| Abstract: | In the United States, openness of government is supported by two categories of legislation: by government in the Sunshine Act and the Federal Depository Library Program. Israel's legislative system lacks parallel legislation, and consequently, the idea of open government is not firmly rooted in the collective mind set, and practices of open government have yet to become routine and standardized.This paper examines the mechanisms available in Israel today to support practices of open government, and discusses promoting and hindering factors on the road to open government. Accelerating factors include the government plans for on-line access to government ministries and agencies, while hindering factors include to existence of state copyright. A special emphasis is placed in the discussion on the role of library and information professionals in promoting access to government information. The paper is based on primary and secondary sources, and on personal interviews with government officials conducted in August 1999. |
