Boston, Massachusetts
May 17-19, 1995
James G. Neal, Convener
Indiana University
Welcome. Government information has been a central component of our North American research library collection and service programs for decades. As we have main-streamed bibliographic access through our catalogs and expanded electronic and networked distribution capabilities, the central role of government publications in the teaching, research, and service programs of our universities has expanded enormously.
Access to and dissemination of government information is one of ARL’s top priorities for 1995. Three of our distinguished colleagues will speak about the dramatic developments taking place in the United States and Canada, and the imperative both for rethinking current programs and for implementing new models of access and service.
I bring to your attention two documents. First is the “Government Information Dissemination Program’s Proposals for Change and Related Initiatives,” a document which is included in the Federal Relations Notebook.
The second is a document called “A Framework for Enhanced Access and Dissemination of Federal Government Information: A Vision for the Future.” This is a document prepared by the Coalition of Many Library Associations.
Allow me to quote from this latter piece. “Public access to government information is a basic right of the people. Achieving the ideal of universal public access requires cooperation at many levels. Formal partnerships with mutual responsibilities and obligations must be established among the program partners, partners responsible for creating, disseminating, accessing, using, preserving, and evaluating government information. These partners are government information producers, libraries and other information providers, central coordinating government bodies, and information users.
“The emergence of new technologies resulting in new avenues for disseminating government information in electronic formats has forced all of these partners in the process to reexamine current practices with an eye toward improved efficiency and expanded and increased public access.”
Let us now turn to our speakers. Our first speaker is Nancy Cline from Penn State. She is followed by Ernie Ingles from Alberta, and Jim Williams from Colorado.