorities in England

In many democratic states political rhetoric gives weight to increasing public participation in and understanding of the political process; (re)-establishing public trust in government decision making; increasing transparency, openness, and accountability of public authorities; and, ultimately, improving government decision-making on behalf of citizens. Access to the public record and freedom of information (FOI) are mechanisms which help to facilitate the accountability of public authorities. Many jurisdictions have introduced legislation related to these mechanisms, and the UK government is no exception with its enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2000. University College London (UCL) ran a research project over 12 months in 2008–2009, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. The research project examined what the impact of the UK FOIA had been on records management services in public authorities, especially local government. This article reports on some of the findings of the study. It considers how FOI compliance and records management functions are organized in local government and the role of information governance which is emerging as an umbrella for such functions. It draws some conclusions about the contributions that records management services make to the ability of local authorities to comply with the FOIA and identifies some ways in which user experience may be affected by the management of records.     

National Security Letters,the USA PATRIOT Act,and the Constitution: The tensions between national security and civil rights

In response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the USA PATRIOT Act greatly expanded the ability of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use National Security Letters (NSLs) in investigations and the contexts in which they could be used by relaxing the standards under which NSLs could be employed. NSLs allow investigators to acquire a significant amount of information about the subject of an investigation, and the range and frequency of uses of NSLs has risen dramatically since the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act. An outstanding question with NSLs is whether they are being used in a manner that violates the First and Fourth Amendments of the Constitution. This article explores the relationships between NSLs, the USA PATRIOT Act, and the Constitution. The paper reviews the legislative history of NSLs, synthesizes the First and Fourth Amendment issues and key judicial decisions related to NSLs, and analyzes the extent to which the USA PATRIOT Act Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 adequately addresses challenges to the constitutionality of NSLs. The paper concludes with an examination of NSLs within the greater information policy context in the United States, as the expanded usage of NSLs—even if entirely constitutional—raises the possibility of chilling the freedom of expression.     

美国政府信息公开制度述评

文章系统梳理了美国政府信息公开制度的发展过程,着重介绍了美国《信息自由法》的出台背景、基本原则、公开的范围、豁免公开的信息类型、公开的程序、救济措施、实施过程和修订情况,分析了美国政府信息公开制度的突出特点以及对我国建立和完善政府信息公开制度的借鉴意义。     

The role of educational information systems for survival in information society and the case of Pakistan

The study reviews the important role of information systems and their impact on educational planning and development. It also attempts to identify gaps in the provision of information needed by educational administrators who are key planners of education enterprise in Pakistan. It intended to determine their views about the development, objectives and needed services of a user centered information system for educational administrators. To achieve these objectives, a literature review, questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted. Thus, the educational administrators (i.e., registrars/deans/chairpersons in universities and principals of schools and colleges) were identified as the target population for the survey and were selected through cluster sampling. The respondents were from the Punjab province and Islamabad Capital Territory. In total, 297 (99%) responses were received and analyzed quantitatively. Interviews of purposively selected educational administrators were also conducted for a more in-depth understanding of respondents’ points of view. This triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods helped in understanding the phenomena under study. Recommendations and conclusions are also drawn in the light of findings of the study. The study is the first one of its type that tried to probe the gaps in the process of accurate/valid information supply to educational administrators and planners. This gap is causing serious challenges for education in Pakistan.     

政府信息公开的国际经验与我国的现实选择——兼评《中华人民共和国政府信息公开条例》

论文结合《中华人民共和国政府信息公开条例》的内容,从立法体系、立法原则、法律监督和公开载体四个角度对比国际经验,对我国政府信息公开制度的实际问题和实现途径作一些初步的探讨。     

Measuring ICT usage quality for information society building

In 2003 the World Summit on Information Society made a call for measuring the state of Information Society (IS) building between countries. The purpose of the measuring was to assess and compare IS practices around the globe as well as share best practices. A number of measurement tools have since been developed, and a number of previously constructed tools have been employed to fulfil this goal. Even though many variations in terms of indicators have been employed, the construction of measurement tools is subject to certain limitations. One limitation is that they do not incorporate these indicators on the actual levels of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage off the country's stakeholders. This paper analyses the most currently used indices for measuring the state of Information Society building from the perspective of their constituent indicators. Based on the analysis, an alternative framework for IS measurement, addressing the important aspects of ICT usage quality, is developed based on data from the EU member states. By applying the framework on measuring of ICT usage quality at Romania, Cyprus and Estonia, the usefulness is tested positive, and the need to evaluate the actual levels of ICT usage for the purpose of better policy-making, while establishing an information society, is accentuated.     

