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…

Recent legislation in New Zealand has placed statutory obligations on its government organizations to introduce sound records management practices and to ensure long-term access to their digital records. To obtain a base level of knowledge on current digital preservation practices and on awareness of digital preservation issues, an online survey…

There are recent indications regarding the use of online public services that force the government to focus on the more refined conceptualizations digital divide research has produced. This paper addresses one of the factors that appears to be important in several conceptualizations of how to approach the digital divide; the differential…

Fair Dealing is the right, within limits, to reproduce a substantial amount of a copyrighted work without permission from, or payment to, the copyright owner. Its purpose is to facilitate creativity and free expression by ensuring reasonable access to existing knowledge while at the same time protecting the interests of copyright owners. It is…

Reviews provisions of information-related laws in light of the September 11th attacks and their impact on civil liberties. Highlights include the USA Patriot Act of 2001; law enforcement and the ECPA (Electronic Communications Privacy Act); intelligence and the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978); implications for information…

Ethical guidelines of the 4 major professional associations representing counselors and psychotherapists are reviewed. To help clarify thinking about writing up clinical cases, 3 kinds of cases are described. The author concludes that the current guidelines for clinician authors in writing about clients for publication or presentation are…

Contains two articles: (1) excerpts from testimony by the chairperson of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) regarding copyright law revisions; and (2) a statement by the Council on Library Resources (CLR) Board of Directors regarding the Working Group on Intellectual Property Rights' report on copyright law and…

Describes the political process behind the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA), a new article of the Uniform Commercial Code, and implications for academic libraries and higher education. Uses group theory as a conceptual framework and draws conclusions regarding the higher education community's responses to future public policy…

Describes several projects aimed at building the Information Commons, including: Knowledge Conservancy plans to create a database of all freely available digitized content; the Universal Library, a project with the long-term goal of providing free, online access to all books; and several projects of the Creative Commons intended to build a robust…

Students, parents, and the general public are interested in what is happening in their schools. The ability to communicate openly and effectively can help generate a positive image that builds a community's confidence in schools. Although open communication can thus be beneficial, much of the information people want is subject to privacy laws:…

As required under section 104 of Public Law No. 105-304, this Report evaluates the effects of title I of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998 and the development of electronic commerce and associated technology on the operation of sections 109 and 117 of title 17, U.S.C. It also evaluates the relationship between existing and…

The newly revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA 2001) has sweeping implications for how states collect, analyze, and use data about school and system performance. Policymakers must take a hard look at the design and capacity of their states' data systems, and determine what changes will have to be made to meet the requirements of…

Discusses implications of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, antiterrorism legislation that was passed after the September 11 attacks, regarding privacy issues. Highlights include information privacy; privacy and government, including increases in the surveillance powers of government; privacy and the private sector; and future possibilities. (Author/LRW)

The United States has taken only piecemeal steps to ensure privacy of personal information. This article examines the U.S. relating to privacy and data protection. It defines privacy and discusses international agreements relating to privacy, federal data protection laws, and narrowly applicable laws. (AEF)

An important federal statute impacting student records is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), enacted to ensure student/parent access to education records and to limit disclosures to others for unauthorized purposes. FERPA Regulations set forth the basic federal records retention and destruction requirements. The records of…