New wine in old wineskins: U.S. Government information in a networked world

Electronic information transforms relationships among the elements of traditional publishing, creating new opportunities and new challenges, especially for the long-term sustainability of information. The most prevalent popular metaphor, the information highway, is somewhat misleading. A new model—information ecology—can bring new thinking to bear on these challenges. Exploring this model suggests that current government information dissemination institutions and practices must transform themselves if access to valuable public information is to be maintained and expanded.