Student voices: Re-conceptualising and re-positioning Australian library and information science education for the twenty-first century

This paper reports on the preliminary research findings of the sub-study group of a larger undertaking, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) priority project Re-conceptualising and Re-positioning Australian Library and Information Science Education for the Twenty-first Century. It examines student experiences of library and information science (LIS) education across both the tertiary and vocational education sectors in Australia. The student sub-study group’s task was to provide the student/recent graduate perspective on LIS education in Australia. The research considered four major themes to find out how students and recent graduates felt about LIS education in Australia. The themes were: learning opportunities; learner attributes; learning experiences; and learner outcomes. In the second half of 2010, self-administered anonymous web questionnaires and focus groups were used to explore issues such as student demographics, socio-economic backgrounds, past experiences, expectations and rationale behind course choices. In addition the destinations of graduates were explored. Key findings suggest there are various pathways that students take to achieve a LIS qualification in Australia; students are generally optimistic about the future of the LIS profession, and consider that technology will continue to play a key role in future career options; they stress the importance of practical workplace experiences as part of course structure; their satisfaction levels with current courses are high and students feel confident they have been provided with the skills required to begin their professional life.     

Rethinking Formal knowledge and its practices in the organization: The British Treasury's registry between 1900 and 1950

The organization of registriesemerged in the First World War to become apersistent problem in the British CivilService. Registry services and control ofinformation and records were the key issues. The Treasury's re-organizations beginning in1919 and continuing into the 1960s, andsubsequent changes in its registry in 1920,1928, 1938, and 1944, highlight contemporaryconcerns for efficiency and better control overinformation and practices. Despite lip serviceto the importance of official knowledge inrecords, models were imperfectly implemented.By 1950, official records were only a smallpart of the Treasury's recorded communicationsand the ideal model of a central registryservice was giving way to local applications insub-registries serving functional communities. Registries were as much social practices asthey were rule-guided systems for informationartefacts.     

Assessing citizen adoption of e-Government initiatives in Gambia: A validation of the technology acceptance model in information systems success

The technology acceptance model (TAM) has been used extensively to explain and predict users' acceptance of corporate information technology (IT). With the advancement in IT and the expanding popularity of internet applications in Gambia, e-Government has been a priority factor in rendering government services and in making information more accessible to citizens. This study shows how the TAM and e-Government initiatives would positively impact the Gambian government, despite the cultural differences within the country. This study developed a successful model of the Gambian e-Government system to assist Gambians with more efficient and cost-effective government operations. The study results reveal that the core constructs of the TAM have strong influences on user-intention towards e-Government products. This implies that the Gambian government can potentially utilize this study's TAM findings in other contextual settings to design and promote further implementation of e-Government systems.     

Use of social networks and information seeking behavior of students during political crises in Pakistan: A case study

This study was undertaken to investigate the use of social networks and political activism on the Internet by the students of three universities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi during the political crises for the last one year and the emergency imposed by the Government of Pakistan on November 3, 2007. The findings conclude that Internet use by the students promoted democracy, freedom of expression and greater awareness about their rights during the political crises in Pakistan.

The survey method of research was used to collect data. The sample consisted of 420 students studying at the Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, and International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan. The questionnaire was sent to the students by email. The survey was administered through SurveyMonkey website. The response rate was 72.23%.

The paper is a useful source of information about how the social networking tools have been influencing and changing communication channels in Pakistan.     

The potential of information and communication technologies in collecting,preserving and disseminating indigenous knowledge in Africa

Abstract

This paper first gives an outline of the importance of African indigenous knowledge. After that it gives the definition of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and indigenous knowledge (IK). It then goes on to highlight examples in which information communication technologies have been used to preserve IK successfully. The paper further lists projects which are still underway, in which information communication technologies are being harnessed in the collection and preservation of the IK. Lastly the paper looks at the challenges faced by African countries in harnessing information communication technologies in preserving IK and gives recommendations on the way forward.     

The strategic importance of information policy for the contemporary neoliberal state: The case of Open Government Data in the United Kingdom

The article analyses the role of Open Government Data policy as part of the broader public policy agenda of the UK government. A thematic analysis of interview, observational and policy documentation is presented which suggests that since 2010 the Open Government Data agenda has been used strategically by the UK's centre-right coalition government to progress a range of controversial policies, which are aimed at the continuation of the neoliberal form of state through its current crisis. Specifically, the relationship between Open Government Data policy and the neoliberal objectives of the marketisation of public services and privatisation of public assets, the leveraging of financial markets and the pharmaceutical industry, and the embedding of OGD into a broader agenda aimed at rebuilding trust in political elites are analysed. These findings are examined in relation to Braman's (2006, 2011) arguments regarding the strategic implementation of information policy by Governments in the exercising of state power, and the development of the ‘informational state’.     

本学科的一级学科名称应顺势易名

作者根据自已时美、英、澳、日图书馆与情报学教育的调研指出，当前国际该领域的基本态势是已从图书馆学——经图书馆与情报学——到由information引领的格局，同时院系名称也多已改为由information引领的院系，但仍都被归入图书馆学领域。国内也是学科名称与院系名称不一致。当此有关职能机构正主持修订学科专业目录的当口，紧急建议用能反映本学科基本特性的“信息资源管理”（IRM）一级学科名称取代现在的“图书馆、情报与档案管理”一级学科名称。最后还对IRM的基本内涵、学科体系、课程分类等发表了自己的看法。