Library Stuff

“The National Archives Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) today released the first Executive branch-wide Fundamental Classification Guidance Review covering 25 Federal agencies with significant classification programs. Agency summaries are online. The review serves as a guide and benchmark for Federal agencies to ensure proper classification of information vital to national security, while expediting declassification by avoiding over-classification and unnecessary withholding of records. Accurate and current classification guides also ensure standardized classification within and across Federal agencies. Of the 3,103 classification guides reviewed, 869 were either cancelled or consolidated; numerous projects, programs, or categories were eliminated, revised, consolidated, or condensed.”

via National Archives

“A major overhaul in the way federal departments and agencies manage and preserve their records was ordered today by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In a directive that carries out a presidential memorandum to reform records management for the 21st century, NARA and OMB said that all agencies must begin to manage their records, including emails, in electronic format by the end of the decade. The directive also requires each agency to designate a high-ranking agency official to oversee its records management programs and to ensure that all appropriate staff receive records management training.”

via National Archives

“An online application that allows businesses to compare themselves to their competitors, locate their competition, customers, and suppliers, and find the best places to advertise and their developer team of four won the Commerce Department’s first prize and $5,000 in the nationwide Commerce Business Apps Challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The winning apps use at least one Department of Commerce data set that assists businesses and/or improves the service delivery of Business.USA.gov to the business community. BusinessUSA is a centralized, one-stop platform to make it easier than ever for businesses to access services to help them grow and hire. All of these winners equip businesses with tools to be more competitive around the world, while creating jobs here at home.”

via Department of Commerce

Press Release – “Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman took another major step in his drive to bolster transparency in state government by launching “New York Open Government,” a major expansion of the office’s Project Sunlight website. The new site is designed to help voters, the media and government watchdogs hold state government accountable by providing the public with comprehensive, up-to-date, and user-friendly information on campaign contributions, lobbying, and state contracts.”

OMB Watch – “In recent years, government has increasingly embraced the proactive disclosure of information and created online tools to increase transparency. But how do Americans discover that information? Who helps them learn how to use complex government databases and tools? The answer may be a surprisingly familiar one: libraries. Libraries have traditionally played a leading role in helping the public discover and use government information. However, the rapid expansion of e-government creates new opportunities and challenges for empowering the public with such information. The Government Printing Office (GPO) is now considering a proposal that could help libraries around the country to modernize and expand their government information services, supporting equitable public access to information and amplifying the impact of open government initiatives.”

Washington Post – “A herd of interns huddled around a display table of tech gadgets at the Federal Communications Commission last week, picking up and passing around Hasbro 3-D goggles, an Amazon Kindle and a Polaroid photo printer designed by Lady Gaga. The agency converted a corner of its library into a “technology experience center” where employees can interact with the latest gizmos from companies that are directly impacted by the FCC’s policies.”

Bev Butula – “Individuals consider several factors when selecting websites for research. Those factors could include currency of the data, whether clear bias exists, if the site is user friendly, and the authority or source of the information. From this list, I consider authority the most important. Is the data from a trustworthy source? Is the author an expert on the topic? To ensure good authority, I often start my search with government websites. Here are a few of my favorites.”

AP – “A new Commerce Department website aims to give schools, libraries and job training centers the tools to help teach computer and Internet skills to Americans who are new to the Net.

The site, www.digitalliteracy.gov , offers links to everything from basic Web surfing tips and online banking tutorials to resume-building services and resources on combatting cyberbullying. It is part of an Obama administration push to ensure that all Americans have access to high-speed Internet connections and the skills needed to use them to compete in today’s digital economy.”

Daily Herald – “Save the newspapers!

It sounds a little self-serving, sure, but even in the Internet age, newspapers may be good for more than lining a litter box and wrapping fish.

What newspapers and other traditional media do, said BYU law professor RonNell Andersen Jones, is combine a passion for open government and public access with the resources to go after the government for the enactment and enforcement of those laws.”

Reuters – “As the clock ticked down to the historic healthcare vote on Sunday and congressional leaders scrambled to get holdout Democratic lawmakers on board, the White House was all-a-Twitter. White House staff used the microblogging site to keep the momentum going, keeping track of which Democratic lawmakers had changed their minds and decided to vote in favor of the bill, finally giving the party a narrow majority to pass it.