The intention of S.1090 is to improve the existing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), but in its current form, it is technologically out of date, will burden the administrative process, and will delay disclosure. Examines general considerations for amendments, technology and information law, and technological and administrative problems with the…

Access to information through technology brings information policy to the forefront of legislative debates and libraries must articulate their interests in the process. Defines information policy and highlights conflicting perspectives and opinions. A model of technology practice explains the interest in information policy, where a change in one…

Electronic information transforms relationships among the elements of traditional publishing, creating new opportunities and new challenges, especially for the sustainability of information. A new model of information ecology suggests that current government information dissemination institutions and practices must transform themselves if access…

Discusses the control of digital content and the stakes for libraries and our democratic culture. Highlights include copyright term extension, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, use of contract law to limit the public domain, database legislation, trademarks versus the public domain, the void in our cultural vocabulary, and the concept of the…

The fifth interagency conference explored ways that changes in technology, coupled with efforts to reinvent government, are redefining the policy and implementation issues of providing public access to federal information. Five groups were established to address issues and to develop recommendations; each group was divided into two sessions. Ten…

Reliable and current data is the foundation upon which good public policymaking is built. While California collects a good deal of data on its teaching workforce, policymakers have lacked a state-level data and analysis system to provide answers to even some of the most basic questions: How many credential holders actually take jobs? In what types…

This paper assesses the recommendations made during the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS) from a public policy view, and identifies their meaning for the public's uses and needs for library and information services. Recommendations from the WHCLIS conference which fit best with national goals were found to…

The purpose of this study was to develop performance measures that will assist federal agencies to assess the quality and usefulness of their World Wide Web sites and to improve public information access service of those Web sites. The study was sponsored jointly by three federal agencies: the Defense Technical Information Center, the Energy…

Examines aspects of cyberspace policy: Internet content and expectations; privacy: medical information and data collected by the government; and the regulation of offensive material: the Communications Decency Act, Internet filters, and the American Library Association's proactive great Web sites for children. Suggests that even "child…

Public libraries implementing public access to the Internet are faced with making new usage policies. This study examined 75 public library Internet access policies and identifies 26 policy elements. Finds consensus in disclaimers for libraries, parental responsibility for children, warnings about potentially offensive material, and loss of…

Discusses the key role of the school library as an information commons that prepares tomorrow's citizens to recognize their rights and responsibilities in the information age. An action agenda for school librarians aimed at ensuring that young people will continue to have opportunities to participate in a digital age democracy is suggested. (MES)

The European Commission is responsible for the development of online information systems and for providing public databases of information on the European Union's activities. Topics include the union's telecommunications policy and role; network facilities; ways to access online services; programs to promote the use of information services; and a…

Discusses regulating access to the Internet and describes the results of a related two-part survey. Focuses on accessibility of World Wide Web sites that contain offensive materials and reports on measures by British universities to control access by staff and students. A list of possibly offensive newsgroups is appended. (Author/JKP)

Describes and critiques emerging issues about Internet access in schools and school libraries. Discusses software products for filtering and rating expressive content on the Internet, reader-response-theory implications for filtering and rating Internet content, ambiguities, and the role of school librarians and acceptable-use policies. (AEF)

Reviews the technological, political, professional, and educational issues associated with filtering or blocking access to electronic information. Suggests strategies for handling the unique situations that might arise in school libraries and outlines age-appropriate alternatives to filtering. (AEF)